Anti-Hunger Advocates Call for U.S. Senate to Immediately Pass House COVID-19 Relief Bill

“Massive Increase in Pre-Existing Hunger Crisis Demands Massive, Highly-Coordinated Response by the Federal, State, and the City Governments, and Corporations, Nonprofit Groups, and Philanthropies”

Hunger-Relief Provisions of the House Bill Detailed Below

In 2018, when the economy was still strong, 37 million Americans, including 11 million U.S. children, lived in food insecure households, unable to afford an adequate supply of food.

In the last few days, tens of millions of low-income students have lost access to school lunches, breakfasts, and after-school snacks and suppers due to school closures. Large numbers of older Americans have lost meals due to senior center shutdowns. In addition, millions of Americans who previously worked for modest wages and/or depended on tips to survive have suddenly lost jobs and/or have suffered from dramatic reductions in incomes.

The economic relief bill pushed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which passed the House of Representatives early Saturday morning, would significantly lessen the hunger crisis, not only providing more funds to make it easier for schools, senior programs, and food charities to provide alternative meals, but, most significantly, creating a vast new, federally-funded program to give extra food purchasing dollars to all families with children in closed schools on ATM-like cards. The bill also includes paid sick leave and expanded unemployment compensation funding, which will more broadly aid struggling working families, maintaining some of their food purchasing power.

On Saturday, President Donald Trump strongly endorsed the bill. Yet Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has yet to schedule a Senate vote on the bill, reportedly because some conservative senators object to the paid sick leave provisions.

Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America, a nationwide direct service and advocacy organization, released this statement in response:

“The instantaneous loss of tens of millions of school meals and tens of thousands of senior meals each day – combined with the rapid reduction in income for numerous low-income workers – has greatly worsened the country’s pre-existing hunger crisis. This is the first time in modern U.S. history that we have seen a nationwide natural disaster combined with an economic collapse, so we can’t even begin to imagine the long-term devastation for the nation, particularly for the vast number of people struggling.

It is distressing, to say the least, that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has yet to schedule a Senate vote on the bill, reportedly because some conservative senators object to the paid sick leave provisions.

The Senate should immediately pass, and the President should immediately sign, this emergency bill into law.

This massive increase in the pre-existing hunger crisis demands a massive, highly-coordinated response by federal, state, and city government agencies, as well as corporations, nonprofit groups, and philanthropies. If the House bill is passed by the Senate and becomes law, one top priority for such joint efforts should be helping eligible families up enroll in the new government food benefits available. The other key priority should be dramatically ramping-up the home delivery of meals to older Americans, children, and families who lost income; this should be done using a combination of government and nonprofit staff, National Guard members, AmeriCorps national service participants, U.S. Census workers, and community volunteers (all of whom should be given adequate safety training and equipment). The time is now for all hands on deck to jointly combat this grave threat to the city and nation. Hunger Free America stands ready to help any way we can.

Crises such as Katrina, Sandy, and the coronavirus pandemic rip the bandages off society’s most gaping wounds, forcing the nation to confront the reality of how each crisis greatly worsened the pre-existing maladies of hunger, poverty, and inequality. I hope that, after the immediate pandemic subsides, this prompts the nation to launch broader efforts to solve these long-term crises.”

DETAILS OF ANTI-HUNGER PROVISIONS OF HOUSE ECONOMIC RELIEF BILL

The bill states: “The supplemental appropriations provided by the bill are designated as emergency spending, which is exempt from discretionary spending limit.” What that means is that – unlike normal bills, which require other programs to be cut or taxes to be raised to pay for any new spending under so-called PAYGO provisions — this bill is not subject to PAYGO and therefore does not require spending reduction or tax increases to pay for it. Rather, the spending for this bill increased the federal budget deficit, as do tax cuts for which offsets are not found.

All funding through the bill is supposed to expire at the end of this federal fiscal year, which ends September 30, 2020, and is supposed to be used for emergency purposes only related to COVID-19.

Nutrition Assistance Grants for U.S. Territories

The bill provides $100 million to the Secretary of Agriculture to provide grants to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa for nutrition assistance. This is particularly important since Puerto Rico’s main federal food aid program, the Nutrition Assistance Program, was chronically under-funded even before Hurricane Maria. Since the hurricane, Puerto Rico has faced a serious food crisis. Puerto Rico now has such a high poverty rate that, as of November 2019, 1,298,518 (41 percent) island residents received food aid through the Nutrition Assistance Program.

Because the combined population of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa are about 110,000 people (about 1/29

of the population of Puerto Rico), if 95 percent of the $100 million in this new funding went to Puerto Rico, that would equal $95 million, which would equal only an extra $73 dollars between now and September for each of the participants in Puerto Rico’s Nutrition Assistance Program.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

The federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, better known as WIC, provides nutritional supplements to pregnant women and children under five. This bill provides an additional $500 million to the program. The bill also authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to waive administrative requirements for WIC participation, including the requirement for a participant to have a physical presence in a WIC clinic to assess their nutritional risk.

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)

The bill provides an addition $400 million (of which up to $100 million can be used for distribution costs) to increase the availability of commodities (mostly canned and boxed foods) given out by food banks, soup kitchens, and food pantries nationwide.

Food Programs for Older Americans

The bill appropriates $160 million for home-delivered nutrition programs such as Meals on Wheels and $10 million for nutrition services for Native Americans. The bill also allots $80 million for congregate nutrition services, meaning meals delivered to older Americans at senior centers, religious institutions, schools, and other community spaces serving meals through the congregate meals program established by the federal Older Americans Act.

The bill also provides states with more flexibility on how they can enable their older residents to access such meals.

School Meals Programs

Under pre-existing federal law, all school lunches and breakfasts must be served in the school buildings, and variation in the way any meals are served by school districts must not cost the federal government any additional money. The bill allows states and school districts to temporarily use alternative methods of food distribution (such as giving children meals to take home from school distribution sites) and allows states and school districts to spend more federal funds to do so.

The bill also allows additional flexibility in the federally-funded Child And Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which funds meals at eligible afterschool programs, child care centers, homeless shelters, day care homes, and adult day care centers.

Hunger Free America points out both the benefits and drawbacks of schools allowing students to show up at schools and/or other mass distributions to bring meals home. While it it makes sense that many schools that have closed due to the Coronavirus are allowing children to show up at school to obtain food to take home, this approach is problematic for a number of reasons:

• If schools and workplaces are closed specifically to prevent people from congregating, then giving out food to large numbers of children congregating together could be counter-productive.

• If their parents are still working during the day, it may be more difficult/dangerous for the kids to get meals.

• Some schools have limited such pick-ups to families with cars; many of the lowest-income families don’t own cars or the parents in such families must use their car to get to work.

• Many children live long distances from their schools, and travelling to food pick-up locations could expose them to more disease risks, as well as cost them additional money for travel.

• To date, USDA has only given waiver approval to this alternative meal delivery method to schools in which 50% or more of their students are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. Yet there are still many low-income children in schools – particularly in suburban and rural areas – that do not qualify for this waiver. If such schools are closed, the low-income students in these schools would miss out on school meals entirely.

While we have not seen data yet on the effectiveness of such alternative food distribution efforts by schools, it is highly likely that they will serve far fewer children than normal school meals programs on regular school days.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – Formerly Known as the Food Stamp Program

The most impactful part of the bill in terms of reducing hunger is the creation of a vast new, federally-funded program to give extra food purchasing dollars to all families with children in closed schools on ATM-like cards. Some are calling this a Pandemic EBT program.

To be precise, the bill authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to approve state agency plans to provide Pandemic EBT benefits to households with children who would receive free or reduced-price school lunches if not for the closure of their schools due to the pandemic emergency.

Under the bill, the Secretary of Agriculture may approve state plans to provide Pandemic EBT benefits to eligible households with children who may or may not already be participating in SNAP. Eligible children must be receiving free or reduced-price school meals and be enrolled at a school that is closed for no less than 5 consecutive days due to the pandemic emergency based on an outbreak of Coronavirus. Benefits provided to approved households can be no less than the value of school meals at the federal free rate over the course of five school days for each eligible child in the household.

The bill also temporary waives the requirement that would ordinarily remove abled-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) who are unemployed from the SNAP program if they are unable to find work.

While the bill does not explicitly address the pre-existing USDA Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP), which gives food assistance to low-income households with food loss or damage caused by a natural disaster, we believe — now that the President has declared a national emergency — USDA can use this authority to make SNAP more widely available in areas particularly hard hit by the pandemic and/or job losses.

Other Economic Aid

The House bill also includes paid sick leave and expanded unemployment compensation funding, which will more broadly aid struggling working families, maintaining some of their food purchasing power.

Specifically, the bill established a federal emergency paid leave benefits program to provide payments to employees taking unpaid leave due to the coronavirus outbreak.

It expands the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to require businesses with fewer than 500 employees to provide paid leave for all employees (employed for 30 days) for a qualifying need related to a public health emergency related to the Coronavirus declared by a federal, state, or local authority.

The employee must be compensated for this leave at a level that is at least two-thirds of an employee’s regular rate of pay. The first 14 days for which an employee takes FMLA leave under Division C may consist of unpaid leave. However, an employee may elect to substitute any accrued vacation leave, personal leave, or medical or sick leave provided by the employer in lieu of unpaid leave.

The bill outlines specific levels of reimbursement to covered employers and certain individuals in the form of payroll credits and tax credits for the leave payments required by the legislation. The bill also expands unemployment benefits and provides grants to states for processing and paying claims.

March 18 Maryland Fishing Report : Despite the Chinese Virus You Can Still Go Fishing

By Keith Lockwood

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

“No life is so happy and so pleasant as the life of the well-govern’d angler.“–Izaak Walton

Michael Novak Jr. caught this beautiful crappie recently while fishing with his dad. Photo by Michael Novak

We face extraordinary times and everyone must make decisions regarding the safety of ourselves and those we love. Given Maryland’s current State of Emergency, the

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

has made adjustments as well.

After careful consideration, the department decided to suspend spring trout stocking to protect the health and safety of our state employees and also the public and angling community. We need to avoid a situation that encourages anglers to gather near stocked locations. The department may also cancel or postpone fishing-related events this spring, including youth fishing rodeos and fishing tournaments due to the Executive Order prohibiting gatherings of 50 people or more.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t go fishing. In fact, the department has already stocked 82,700 brown, golden, and rainbow trout across the state. While it is unknown at this time when trout stocking will resume, we do encourage anglers to safely take advantage of incredible fishing opportunities Maryland has to offer.

For those looking for ways to occupy children stuck at home, consider a peaceful fishing adventure — obviously taking care to keep your proper social distance from others and avoid unnecessary exposure.

Please keep an eye on the department’s website and social media for updates, and we will resume regular operations once we are safely able.

Be safe, be responsible, be kind to each other, and we will get through these trying times together.

Forecast Summary: March 18-24:

Friday is the first day of Spring and signs are everywhere. Blooming daffodils, forsythia bushes and pear trees are all indicators that Chesapeake Bay water temperatures are on the rise.

Bay mainstem surface waters

and rivers have risen to the upper 40s and will continue to rise through the next week. Warmest waters continue to be found in the bottom quarter of the water column near the Virginia state line. However, smaller, dark-bottom streams and downwind areas on a sunny day will warm faster, often holding water temperatures in the low to mid-50s.

These typical March conditions will continue to warm Maryland waters for gamefish such as white perch preparing to spawn in the next several weeks. They will spawn in the lower salinity waters — up to 4 ppt — when water temperatures are between 50 degrees and 60 degrees. In addition, shad will continue to make their way up the bay towards their spawning areas in many of the larger rivers. The first hickory shad are now present on the Potomac River at Fletcher’s Boathouse in D.C., with water temperatures now at 55 degrees. In addition

, in the main bay, there are still slightly warmer bottom waters

so anglers may want to scan these areas for other gamefish.

The Maryland portion of the bay continues to have

suitable oxygen conditions

from surface to bottom.

Bay surface salinities are normal for this time of year.

Expect reduced water clarity in the upper bay from the Aberdeen and Sassafras rivers to Swan Point, and on the Potomac River downstream to near the Route 301 Bridge.

Expect normal flows to the rivers and streams entering Maryland’s portion of the Bay.

There will be above average

tidal currents

conditions from Friday through Tuesday as a result of the new moon March 24.

For more detailed and up-to-date fishing conditions in your area of the bay, be sure to check out Eyes on the Bay’s

Click Before You Cast.

Get regular updates on Maryland’s waters sent to your inbox with our Eyes on the Bay newsletter.

Upper Chesapeake Bay

Photo courtesy of Zeljko Koretic

There is plenty of fun fishing action at the Conowingo Dam pool for a mix of large flathead and blue catfish. The releases from the dam have been minimal recently due to the lack of rainfall in the Susquehanna watershed. Anglers are wearing waders to get closer to the dam pool and casting cut bait and heavy swimshads with stout spinning tackle. Early in the morning, there has also been some catch-and-release action with striped bass on topwater lures.

A little farther downriver there is a mix of small to medium-sized flathead catfish, along with channel catfish and blue catfish. Most anglers fishing for them are using fresh cut bait on a bottom rig in some of the deeper holes between the I-95 Bridge and the Railroad Bridge.

Yellow perch are still being caught near the Perryville area and the Northeast River. The action has subsided quite a bit but there are still pre-spawn and post-spawn yellow perch being caught. The most popular way to fish for them has been using live minnows fished near the bottom in the more open waters. White perch will be arriving on the scene soon, as water temperatures are about 47 degrees and rising. When the water temperatures climb to the mid-50s, the white perch will move into the area.

There is still some yellow perch action in the upper Bush and Magothy rivers on the western side of the bay, but it is falling off quickly. Those who are fishing with pieces of bloodworm and grass shrimp are catching the first white perch entering the river systems. The upper Chester River is seeing the same situation with post-spawn yellow perch leaving and pre-spawn white perch arriving.

Water temperatures in the upper bay are holding around the mid-40s, still a little chilly for school-sized striped bass. There has been a little catch-and-release action with striped bass near the Bay Bridge and Scott Key Bridge piers. Most are jigging near the pier bases. Striped bass regulations for the Spring Trophy Season can be viewed

online

Middle Bay

Scott Green holds up a big Blue Catfish he caught recently in the Nanticoke River on cut white perch. Photo courtesy of Scott Green

The upper Choptank and Tuckahoe rivers have been receiving a lot of attention from anglers pursuing yellow perch. Those spawning runs are just about over now, but there are opportunities to catch yellow perch as they descend the rivers headed away from the spawning areas. Small minnows lip-hooked to a small shad dart or on a simple bottom rig work very well for these fish as they move through the channels.

Fish with grass shrimp on a shad dart or bottom rig and you very well may catch some white perch and enjoy a little catch-and-release action with river herring and hickory shad. They are moving up the Choptank and Tuckahoe and can be found above Denton to the Greensboro area, and may reach the Red Bridges area by the weekend as the weather forecast calls for some very warm temperatures. A bottom rig baited with pieces of bloodworm is a popular way to fish for them, when taking it easy with a good seat and forked stick along a riverbank or leisurely fishing out of a small boat.

Fishing for northern snakeheads is shifting into high gear this week as balmy and sunny days warm up area waters, enticing them to be more active. Casting white or other color swimbaits is a proven tactic this time of the year, and chatterbaits are working well also. Fishing a large minnow trailing behind a popping cork or bobber is perhaps the most tried-and-true method before grass beds appear and the northern snakeheads are in more open water.

The tidal waters in lower Dorchester County are one of the best places in Maryland to fish for northern snakeheads. The populations are exploding, offering anglers plenty of opportunities to catch a mess of them and also participate in conservation methods to try and control their numbers. They make excellent eating and freeze well. My favorite way to prepare them is to cut the fillets in 3-inch strips, dip them in egg batter, dredge in panko and let them sit in the refrigerator for about 3 hours before frying them in hot oil. If you wish to skip the oil, you can brown them in butter and finish cooking them in a toaster oven.

For blue catfish, the Nanticoke River in the Sharptown area to the mouth of the Marshyhope Creek is the best spot on the Eastern Shore. Anglers there are catching coolers full of them, with most in the 4- to eight 8-pound size range, perfect for eating. Fresh cut bait, often gizzard shad, is the most popular. White perch are moving through the area, and they also make good fresh cut bait.

There is some catch-and-release jigging action at the Calvert Cliffs Power Plant warm water discharge this week, mostly for smaller striped bass. Surface water temperatures in the middle bay region are running about 47 degrees, still a bit chilly for striped bass. The striped bass are moving up the bay and entering the spawning rivers, getting ready for the spawn in late March and early April. There has been some trolling action for larger striped bass but it has been described as a very slow pick with only one or two fish caught and released in a day’s outing.

Lower Bay

Photo courtesy of Caz Kenny

Fishing for blue catfish is taking center stage this week for those fishing the tidal waters of the Potomac, Patuxent, and Nanticoke rivers. Blue catfish populations have been increasing dramatically in recent years. A recent report about a commercial haul seining operation in the tidal Potomac said it’s not unusual for them to catch 20,000 pounds of blue catfish in a single haul, and taking two days to unload it. Recently they caught about 250,000 pounds in a single haul, which took four days to transport the fish to market. Anglers need not worry — there are still plenty of blue catfish to catch, so give it a try and help control this invasive catfish.

Fresh cut bait on a simple bottom rig is the standard way to fish for blue catfish that are under 8 pounds, which often make for the best eating. The fillets are mild tasting and they freeze well. Those looking for trophy sized blue cats usually use live bait and fish the deepest channel areas. On the Potomac, Fort Washington Marina offers a good boat ramp at a nominal cost.

White perch are moving into the upper regions of the tidal rivers and are providing fun and exciting fishing. They are now moving into the shallower and more confined areas of the tidal rivers and creeks, providing for fun light tackle fishing. Small shad darts with a piece of minnow or grass shrimp on it is perhaps the most popular way to fish, casting slightly upstream and bouncing the shad dart as it swings in the current. The white perch tend to move in waves of various sizes; often you’ll be catching small perch one after another, then large ones for a minute or two, then small ones again.

Northern snakeheads are providing some fun fishing in the tidal rivers and creeks of the lower Eastern Shore and the tidal Potomac. Casting chatterbaits and light-color swimshads are a good way to cover water when looking for these fish. Large minnows fished under a bobber or trailing a popping cork is another good way to catch them this time of the year.

A few anglers are trying their hand at catch-and-release fishing for the large, pre-spawn striped bass moving up the bay. The best success seems to be coming from lures trolled behind planer boards, since the fish tend to be up on top in the warmer water. Some light-tackle anglers are finding school-sized striped bass holding along channel edges and taking jigs.

Freshwater Fishing

As mentioned previously, the department decided to suspend spring trout stocking to protect the health and safety of our state employees and also the public and angling community. We need to avoid a situation that encourages anglers to gather near stocked locations.

Mike Tarud holds up a beautiful 7-pound, 12-ounce largemouth bass he caught and released recently in the tidal portion of the Gunpowder River. Photo by Rob Hennlein

There is still plenty of enjoyable trout fish to be had. To date, the department has stocked 82,700 brown, golden and rainbow across the state. There are still trout to be found in the many put-and-take areas which are 0 Closure. The Closure 1 areas remained closed until 5:30 a.m. on March 28. The catch-and release trout management areas are open and hold generous numbers of trout to entertain any fisherman. The fly-fishing-only trout management waters hold special promise for enjoyment. Fishing with nymphs or streamers this time of year is often a good bet.

All waters in the state are running very low due to the lack of rain and snow. The upper Potomac River is no exception; flow rates are down and there are a lot of exposed boulders in some areas. When fishing for smallmouth bass, casting small crankbaits near emerging grass and ledges is a good idea in shallower areas; use tubes, grubs, and jigs in the deeper portions of the river.Fishing minnows can also be a great option when fishing these deeper waters, which is where walleye tend to be holding.

Largemouth bass are responding to warmer water temperatures by becoming more active and moving into shallower waters. During the morning hours, the largemouth bass tend to hold in deeper waters often near structure. Silver buddies, grubs and various soft plastics are a good choice when fishing these deeper waters.

As the day progresses and the sun begins to warm surface waters, shallow-running crankbaits such as Rat-L-Traps are a great idea in the transition zones between drop-offs and shallower waters. The slightly shallower areas are good places to work spinnerbaits and cover a lot of water. Any emerging grass is an excellent place to work for largemouth bass holding nearby. When fishing tidal waters, always be ready for northern snakeheads that are holding in the same areas.

Spring is a wonderful time of the year to fish for crappie as they school up in about 5-6 feet of water near any kind of structure they can find. They can be found in many of our tidal waters, small farm ponds, and reservoirs throughout Maryland. Using small minnows or marabou jigs under a slip bobber are two of the best ways to catch them. In tidal waters, marina piers, bridge piers, fallen treetops, and submerged rubble are good places to look for them. Fallen treetops and sunken structure are places to target in nontidal waters.

Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays

Darcia Ward holds up her personal best tautog for the camera that she tagged and released back into the ocean. Photo by Monty Hawkins

Fishing for tautog still dominates the fishing scene in the Ocean City area, and there has been enough tautog activity around the Ocean City Inlet to entertain anglers wishing to enjoy the balmy weather. The charter and party boats heading to the offshore wreck and reef sites continue to enjoy excellent fishing for large tautog. Due to these extraordinary times that encourage social distancing, make sure to contact boat captains to see if they are still taking anglers out and of course use your best judgment to protect your health.

Maryland Fishing Report

is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood,

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

fisheries biologist.

Click Before You Cast is written by Tidewater Ecosystem Assessment Director Tom Parham.

This report is now available on your Amazon Echo device — just ask Alexa to “open Maryland Fishing Report.”

CBD Oil Regulations in Philadelphia and New Jersey

Gloucestercitynews.net (March 18, 2020)–Cannabidiol or CBD oil has long been known to have many health benefits. This therapeutic substance has a worldwide fan base with millions of people using it for its wide range of health-related advantages. Despite its health benefits, the distribution and use of CBD oil in the United States are strictly regulated.

Regardless of its health benefits, the extraction process has made the legalization of CBD oil a hot topic for a long time. Laws regarding its use are different in each state and are applied to both people who want to use CBD oil and pet owners who want to administer it to their pets. So, here is what you need to know about CBD oil regulations in Philadelphia and New Jersey.

CBD Oil Regulations in Philadelphia

Philadelphia is Pennsylvania’s largest city. CBD regulations in this part of the US align with federal laws. CBD can be derived from both hemp and marijuana plants, with different laws for each variety. Federal law and laws applying in the state of Pennsylvania only allow the purchase, sale, and use of CBD oil extracted from hemp, as stated in

the Farm Bill of 2018

. That enables citizens to buy and use the oil without a doctor’s prescription.

Oil extracted from marijuana, on the other hand, is legal only for qualified patients. Selling or

purchasing of oil extracted from marijuana for recreational purposes is illegal

and classified as a misdemeanor.

CBD Oil Regulations in New Jersey

The use of CBD oil needs to align with in-state laws. Just like in Philadelphia, whether the CBD oil is legal or not depends on its derivation. Now, you may be wondering why CBD oil extracted from marijuana is different and deemed illegal compared to its hemp counterpart. That is because oil extracted from marijuana is likely to contain

tetrahydrocannabinol

(THC), a substance known to have psychoactive effects on people. Unauthorized usage of this substance is illegal.

According to the Farm Bill, only CBD oil extracted from hemp that contains little to no THC is legal to be distributed and used without a doctor’s prescription. It has no psychoactive effects, hence can be used in a wide range of products. Just like in Philadelphia, marijuana-derived CBD is illegal for retail sale and use and is only authorized for patients in the Medical Marijuana Program.

CBD Oil for People and Pets

While regulations related to the possession and use of CBD oil are strict at the state and federal level, the product is still very much in demand. While a lot of its health benefits are yet to be scientifically proven, what makes CBD oil such a sought after product for both people and their

beloved four-legged friends

is explained below.

Natural Pain Reliever

Some studies have shown that CBD oil can be used to relieve joint pain in people and animals. It is believed that the effect of cannabis on the brain receptors of humans and some animals helps relieve and manage pain in the body.

CBD Oil for Seizures

Seizures are the most studied application of CBD oil in people. Even though there is limited research on pets, the substance is said to reduce the risk of epileptic seizures in

dogs and cats

as well. Research is not yet definitive, but studies have shown that CBD oil reduces the likelihood of seizures and strokes in pets, children, and adults alike.

CBD Oil for Anxiety

While research is still in its infancy, CBD oil has also been known to help people deal with anxiety and other related disorders like PTSD, social anxiety, and panic disorder. Researchers attribute this to CBD\’s effect on the way our brain receptors react to serotonin. It has also been used to relieve anxiety in pets, but research on that is inconclusive.

Conclusion

CBD oil has been proven beneficial to both people and animals. Despite this, federal and state laws remain strict regarding their use. Both Philadelphia and New Jersey only authorize the use of CBD oil extracted from hemp while those extracted from marijuana are illegal. Therefore, before purchasing or using CBD oil in Philadelphia, New Jersey or anywhere else in the US, make sure everything is in compliance with the law.

Officer Down: Police Officer Christopher Walsh, Shot and Killed, Suspect Commits Suicide

Police Officer Christopher Walsh

Springfield Police Department, Missouri

End of Watch

Monday, March 16, 2020

Police Officer Chris Walsh, age 32, was shot and killed as he and another officer confronted an active shooter at a convenience store at 2885 E Chestnut Expressway.

Dispatchers had received numerous calls about shootings at various locations throughout the city between 11:24 pm and 11:43 pm, including one reporting a vehicle crash and shooting at the convenience store. Officer Walsh and another officer arrived at the scene and immediately engaged the shooter.

Both officers were shot in the ensuing exchange of gunfire. Additional officers who arrived at the scene extricated both officers and transported them to the hospital where Officer Walsh passed away.

The subject committed suicide before being taken into custody. Prior to exchanging shots with the officers, the man shot four citizens inside of the store, killing three of them.

Officer Walsh was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the Springfield Police Department for 3-1/2 years. He is survived by his wife and daughter.

Via

Officer Down Memorial page

CNB Crime

Blue Line

CNBNews Tips and Snippets

CNBNews Point of View

BREAKING NEWS

published Gloucestercitynews.net | March 17, 2020

Children’s National to Make March Matter for Children in the Hospital

(NAPSI)—This month, kids across the region will enjoy playing sports, spending time with friends or traveling for family vacation on spring break. Sadly, hundreds of other children will remain in the hospital fighting to get stronger, coping with

life-altering diagnoses and enduring treatment.

But thanks to dedicated doctors, nurses, child life specialists and more, pediatric hospitals, like premier pediatric hospital Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., make treatment and coping with conditions as positive an experience as possible for patients and their families. Hospitals like Children’s National focus on addressing more than just the underlying illness, injury or condition. They provide critical education, support and encouragement to prepare not only their young patients, but their parents, siblings and families for recovery or coping with a chronic condition. This way, patients can feel informed, empowered and confident to heal or manage their own condition over time. Hospitals also work to treat the whole child and help improve their experience through creative programming like art, music, games and pet therapy.

One Child’s Ability to Take Control

Reese was 5 years old when she had her first seizure and dropped to the ground during a school fire drill. That day, neurologists at Children’s National in nearby Washington, D.C. diagnosed her with epilepsy.

However, with her diagnosis came education, knowledge and power. Not just for her, but for her entire family, allowing her to grow up stronger and enjoy life to the fullest. “My doctors have helped me control my seizures ever since,” says Reese. “They taught me how to limit them, how to trust my instincts when one’s coming on and how to handle a seizure even if I’m by myself.” With this knowledge, Reese, now 9 years old, says she has a lot of confidence to live with her condition, as does her family.

Reese had a seizure on the school bus this year and her friend yelled to the bus driver to get her little brother, John. He’s only 7 but knew what to do thanks to the care and support Reese and her whole family received at Children’s National.

“Some people who have seizures feel like they can’t do anything, but not me,” says Reese. “I have a plan and I know my limits, thanks to my doctors.” Last year, Reese even traveled to Costa Rica with her family where she swam in waterfalls, crossed hanging bridges and climbed cliffs.

Make March Matter

This exceptional level of care can make a big difference in a child and their family’s experience, however, child life and specialty programming as well as research is not often covered by insurance. Rather it is funded through the generous philanthropic support of the local community.

To ensure children like Reese have the programs, resources and exceptional care they need to enjoy stronger futures, Children’s National Hospital Foundation is celebrating its third-annual Make March Matter fundraising campaign all month long. The campaign invites community members to shop, dine and donate at businesses and restaurants in the DC area to help ensure exceptional care for patients and their families, both now and in the future.

Visit

MakeMarchMatterDC.org

to learn more.

What you should take into consideration when setting up a business in Gloucester

If you are planning on setting up a business, there are many things that should be taken into consideration. This includes the kind of business you want to run, the costs, the legal side and much more. Since there are so many things to deal with, it can be overwhelming – but not to worry, we will look at the basic points to help you get started.

In this article, we will discuss what you should take into consideration when setting up a business in the Gloucester area.

Decide what kind of business you want to run

If you are planning on setting up a business, the chances are you’ll have a clear idea of the sector or industry you will be operating in, and have some experience of it. The importance of doing your research can not be underestimated. Speaking to other local business owners can be a good idea, as can mentors and start-up advisors. If you are unfamiliar with the Gloucester area, get talking to business owners in the local area and find out how they are doing.

An important consideration is the structure of your business. You can choose to be a sole trader, a limited company, partnership, LLP or other business structure. It is best to seek professional advice to work out which of these may be best for you. If your employment status changes, for example you decide to go self-employed, you will need to let HMRC know.

Create a business plan to follow

The next thing that you should take into consideration when it comes to starting up a business is to make sure that you write a business plan. This can help you to ‘map out’ your business and what you will need to do to give it the best chance of success. When it comes to creating a business plan, you should make sure that you set some realistic, measurable targets that you want to achieve and when, so you can work towards them.

Find a business premises

You will need a space from which to operate your business, whether you’re looking to start a retail business or become a consultant and work from home.

Do some research into the commercial premises available in the area and look at the

Gloucester City Council

website for information on business rates in the local area.

You will need to make sure you have the correct insurance for your business premises.

Get your financial systems in order

It is wise to start looking into things like setting up a business account, book-keeping software and seeking the advice of an accountant early on to make sure you are following the correct procedures.

Start off on the right legal footing

Having proper protections in place such as well-drafted terms and conditions and supplier contracts can help you to avoid issues like cashflow problems. A business lawyer will be able to help you with this.

If you are processing data, you should make yourself aware of your GDPR and data protection obligations.

You should also ensure your intellectual property is protected and managed well; this can involve everything from your logo and branding through to articles you write or products you make. If you think someone is infringing your intellectual property, you should “

take action to draw this to the attention of the infringing party, and enforce your rights

”. (Source:

Willans.co.uk

)

The legal considerations for business owners are numerous and too many to list here; it is important to seek advice from a reputable law firm. Look at online reviews of law firms that work with businesses in your sector, and ask friends and contacts for recommendations. It can be useful, though not essential, to use a law firm local to you, especially if you are looking to have face-to-face meetings with your legal advisers.

Keep this information in mind

Overall, there are a lot of things that you will need to take into consideration when it comes to running a business. If you are thinking about starting one soon, keep this advice in mind, and remember to consult professionals for tailored guidance.

Image; Pixabay

VIDEO-Coronavirus Tips (that don’t involve hoarding toilet paper)

THE BEST WAY TO WASH YOUR HANDS

Keep yourself and others safe from the coronavirus with these CDC tips. Instead of touching start greeting people hands-free! Find 20 seconds of your favorite song … and let the whole bathroom hear it every time you wash your hands! Make everyone around you put a quarter in a jar when they touch their eyes nose or mouth … or cough into something besides a tissue or their elbow!

COVID-19 can be serious particularly for people with heart disease. But you can help slow its spread. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Stay home when you are sick. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

FBI Top Ten List Turns 70

The FBI looks back at seven decades of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives program—from the creation of the famous list in 1950 to the modern-day ways we’re reaching out to the public about dangerous offenders.

The seeds of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list were planted on February 7, 1949, after

The Washington Daily News

published the article “FBI’s Most Wanted Fugitives Named.” The FBI’s public affairs function at the time had given the reporter—who’d asked for a list of the “toughest guys” the Bureau wanted to arrest—the names of 10 dangerous individuals.

The resulting news story became so popular that the FBI created the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on March 14, 1950.

This week marks the 70

anniversary of the list, which is commonly called the Top Ten. The program uses public outreach to capture offenders wanted for serious crimes.

Over the years, 523 fugitives have been placed on the list, with 488 of them having been caught. As a testament to the effectiveness of the program, 162 of those captures were made with the public’s direct assistance.

The early Bureau used identification orders as a way to get the word out about wanted fugitives. The first identification order was issued in December 1919 seeking escaped U.S. Army prisoner William N. Bishop, who was captured in April 1920.

“The FBI has been in the business of seeking fugitives from the law really since its beginning,” says FBI Historian John Fox. “We started issuing, as early as 1919, our first identification orders—basically, fliers we would send out to law enforcement notifying them of criminals we were looking for. That’s what eventually evolves into the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives program.”

Historically, the Top Ten list has reflected the concerns of the time. In the 1950s, bank robbers, burglars, and car thieves populated the list. The 1960s saw fugitives wanted for kidnapping, sabotage, and destruction of government property. Members of organized crime groups and murderers were present on the lists of the 1970s. Drug kingpins and serial killers were a priority in the 1980s. And in the 1990s, the list reflected the increasing threat of international criminal activity.

Over the past two decades, the Top Ten list has focused on the most violent of fugitives sought for homicides, armed robberies, gang activities, and mass shootings.

In the earliest days, wanted posters would be placed in local post offices, and information on offenders was provided to newspapers. This quickly was supplemented with radio shows and television programs. As media has changed over the years, so have the FBI’s outreach methods.

“We still do the traditional stuff—the press conference, posters, sending out a press release—but we now add in the more modern aspects,” says Chris Allen, head of the FBI’s Investigative Publicity and Public Affairs Unit. “Now folks are on their smartphones, so we have a

Wanted mobile app

. We have social media we use to publicize fugitives—we tweet, run Facebook ads, use Instagram.”

The FBI also works with

digital billboard companies

to publicize wanted fugitives, Allen added.

The front page cover of The Washington Daily News, published February 7, 1949, with the story “FBI\’s ‘Most-Wanted Fugitives’ Named,” was the very first instance of the FBI releasing a Top Ten list of wanted offenders.

There are two main criteria for adding an individual to the list. First, they have to be considered dangerous—based on crimes already committed—or likely to continue committing crimes. Second, a fugitive may be added if investigators believe publicity will help lead to the fugitive’s arrest. Not all fugitives meet both criteria.

Criminals who appear on the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list are not ranked. Instead, their position on the FBI website changes randomly every week, regardless of their length of time on the Top Ten, how dangerous they are, or the crimes they’re accused of.

While the Top Ten is usually just that, in 70 years, there have been 13 special additions—instances where the list has expanded past 10 individuals. These include the additions of James Earl Ray for the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Ramzi Yousef for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

The most on the list at one time was 16, when six members of the Weather Underground militant organization were added in 1970 for acts of domestic terrorism.

All fugitives on the list are considered armed and dangerous. If you come across one of the Top Ten fugitives, contact the FBI’s toll-free tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or

submit a tip online

. Additionally, you can contact your local FBI field office or nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

Thanks to the public’s help, our Ten Most Wanted Fugitives program continues to apprehend some of the world’s most dangerous criminals—while reminding fugitives on the run that the FBI never forgets.

source The United States Department of Justice

Resources

Ten Most Wanted Fugitives

JEROME BY DAVE WOLFE

ARTIST Dave Wolfe

Vol. 6 No. 37 (March 15, 2020)

Editor\’s Note: Each Sunday morning we post a weekly comic strip provided by cartoonist Dave Wolfe. (click image to enlarge)

GUEST OPINION: America awakes to a national emergency and a weekend at home

By Dan McCaleb |

The Center Square

A day after President Donald Trump issued an

emergency declaration

over the coronavirus pandemic, Americans woke up Saturday realizing life over the next several weeks will be very different.

Schools are closed. Colleges and universities are turning to virtual education online. College students studying far from home are making travel plans to return home early.

Sporting events are postponed or cancelled.

Many workers are being asked to work from home.

Grocery store shelves are empty.

Churches are cancelling services.

Many states have enacted bans on mass gatherings, including parades, concerts and other social events.

Americans\’ 401(k)s are less valuable.

Social distancing is the catch phrase of the day.

As of Friday night, more than 2,200 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that originated in China in December. At least 59 people died: the majority of them, 37, in the state of Washington, the epicenter of the disease in the U.S.

Globally, more than 142,000 cases have been confirmed.

Trump during a Friday afternoon news conference asked Americans not to panic but instead called for a \”shared sacrifice\” so \”we can get past this.\”

Trump\’s emergency declaration makes available up to $50 billion of federal funds to help stop the spread of the disease and frees up other federal resources. He asked every hospital in the country to activate their disaster plans to help deal with the crisis and every state to establish emergency response centers.

He said a public-private partnership will lead to the faster development of new tests, which have been in short supply around the country. Drive-thru testing has begun in some states, and Trump vowed that more would be opening across the country soon.

Health officials say most people are not at high risk of serious complications from COVID-19, but they urge everyone to take proper precautions to help protect people who are in high-risk groups, such as older people and those with chronic health conditions.

Health officials recommend the following precautions:

Those who believe they been exposed to COVID-19 should call their healthcare provider, or the nearest hospital if they lack a healthcare provider

Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for 20 seconds, or use hand sanitizer

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands

Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing

Avoid contact with people who are sick and say home if you are sick

Stay at least 6 feet away from others when in public

posted here with permission of

The Center Square