German auto maker Volkswagen has gone on trial in what is the first court case against the company over the diesel scandal.
Investors are pursuing VW for about €9.2 billion in damages, claiming the company should have come clean sooner about falsifying emissions data.
Volkswagen shares crashed after disclosure in 2015 that its diesel technology emitted illegal levels of pollution.
Andreas Tilp, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told the court: “VW should have told the market that they cheated.”
“We believe that VW should have told the market no later than June 2008 that they could not make the technology that they needed in the United States,” he told the Braunschweig higher regional court.
Shareholders representing 1,670 claims are seeking compensation for the near 40% slide in VW’s share price triggered by the scandal, which broke in September 2015 and has cost the company €27.4 billion in penalties and fines so far.
The legal action has been brought by the Deka investment fund, which is being used a template for a further 1,600 lawsuits.
The case involves about 50 lawyers, and interest in the hearing is so great that it had to be moved from the court house to a nearby conference centre.
The court case is expected to take at least until 2019 to be fully decided.
Former executives from VW, Porsche and their sister company Audi are under criminal investigation in Germany.
VW has already been fined €1 billion by German prosecutors over its diesel emissions scandal. It has also paid a fine of $4.3billion in the US to resolve criminal and civil penalties.
The auto maker has admitted its responsibility for the diesel crisis.
Former Trump aide George Papadopoulos, whose remarks in a London pub sparked the inquiry into possible collusion with Russia, has been sentenced to 14 days in jail.
The 31-year-old told the court in Washington DC he was a “patriotic American” who made a mistake by lying.
Last year, George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about the timing of meetings with alleged go-betweens for Moscow.
He was the first former Trump aide arrested in the probe into an alleged Russia plot to sway the 2016 US vote.
President Donald Trump reacted by taking an apparent swipe at the cost of the investigation into George Papadopoulos.
In September 7 sentencing, George Papadopoulos was also handed 12 months of supervised release, 200 hours of community service, and a fine of $9,500.
Donald Trump’s former aide said in court that his “entire life has been turned upside down” and he hoped “for a second chance to redeem myself”.
George Papadopoulos concluded by saying “this investigation has global implications, and the truth matters”.
He was a London-based petroleum analyst before he joined the Trump campaign in March 2016 as a volunteer foreign policy adviser.
George Papadopoulos soon made contact with a mysterious Maltese academic, Joseph Mifsud.
Professor Mifsud told George Papadopoulos the Russians had “dirt” on Donald Trump’s Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton in the form of “thousands of emails”.
In the following months, thousands of emails linked to the Clinton campaign were published by WikiLeaks.
George Papadopoulos told Donald Trump, then a Republican presidential candidate, and other members of the campaign’s national security team that he could set up a meeting with President Vladimir Putin ahead of the 2016 election.
A pre-sentencing statement last week read: “While some in the room rebuffed George’s offer, Mr. Trump nodded with approval and deferred to Mr. Sessions, who appeared to like the idea and stated that the campaign should look into it.”
George Papadopoulos told CNN in an interview aired on September 7 that Donald Trump “gave me a sort of a nod” and “wasn’t committed either way” about the idea of a meeting with the Russian leader.
However, he said then-senator and now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions “was actually enthusiastic”. Last November, Jeff Sessions testified to Congress that he had “pushed back” against George Papadopoulos’ offer.
American authorities were alerted in mid-2016 after George Papadopoulos told an Australian diplomat during a drinking session in a London pub about his meetings with Professor Mifsud.
The envoy told US investigators, shortly after the emails hacked from the Democratic Party were leaked.
When the FBI interviewed George Papadopoulos in January 2017, he falsely claimed he had met two individuals with Russian ties before he joined the president’s team in March 2016.
He had actually met them after joining Donald Trump’s campaign.
One individual was a Russian woman who George Papadopoulos believed had connections to the Russian government.
In July 2018, the DoJ charged 12 Russian intelligence officers with hacking Democratic officials.
Prosecutors said George Papadopoulos’s lack of cooperation with investigators meant they were unable to effectively question or detain Joseph Mifsud. The professor has since left the United States.
No connection between Joseph Misfud and the hacked emails has been proven.
The DNC, which is suing Russia, the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks over the alleged election interference in the 2016, filed a court document on September 7, saying Joseph Mifsud “was missing and may be deceased”, without any further explanation, according to Bloomberg News.
It referred to him as a key figure to have evaded the Mueller inquiry.
George Papadopoulos said: “I made a dreadful mistake, but I am a good man who is eager for redemption.”
He said he lied not to impede investigation but “to preserve a perhaps misguided loyalty to his master”.
Judge Randolph Moss said he took the “genuine remorse” into consideration for the sentencing.
The only other person to be sentenced in the investigation – lawyer Alex Van Der Zwaan – received 30 days in prison. His judge referred to his regret as “muted”.
Outside court on September, George Papadopoulos’ lawyer, Thomas Breen, said his client was a “fool” and had acted “stupidly” in lying to the FBI.
However, the attorney said “the president of the United States hindered this investigation more than Papadopoulos ever could”.
The lawyer said President Trump had hampered the inquiry by calling it a “witch hunt” and “fake news”.
Rapper Mac Miller has been found dead at his California home after an apparent overdose, a Los Angeles coroner has confirmed.
The 26-year-old was open about his substance abuse.
“The music artist known as Mac Miller died today in his Studio City home,” the LA County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner said in a statement.
“In the late morning of September 7, Malcolm McCormick was found unresponsive…. authorities were called and Miller was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:51.
“At this time, an autopsy is pending and a cause of death has not been determined.”
Mac Miller, whose real name was Malcolm James McCormick, rose to fame after topping US charts with his debut album in 2011.
The rapper released his latest record, Swimming, earlier this year and was due to go on tour.
He went through a well-publicized break-up with singer and girlfriend Ariana Grande earlier this year.
Ariana Grande and Mac Miller, who met in 2012, collaborated on a number of songs and performed together at the One Love Manchester concert in 2017.
Charges were filed against the rapper last month after he was arrested in May for DUI and hit and run.
Ariana Grande spoke out publicly about ending their “toxic relationship” after fans blamed her for his arrest.
She said in a typed message posted on social media:“I am not a babysitter or a mother and no woman should feel that they need to be.”
Ariana Grande said she had “tried to support his sobriety” for years, and was praying that he “figures it all out”.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mac Miller began to focus on his music while still at school and released his first mixtape under the name EZ Mac at just 15.
Maturing in the public eye, he starred in a MTV reality series in 2013 which followed him and a group of friends after he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career.
Mac Miller released a series of albums and EPs across the last decade, collaborating with high-profile artists like Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell Williams.
In his final tweets posted on September 6, the rapper promoted the North American tour he was set to embark on next month.
In a statement confirming his death, Mac Miller’s family said that he was “a bright light in this world for his family, friends and fans”.
Iconic movie star Burt Reynolds has died at the age of 82.
According to Us Weekly, the wisecracking 1970s movie heartthrob and Oscar nominee passed away in a Florida hospital of a heart attack, attended by his family.
Burt Reynolds had undergone heart bypass surgery in 2010. Reynolds is survived by his son, Quinton.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, he died at the Jupiter Medical Center in Florida.
Burt Reynolds shot to fame in 1972’s Deliverance, and also starred in Smokey and the Bandit, Boogie Nights and The Cannonball Run.
His career went into freefall in the 1980s and his finances were ravaged by failed investments in restaurants and a Florida football team.
Burt Reynolds made a 1997 comeback with his role as a film director in Boogie Nights, which won him an Oscar nomination.
The veteran actor was married twice, firstly to British actress Judy Carne in 1963, but they divorced two years later amid accusations of her over-spending and his infidelity.
Burt Reynolds went on to marry actress Loni Anderson in 1988, but that also ended bitterly in 1993.
After the divorce from Judy Carne, Burt Reynolds filed for bankruptcy with $11 million in debts. In 2014, he was forced to sell many prized memorabilia, including his Golden Globe award.
However, when Vanity Fair journalist Ned Zeman asked him what he would have done differently, Burt Reynolds said: “I would have spent more money and had a lot more fun.”
As a young man, Burt Reynolds was a skilled football player, and it won him a scholarship to Florida State University.
PC Natalie Smart, who attended the scene, told the inquest: “I saw Mrs. O’Riordan submerged in the bath with her nose and mouth fully under the water.”
The inquest heard that there were empty bottles in the room – five miniature bottles and a bottle of champagne – as well as containers of prescription drugs with a quantity of tablets in each container.
Toxicology tests showed only “therapeutic” amounts of medication in Dolores O’Riordan’s blood, but showed up 330mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood – meaning she was more than four times over the 80mg legal limit for driving.
The inquest was attended by Dolores O’Riordan’s mother, brother and sister-in-law. She split from her husband of 20 years, Don Burton, in 2014.
Dolores O’Riordan and Don Burton, who is the former tour manager of Duran Duran, have three children together.
The inquest heard that Dolores O’Riordan checked into the hotel on January 14 and was in touch with room service at around midnight and phoned her mother at around 3AM.
The singer was later found unresponsive in the bathroom and confirmed dead at 9.16AM.
The inquest heard that Dolores O’Riordan had bipolar disorder but responded well to treatment.
The hearing was also told that Dolores O’Riordan went through periods of abstention and periods of excessive drinking.
At the lowest resolution time and attendance software is a system that requires employees to manually clock in and out of shifts.
Businesses use it, so they can optimize the hours their employees work and pay them more accurately.
Is it micromanaging?
It is reasonable to assume requiring workers to manually clock in and out of shifts and breaks can send the message their manager doesn’t trust them enough to report the hours they work accurately.
Some managers are hesitant to use time and attendance software because they fear their employees will resent them.
In industries like hospitality and retail where turnover is especially high managers don’t want to give their employees another reason to leave.
Ironically, it’s in these industries where workers are paid hourly where time and attendance software would prove most useful.
The fact is time and attendance software is so much more than just a system for employees to clock in and out of shifts and the successful implementation of it lies in managers making this clear to employees.
Benefits to managers
Time and attendance software ensures staff only get paid for the time they actually work, by recording when they clock in and out of shifts, thereby eliminating the guesswork and grey areas associated with using manual time sheets.
Additionally managers get real time alerts when staff are late or have not taken required breaks.
The reporting capabilities of time and attendance allow managers to see which of their employees work the most overtime and which of them are routinely late to start their shifts.
Managers also have visibility of early clock-ins and late clock-outs, instances of over & under scheduling, and which employees have taken more than their allocated breaks.
Time and attendance software provides managers with insight they can use to iron out inefficiencies in their business.
Compliance
Given managers know when their staff clock in and out, time and attendance software like OpenSimSim allows employers to set up compliance rulesets to protect their businesses and themselves from workplace legislation.
Compliance rulesets can be set up to ensure staff don’t work too much overtime, take their legally required breaks and get paid accordingly for working overtime, weekends, and public holidays.
Managers have visibility over their compliance warnings so they can stop them before they happen and stay out of legal trouble.
How employees can get in on the action
The benefits of time and attendance software are certainly not lost on employees.
As the reporting aspect of time and attendance software gives managers full visibility of their labor force in real time, employees that are punctual are more likely to be recognized and rewarded for it.
In this same way time and attendance software also guards against employees being over and under scheduled as employers will be able to see if this is the case and work to fix it.
Another foreseeable benefit to employees is the potential for data collected by time and attendance software to be used to create a resume, especially useful for people moving between jobs which require similar skills.
Time and attendance software offers detailed reports of employee punctuality and experience in a given role down to the minute.
These reports can be used by job seekers to prove their and experience and value to future employers in a concrete, verifiable way instead of relying on the vagueness and inherent unreliability of a resume like others.
Final words
There are a lot of time and attendance solutions out there and picking the right one can be tough but the benefits for employers and employees are clear.
It is however important that employees see it as welcome addition, and this can be achieved by managers taking a little time to explain to them what it is and how it will benefit the business before introducing it.
Does buying an anniversary gift for your loved one get a little harder each year? To succeed, you want to find a gift that is heartfelt and encompasses how much you love her. Consider going down memory lane with your present, getting a stylish item, or planning the perfect vacation to show her how much you appreciate everything she does.
Memory Lane
An anniversary is a great time to tap into your sentimental side. No matter what year you are celebrating, you can plan an anniversary gift for your wife or girlfriend that invites you both to reminisce on your time together as a couple. What better way to reflect on the years than by looking at photographs? This can often be done digitally in these social media days. This option can be easy and fast, but for an added touch of sentiment, try using a website that will help you put together a book. Find one that conveniently helps you narrow down your pictures and adds your own answers to heartfelt relationship questions for a lovely copy of your experiences together. This unique and personalized gift idea will bind memories in a stunning way that you both can look back on for years to come.
Fashion Fun
A beautiful piece of clothing is a terrific gift idea for anyone. Everyone needs a few especially nice items in the closet for those random special occasions. A fancy birthday dinner or other celebration will call for a nice outfit. Provide that outfit for your loved one in the style that they will love. Visit different stores to narrow down what kind of clothing you want to purchase. Use online shopping as an easy tool that provides even more options if you don’t have a lot of time to spare between work and other activities. Try specialty boutiques with online stores for the trendiest – from casual to elegant – looks. You can never go wrong with a clean color and style, such as a white maxi dress. A cute jumpsuit can also be dressed up to go from a daytime to a night-out look. Create an event for the perfect outfit by planning a dancing date night for her. She will love the chance to glam up and go out for an evening of fun.
Dream Vacation
Often, the inclination in planning an anniversary gift is to buy something material. Material items have the benefit of immediate use and satisfaction. You might feel like your loved one will appreciate it more in the moment. But experiences that turn into memories can be just as special. Maybe your loved one has a favorite band or artist she has always wanted to see. Invest in a floor tickets for a show. Or take her away on her dream vacation. Planning is sometimes the most stressful part of any trip, so eliminating this part for her is an added bonus. This gift is a big one that will require a lot of advanced thought for buying plane tickets, booking a hotel room, and organizing sightseeing and other vacation adventures. Plan special experiences or allow them to happen organically for memories that you will both cherish forever.
It’s the thought that counts. So show how much thought you are willing to spend on for your wife or girlfriend. She will see your attention to detail in your gift and appreciate it that much more.
Whether it is simply a happy look at memories or as involved as a dream vacation, something that you can both enjoy is never a bad idea.
This December 2018, TechCrunch will host TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Africa 2018. TechCrunch, like many other publishers and businesses, is starting to take notice of Africa’s thriving startup scene. There are several benefits to entering the competition as an African startup. Aside from potentially winning a cash grand prize and trip San Francisco, all participating startups will receive extensive media exposure, and may even meet influential people in the startup world. Some of the most successful—and recent—African startups include:
M-Kopa Solar, an off-grid solar power company which raised $10 million
Jamii, a micro-health insurance company that offers health insurance policies for as low as $1, raised $750,000 (half of which came from grants)
Across the continent, there are over 300 tech hubs that are helping startups through mentorships, investment deals, and professional advisement. In the last six months alone, 11 startup incubators and accelerators have been launched to help these startups grow and secure funding. Furthermore, during the first half of this year, African startups managed to raise $160 million, which surpasses all investments made during the entire 2017 year.
TechCrunch welcomes eligible African-based early-stage startups to apply for participation in Startup Battlefield Africa 2018. As TechCrunch sorts through its volume of applications, it will base their decisions largely on which startups have the highest potential for an exit or IPO.
A team of highly skilled editors, who have years of experience analyzing potential high-value startups, will ultimately select 15 startups to compete. According to TechCrunch, eligibility requirements include:
Be early-stage companies in “launch” stage
Be headquartered in an eligible countries (which you can find on the TechCrunch website)
Have a fully working product/beta that’s reasonably close to, or in, production
Have received limited press or publicity to date
Have no known intellectual property conflicts
Like many startup competitions and programs, it’s important that you have all the little details lined up. Before you apply, you should have a branded website with reliable hosting. You should understand the difference between shared and VPS hosting, as it can mean the difference between a smoothly running site and one that crashes. For example, if you plan to receive an influx of leads after you’ve been accepted into the competition, your website could lag with shared hosting.
Furthermore, it’s important to understand how this particular competition works. These 15 chosen startups will receive free pitch coaching from a team of editors chosen by TechCrunch to help them prepare for their Battlefield presentations. Each team of startups will participate in three preliminary rounds in batches of five. Each team will have just six minutes to pitch their products or service. After each demo, a panel of judges have another six minutes to engage in a Q&A session, where they’ll be able to learn more about what each startup has to offer and what their current or potential future financial trajectory looks at.
Five of the 15 startups will move on to the semi-finals, and one of those five will be chosen as the winner. Winners will receive a $25,000 prize to help grow their startup and will not lose equity in the process (which is what usually happens when startups participate in accelerator or incubator programs). If the winning startup team qualifies, they’ll also receive a free trip to compete at TechCrunch Disrupt 2019 in San Francisco.
You’ll also want to take your time with your application. Have other people read over it to ensure that it makes the most sense, and that aren’t you aren’t missing any integral parts that could be important to the judges.
Another tip for ensuring success with your application and in the competition is to watch other people pitch their startups, and there are plenty of videos online to aid you. Look at pitch decks for other startups, too. By looking at other startup pitch decks, you’ll gain insight into how successful companies are securing investments and spots in competitions and programs. A few necessary components of a pitch deck include:
Problem & opportunity
Value proposition
Business model
Marketing plan
Competitive analysis
Financial projections
This isn’t the first time TechCrunch has turned to Africa to offer local startups a chance. Last year, the publisher held Startup Battlefield Africa in Nairobi and focused on technology that optimized supply chains, strengthened farmer’s revenue, and increased access to education. You can check out the entire event on this YouTube video covering the competition.
Startup Battlefield alumni include Yammer, Dropbox, Mint, LearnVest, Zenefits, Trello, Fitbit, and many others, and they’ve cumulatively raised over $8 billion.
For women, that dreaded time of the month can be uncomfortable and painful anyway, without being given the wrong information. Even so, there are so many myths about periods that get passed down from generation to generation or are perpetuated online. Here are some of the most popular ones:
1. You are more likely to get attacked by a shark if you are on your period
This one is one of the more common old wives tales circulating periods. If you live near a beach it may be a concern, but unless you are going on holiday somewhere there are likely to be sharks it will probably not come up. There is literally no data to support the idea that sharks are more likely to attack when someone has their period.
Photo source: Medical Daily
2. Women who are on their period are “unclean” and will contaminate food
This is widely believed in countries like India, but yet again there is no evidence to support this. As long as standard hand hygiene is practised there is no reason women who are menstruating cannot prepare food.
3. Showering while you are on your period can cause infertility
This may sound a bit crazy, but it is widely believed in Afghanistan that if you shower while you are menstruating this will make you infertile. Unfortunately for Afghanistan women not showering during menstruation is a pretty bad idea. It can lead to all sorts of infections and the time of the month is actually one of the times you should shower MORE, not less.
4. Periods are absolutely debilitating for women
Many women remember first learning about periods and thinking they sound pretty bad, and even if they are, normal life can resume if you prepare adequately. Many Asian countries let women have sick leave when they are on their period, but this is more because of it being taboo rather than an actual physical issue. Strong painkillers and a hot water bottle will usually see women through the worst.
5. You cannot participate in sports/classes
Many people often think that women are unable to take part in sports, especially things like swimming if they are having their period. As long as proper sanitary products are used, women should have no problem taking part in their favourite sports or classes, even if they are in the water.
6. You shouldn’t wash your hair when you are on your period
7. You can’t get pregnant if you have sex during your period
Possibly one of the most dangerous myths about periods. You can absolutely get pregnant if you are on your period and you have sex, so you should still use proper protection. Sperm can survive in the body for up to 7 days, and if you ovulate a little early, you could become pregnant.
8. You have to see a doctor after your first period
A lot of people believe you should see your doctor after your first period. If you experience a very bad period you might do this, but it really isn’t necessary. You only need to see a doctor if you are concerned about your period or if it starts having an impact on your life i.e. bad period pains etc.
9. Periods should last exactly one week
Everyone is different. Although the menstruation period is usually around one week, this may not be the case for everyone. Some (lucky) women experience periods for just 3 days and some have slightly longer periods. It is only a concern if it is not your regular cycle. If you are using period delay medicationor the contraceptive pill you may also experience different timings during your menstrual period.
10. Virgins shouldn’t wear tampons
It is a common myth that tampons will hurt virgins, but this usually doesn’t tend to be the case. A tampon can break the hymen, which is sometimes used as a cultural indicator of virginity. But the hymen can also break at other times too. Everyone is different, but tampons are designed with all women in mind, not just those who have had sex. It is all about finding what works for you.
If you run an industrial-based business, you know all too well how important maintaining your machinery is. Fail to do so and it’s only a matter of time before it breaks down.
Did you realize that cost of amachine breakdown is usually 4 to 15 times higher than routine maintenance costs? Rather than waiting until a machine falls into a state of disrepair, you need to work with professionals to keep them in good shape.
In some instances, the maintenance that your machines require will be cosmetic. If your machinery is looking a bit worn, having professionals use abrasive blasting to remove the paint is a must. Once the paint has been removed, you can then get the machinery repainted.
Read below to find out more about the benefits of usingabrasive blasting.
What is Abrasive Blasting?
Before delving into the benefits of abrasive blasting, you probably want to find out more about what this process entails. In short, abrasive blasting using high air pressure and abrasive materials like sand or beads to remove rust, dirt and surface coatings without causing damage to the underlying material. For the most part, abrasive blasting is used in applications like:
Prepping a surface prior to bonding or painting
Removing rust or scale from existing coatings
Getting rid of edge profiling or burrs on various machined components
During the finishing of precision parts
A number of different abrasive mediums are us during this process like:
Sand
Grit or steel shot
Crushed glass
Aluminum oxide
Walnut shell
Plastic
Copper Slag
The only way to get the premium results you are after with abrasive blasting is by working with seasoned professionals who use the right equipment and materials
Avoid Chemical Reactions
One of the biggest benefits of using abrasive blasting is that you do not have to worry about chemical reactions occurring. Since the materials used during this process are basically inert, they will not damage the surface they are being used on with harmful reactions.
The chemical cleaners on the market that are designed to remove surface rust and other imperfections have a tendency to create problems due to the reactive properties they contain. Rather than ruining the surface of an expensive machine with this type of reaction, you’re much better off using abrasive blasting.
Keep Your Cleaning Eco-Friendly
Are you passionate about doing your part to keep the Earth healthy and pollution-free? If so, utilizing the power of abrasive blasting is ideal. The materials using during the blasting process are eco-friendly and do not emit any greenhouse gases. Rather than using hazardous chemical cleaners, abrasive blasting allows you to get better results without releasing harmful pollutants into the atmosphere.
Abrasive Blasting is Extremely Efficient
Another benefit ofusing abrasive blasting is that it is very efficient. By using this method you’re able to get into every nook and cranny of the surface. This makes the cleaning process go much faster and will produce better results. Chemical cleaning will often require a lot of labour intensive scraping and metal brushing. Instead of working twice as hard for less than stellar results, you can hire professionals to use an abrasive cleaning to get your surfaces spotless in a fraction of the time.
Before hiring a company to do this type of work, be sure to do your homework. Ideally, you want to hire a someone that has a lot of previous experience and a proven track record of achieving outstanding results with the abrasive blasting process.
Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush have paid tribute to Senator John McCain at a memorial service at Washington’s National Cathedral.
Vietnam War hero John McCain, who became one of America’s most high-profile politicians, died a week ago from brain cancer at the age of 81.
John McCain’s daughter Meghan was the first to speak, paying an emotional tribute to her father while also criticizing President Donald Trump’s agenda.
President Donald Trump did not attend the service.
The two Republicans had major differences, both personal and political, and John McCain’s family made it clear that President Trump was not welcome.
Members of the Trump administration who were present included Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
Following memorial services in the state of Arizona – which John McCain represented as a senator, and where he died on August 25 – and in Washington, a private burial service will be held at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, on September 2.
On August 31, John McCain’s body was taken back to the Congress buildings where he worked for decades and lay in state in the Capitol rotunda overnight.
On the way from the Capitol to the cathedral, the cortege stopped at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where John McCain’s widow Cindy laid a wreath.
Meghan McCain told mourners at the cathedral: “We gather here to mourn the passing of American greatness.
“The real thing, not cheap rhetoric from men who will never come near the sacrifice he gave so willingly, nor the opportunistic appropriation of those who live lives of comfort and privilege while he suffered and served.
“The America of John McCain is generous and welcoming and bold, she is resourceful and confident and secure, she meets her responsibilities, she speaks quietly because she is strong.
“America does not boast, because she does not need to. The America of John McCain has no need to be made great again, because America was always great.”
Former President Barack Obama paid tribute to the man he defeated in the 2008 US presidential election.
He described John McCain as an “extraordinary man – a warrior, a statesman, a patriot” who embodied much of what made America great.
Barack Obama said that, despite their many differences, “we never doubted we were on the same team”.
The former president added: “John understood that our security and our influence was won not just by our military might, not just by our wealth, not just by our ability to bend others to our will, but from our capacity to inspire others with our adherence to a set of universal values – like rule of law and human rights – and an insistence on the God-given dignity of every human being.”
George W. Bush – who defeated John McCain for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000 – paid tribute to the senator’s courage, honesty and sense of honor.
“At various points during his long career, John confronted polices and practices that he believed were unworthy of his country. To the face of those in authority, John McCain would insist: <<We are better than this, America is better than this.>>
“John would be the first to tell you he was not a perfect man, but he dedicated his life to national ideals that are as perfect as men and women have as yet conceived.”
Other speakers included former Senator Joe Lieberman and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, 95.
Before he went into politics, John McCain was a US Navy pilot who was shot down over Hanoi while on a bombing mission in 1967.
He was held as a prisoner until 1973, enduring torture that – along with the injuries he sustained bailing out of his jet – left him with life-long injuries.
While deeply conservative on some issues, the Arizona senator had a maverick streak that endeared him to political friends and opponents.
John McCain championed reform of US immigration, campaign finance and environmental laws, and was outspoken in criticizing those who advocated what he considered torture against captured enemies of the US.
The pallbearers he chose reflected his desire to reach across political divides.
They included actor and liberal political activist Warren Beatty; former independent New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg; liberal former Senator Russ Feingold, who drew up campaign finance reform legislation with McCain; and Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara Murza.
On August 23rd, 2018 Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and eight other residents of the Motor City appeared in federal court alleging that the current Michigan no-fault auto insurance laws requiring drivers to pay for this type of coverage is a violation of due process. At the same time, they claim this law is unconstitutional.
In the Eastern District Court for the State of Michigan
According to the lawsuit filed by Duggan et al., the group states it is their firm belief that a law requiring all drivers in the state to carry no-fault insurance coverage is in direct conflict with a Michigan Supreme Court Finding. This finding is the result of Shavers vs. Kelly in 1978, stating, ” a driver’s license, once issued, is a significant interest subject to constitutional due process protections.”
In the claim filed by Duggan et al. the complaint is that the high cost of no-fault insurance impedes due process for anyone with a Michigan driver’s license. Because the state requires all motorists to carry this type of coverage and pay its incredibly high cost, it stops many drivers from seeking employment or educational opportunities, going shopping for food and necessities, even taking their kids to school.
The Law was Supposed to Drive Insurance Rates Down
When the law first passed in 1973, the impetus behind it was to drive insurance rates down and ensure victims of auto accidents would receive compensation that was adequate and in a timelier manner. With this the new law, victims could no longer take the responsible party in an automobile accident to court. Instead, victims would be able to go to their own insurance companies for compensation. The impetus was to drive auto insurance premiums down and reduce the level of litigation, the exact opposite happened, and insurance premiums skyrocketed. In fact, the average cost of insurance nationwide is $1512.00 per year. In Michigan, the average price for auto insurance is $3,509.00. More specifically, motorists in the City of Detroit pay the highest auto insurance rates of any city in the country.
It Gets Worse (If That’s Possible)
If having outrageous insurance rates isn’t bad enough, the 1973 law has made criminals out of otherwise perfectly “honest ” citizens. In Michigan, approximately 20 percent of the cars on the road are running around uninsured. One of the highest rates in the country. In turn, the high number of uninsured motorists causes insurance rates to go up even further.
When the law passed, the Michigan Supreme Court stated that the No-Fault law is constitutional providing insurance rates were not unfairly discriminatory or excessive. This left a loophole that made the claim by Duggan et al. possible as rates have reached the point at which many have to choose between paying for insurance or buying food and paying the rest of their family bills.
Along with stating the law is unconstitutional, Duggan et al. ask that the state be given no more than six months to correct the law and take steps to reduce the high cost of insurance. If at the end of the six-month period a solution has not been found, the state should be required to return to the traditional tort system. While the outcome of this case may have a significant impact on future insurance rates, it does not help to find cheap car insurance right now under the current laws. What you need is an agency that will work with you to find the right insurance coverage based on your needs and budget.
President Donald Trump has threatened to pull the US out of the World Trade Organization (WTO), claiming the body treats the US unfairly.
In an interview with Bloomberg News, President Trump said: “If they don’t shape up, I would withdraw from the WTO.”
The WTO was established to provide rules for global trade and resolve disputes between countries.
Donald Trump says the organization too often rules against the US, although he concedes it has won some recent judgments.
The president claimed on Fox News earlier this year that the WTO was set up “to benefit everybody but us”, adding: “We lose the lawsuits, almost all of the lawsuits in the WTO.”
However, some analysis shows the US wins about 90% when it is the complainant and loses about the same percentage when it is complained against.
President Trump’s warning about a possible US pull-out from the WTO highlights the conflict between his protectionist trade policies and the open trade system that the WTO oversees.
Washington has recently blocked the appointment of new judges to the WTO’s Geneva-based dispute settlement body, which could potentially paralyze its ability to issue judgments.
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has also accused the WTO of interfering with US sovereignty.
It comes as President Trump set an August 31 deadline for Canada to sign a new agreement with the US and Mexico. He has threatened to tax Canada’s automotive sector or cut it out entirely.
Donald Trump has been sounding off about unfair trade since even before he became president.
On August 30, he said that the 1994 agreement to establish the WTO “was the single worst trade deal ever made”.
The US has been embroiled in a tit-for-tat trade battle on several fronts in recent months.
The one creating the most interest is with China, as the world’s two largest economies wrangle for global influence.
President Trump has introduced tariffs on a number of goods imported into the US.
A third round of tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods could come as soon as a public-comment period concludes next week, according to a Bloomberg report citing various sources.
Asked to confirm this during the Bloomberg interview, President Trump said that it was “not totally wrong”.
China has responded to US tariffs by imposing retaliatory taxes on the same value of US products and has filed complaints against the tariffs at the WTO.
A car accident occurs every minute of every day. And brain injuries are one of the most common aftermaths of these accidents. If you’ve been involved in a car accident, you need immediate medical checkup to rule out any injuries to your brain.
More importantly, it’s critical that you determine the type and severity of the damage, if brain injury is detected. This will help your doctor swiftly prescribe the right course of treatment as well as help your attorneys in demanding a fair compensation for damages. The brain injuries are broadly classified into five categories;
Concussions
A concussion is damage to the brain resulting from a direct blow to the head. It’s especially common in whiplash accidents. It can occur in open or closed head injuries. The most important thing to note is that patients rarely show symptoms and even if symptoms are present, they may not be severe. This makes it very important to hire a brain injury lawyer so detailed scans can be done to establish severity of damage. If scans aren’t done, it may appear like you didn’t suffer a brain injury.
Contusion
A contusion is also an injury to the brain caused by a direct blow to the head. In car accidents, it can occur if the driver hits his or her head on the steering wheel or against the window. The main difference between contusions and concussions is that in concussions, internal bleeding is very rare while with contusions, blooding is always present and can be severe. While it’s not usually the first option on the list, surgery is sometimes required to treat a contusion.
Coup-contrecoup
Coup-contrecoups are essentially contusions, the only difference being that here, the impact causes damage at both ends of the brain. For instance, if the original impact was situated at the front of the head, a similar impact would be detected at the exact opposite location at the back of the head. This normally occurs when the impact is large enough to cause damage at the site of impact as well as to move the brain at the opposite end of the head.
Diffuse axonal
Diffuse axonal injuries are mostly caused by shaking or a strong rotation of the head. Injury occurs because a sudden movement of the head often leaves the brain lagging behind. When the brain lags behind, the muscles attaching the brain to the skull can be torn. Often, extensive tearing of nerve tissue will be detected throughout the brain, potentially resulting in small masses of brain tissue being released which can cause additional injury.
Penetration injuries
Finally, a penetration injury is where a foreign object forces its way into the brain. Of brain injuries, this is the deadiest. Fatality rates are as high as 90%. The good news is that penetration injuries aren’t as common in car accidents as they are in violent acts of crime such as shootings and stabbings.
If you’re injured in a car accident, make sure that you get immediate medical attention and necessary scans to rule out brain injury. Even if there are no visible symptoms, it’s in your best interest to get the scans anyway for peace of mind.
On the morning of August 28th, 2018 Odell Beckham Jr. signed a record-breaking deal worth $95 million with the New York Giants. You don’t have to be a sports fan to see this is an astronomical sum of money. But in the wake of the contract signing, Giants General Manager, Dave Gettleman, was not signing Odell Beckham Jr’s praises on the field, but those of Zeke Sandhu, Beckham’s agent. “It was great negotiating”, was about all Gettleman could muster.
You don’t have to be a professional sports agent to walk away from negotiations with the best deal possible. Part art form, part science, negotiating is an underrated skill to have. Everything is negotiable; it is just a matter of how taxing and difficult the negotiation is.
But few people excel in contract negotiation settings. Many people fall into the same pitfalls and mistakes. These five contract negotiation tips will ensure, like Zeke Sandhu, you walk away from every negotiation confident you got the best deal available.
Take Your Time
The vast majority of people would rather settle for a bad deal than spend time at the negotiating table. Whether a contract is legally binding for a lifetime, or even just a year or two, it is worth taking the time to hash out the best deal possible. Take your time and come to an agreement that you are happy with.
Get an Attorney
For high-stakes negotiations, sometimes it is best to call in the cavalry. An experienced attorney can be a valuable addition at your negotiating table. Choose an attorney that specialises in business law and has experience in negotiating substantial contracts, like Hampton & Royce, LC.
Use Current Market Prices to Help Your Argument
If you can draw on the industry standard practices and rates, or the current market prices to support your side of the negotiations, it puts the onus on the other party to demonstrate why the deal they are offering should not be considered the market standard. This gives you the edge and tips the balance in your favour. It demonstrates you are clearly asking for a “fair price” while the other party is trying to negotiate the upper hand.
Break it Into Sections
If you have a complex contract to negotiate, break it into sections. Start with the terms that will be easiest to negotiate. Once you have some momentum and have found common ground in the early stage of negotiations, the later stages become much easier. By the time the most challenging terms of the deal come to the table, both parties will have become invested in the deal and will be hoping to come to an acceptable arrangement.
Be Willing to Walk Away
It has been said that in any negotiation, your source of power derives from your ability to walk away from negotiations. If you can’t walk away and the other party senses that, they will use it as leverage to gain the upper hand.
Have a backup plan so you don’t feel the pressure in the negotiating room, and don’t be scared to walk away from negotiations if the terms are unacceptable.
Finally, bear in mind the wise words of John F. Kennedy. “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate”. Keep your end goal in sight at all times to secure a better deal on each and every negotiation.
Donald Trump has warned that his policies will be “violently” overturned if the Democrats win November’s mid-term elections.
The president told Evangelical leaders that the vote was a “referendum” on freedom of speech and religion, and that these were threatened by “violent people”.
President Trump appealed to conservative Christian groups for help, saying they were one vote away from “losing everything”.
Mid-term elections are widely seen as a test of President Trump’s popularity.
The president has been battling negative publicity after his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen and former campaign chief Paul Manafort were convicted earlier this month.
An audio recording of Donald Trump’s closed-door meeting with Evangelical leaders at the White House was leaked to US media.
During the meeting, President Trump said the mid-term elections were not just a referendum on him but also “on your religion, it’s a referendum on free speech and the First Amendment [guaranteeing basic freedoms]”.
He said: “It’s not a question of like or dislike, it’s a question that they will overturn everything that we’ve done and they will do it quickly and violently. And violently. There is violence. When you look at Antifa – these are violent people.”
Antifa – short for anti-fascist – is a conglomeration of left wing autonomous, self-styled anti-fascist militant groups in the United States. The far-left groups fight against far-right ideology and regularly clash with far-right demonstrators.
President Trump has previously criticized left-wing groups, infamously saying that there had been violence on “many sides” after a white nationalist killed a left-wing demonstrator at a white nationalist protest in Charlottesville last year.
Urging the Evangelical leaders to use their influence to swing voters, President Trump told them they had “tremendous power”.
He said: “In this room, you have people who preach to almost 200 million people. Depending on which Sunday we’re talking about.”
“Little thing: Merry Christmas, right? You couldn’t say <<Merry Christmas>>,” he added, according to media reports.
President Trump himself is not up for re-election, but his ability to govern in the final two years of his term will hinge upon the November 6 outcome.
All 435 members of the House of Representatives, 35 seats in the 100-member Senate and 36 out of 50 state governors, along with many state and local offices, are up for election.
Many people only see a dentist when experiencing a big health issue like a severe toothache or tooth loss. Are you one of them? If so, remember that regular dental checkups play a critical role in preserving oral health. It lets your dentist identify and treat a problem in the initial stage before it becomes more serious and costly.
If you’re wondering about the real state of oral health and hygiene of the nation, we will provide you with data and statistics related to dental trends.
How Often We Visit the Dentist?
It’s impossible to give a universal answer because this widely varies from country to country and person to person. Generally speaking, those having a healthy mouth need to see a dentist every six months.
However, this doesn’t apply to people at high risk for some dental problems. They are advised to visit the dentist more frequently, preferably every three months. Those people can fall into any of these categories:
Pregnant women
Smokers
Diabetics
People with gum diseases
People who often suffer from cavities or plaque buildup
People with a weak immunity to bacteria
The good news is that more and more people visit the dentist on a regular basis. A growing number of people give high priority to oral health, so it’s a little wonder that nearly 40% of adults visit the dentist twice a year for preventive services and cleanings.
A recent study conducted by the ADA Health Policy Institute has revealed that the vast majority of Americans highly value good oral health. Even 95% regard their oral health as a critical factor of overall wellness, while 93% said that regular dental visits help them keep healthy.
Why We Visit the Dentist?
As already stated, most of us only go to the dentist in an extreme case. The most common dental problem is caries or cavity. In fact, this is why most adults and kids visit the dentist. Additionally, we also see a dentist due to the following oral health issues:
Tooth or root decay
Bone disease
Gum disease and infection (periodontitis or gingivitis)
Facial or jaw pain
Tooth loss
Oral cancer
The factors like genetics and age play a role in the severity and susceptibility of these conditions. Whatever the case may be, the dentist can detect just about any sign of a dental problem that should be closely monitored or addressed as soon as possible.
How Do We Maintain Oral Health Routine?
Even though there are numerous tips for improving dental routine, we don’t care enough about oral health and often avoid receiving dental exams. Unfortunately, many people maintain a very simple dental routine. That said, most adults merely rely on a toothpaste and toothbrush for their oral health routine. It’s estimated that every fourth person incorporates mouthwash into his/her daily routine, whereas less than 20 percent use dental floss. This is definitely not enough.
Despite being a very important aspect of a general health, oral health is often underrated or overlooked. Let’s improve the current state. Be sure to regularly make dentist appointments to get proper dental care in a timely manner. Prevention is better than cure.
Treating mental health issues isn’t easy. However, it doesn’t need to be as difficult as you might imagine. There are many alternative therapies that can improve depression. Learn about the four top natural treatments for depression.
Eating serotonin-rich foods
Most of the doctor-prescribed medications for depression have serious side effects. If you’re not willing to deal with those side effects, then you should consider an alternative to pharmaceuticals. Eating serotonin-rich foods is one worthy alternative.
Anti-depressants often work by increasing your serotonin levels. When this occurs, you can combat depression and improve your mood. But anti-depressions aren’t the only things that can increase serotonin. Eating certain foods can have the same effect.
Certain serotonin-rich foods can boost your serotonin levels. This includes foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like wild salmon, herring, mackerel, and other fish. However, fish isn’t the only serotonin-rich food. Foods like free-range turkey and coconut oil have plenty of serotonin.
Equine Therapy
Have you ever felt the rush of horseback riding? Many people enjoy horseback riding, but few realize the mental health benefits that it provides. Equine therapy is horseback riding for your mental health. It’s especially effective with depression.
During equine therapy, you get out in the sun. You also keep your body in motion and stay active. As a result, you combat the symptoms of depression. You also learn how to build trust and deal with your emotions. Horses are very intuitive animals. When you work with a horse, he can help you identify hidden aggression. He can get you more in touch with your feelings, which can help you cope with your depression.
If you’ve never been on a horse, you shouldn’t have any concerns. Horseback riding is both safe and fun. When you wear the right helmet and accessories, the activity is quite safe.
Balance Your Hormones
Often, issues like depression can be affected by hormone levels. By balancing your hormones, you can keep your depression in-check. For a natural treatment of depression, check your hormone levels and then work towards balancing them. Thyroid levels, adrenal levels, and sex hormones can get off-balance and can make you moody.
You can go to a doctor to get your hormone levels tested. When you get the results, you can take the steps towards balancing your hormones. There are usually natural methods of balancing them. Doing so might not completely resolve your depression, but it could help.
Talk to Someone
If you don’t want to treat depression with medication, then you could try talking it out. Sometimes, all it takes is speaking with a therapist to make a difference. They can help you come up with a plan for fighting off depression and improving your mental health.
If you’re intimidated by the idea of speaking to a therapist, then you could try speaking to a friend. Just discussing your emotions can help you cope with depression. Pull aside a friend or family member and have a heartfelt conversation. The effects of talk therapy can be enough to combat symptoms of depression.
Alternative treatments to depression can make all the difference. Rather than getting hooked on pharmaceuticals, try a natural alternative and change your life.
China’s major ride-sharing company Didi Chuxing has suspended its carpool service after police said a driver raped and killed a female passenger.
A Didi Chuxing statement said the incident showed there were deficiencies in its processes, and so it would suspend its Hitch system for re-evaluation.
According to authorities, the 20-year-old woman hailed the ride on August 24 in the eastern city of Wenzhou.
A similar incident happened just months ago.
In May the company suspended and changed Didi Hitch, which pairs car owners and passengers, after a 31-year-old flight attendant died after using the service in Zhengzhou.
In the most recent incident, police said the woman got into the taxi at 1.00 PM local time and messaged a friend for help an hour later before losing contact.
Authorities detained 27-year-old driver named Zhong early on August 25, who confessed to raping and murdering his passenger, police said.
According to Didi’s statement, the body has been recovered and the investigation is ongoing.
Didi Chuxing said Zhong had no previous criminal record, but admitted there had been a previous complaint made against him.
A previous passenger allegedly said Zhong had taken them to a remote place and followed them after they left the car.
The company also fired the head and vice president of Hitch.
Didi Chuxing is the world’s largest ride-hail company by number of trips, reportedly completing more than one billion journeys in the past three years.
The Vietnam War hero turned senator and presidential candidate John McCain has died aged 81.
Senator McCain died on August 25 in Arizona surrounded by his family, a statement from his office said.
John McCain was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor in July 2017 and had been undergoing medical treatment.
His family announced on August 24 that the senator, who left Washington in December, had decided to stop treatment.
The son and grandson of Navy admirals, John McCain was a fighter pilot during the war in Vietnam. When his plane was shot down, he spent more than five years as a prisoner of war.
While in the custody of his captors, John McCain suffered torture that left him with lasting disabilities.
John McCain’s widow, Cindy, tweeted: “My heart is broken. I am so lucky to have lived the adventure of loving this incredible man for 38 years. He passed the way he lived, on his own terms, surrounded by the people he loved, in the place he loved best.”
His daughter Meghan said the task of her lifetime would now be “to live up to his example, his expectations, and his love.
Following news of John McCain’s death, wellwishers waving flags lined the street as a hearse brought his body from his ranch near Cornville, Arizona, to a funeral home in Phoenix.
The six-term senator for Arizona and 2008 Republican presidential nominee was diagnosed after doctors discovered his tumor during surgery to remove a blood clot from above his left eye last July.
John McCain’s family said he would lie in state in Phoenix, Arizona, and in Washington DC before a funeral at the Washington National Cathedral and his burial in Annapolis, Maryland.
Former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama are expected to give eulogies.
According to ABC, the lawsuit read: “He failed to appropriately evaluate, diagnose, treat and counsel Prince for his recognizable opioid addiction, and further failed to take appropriate and reasonable steps to prevent the foreseeably fatal result of that addiction.
“These departures from the standard of acceptable medical practice had a substantial part in bringing about Prince’s death.”
Prince’s family is seeking unspecified damages in excess of $50,000.
Dr. Schulenberg’s lawyer said they intended to defend the case, the Associated Press reported.
Paul Peterson said in a statement: “We understand this situation has been difficult on everyone close to Mr. Nelson and his fans across the globe. Be that as it may, Dr. Schulenberg stands behind the care that Mr. Nelson received. We intend to defend this case.”
As well as Dr. Schulenberg, the lawsuit also names North Memorial Health Care, where the doctor worked, Walgreens stores, which dispenses medication, and UnityPoint Health.
President Trump took a swipe at China in the second of three tweets on the issue.
He tweeted: “…Additionally, because of our much tougher Trading stance with China, I do not believe they are helping with the process of denuclearization as they once were (despite the UN Sanctions which are in place)…”
China and the US are embroiled in a tit-for-tat tariff war after President Trump complained about the size of the US trade deficit with China and what Washington sees as other unfair trade practices.
However, only two days ago President Trump said China had been a “big help on North Korea”.
Mike Pompeo might still make another trip though.
President Trump tweeted: “…Secretary Pompeo looks forward to going to North Korea in the near future, most likely after our Trading relationship with China is resolved. In the meantime I would like to send my warmest regards and respect to Chairman Kim. I look forward to seeing him soon!”
After the optimism of Singapore, the latest development might seem like quite a change.
However, there have been ups and downs in the Trump-North Korea relationship since then.
After a visit by Mike Pompeo in July, North Korea condemned his “gangster-like demands”, only for another trip to be announced, albeit now cancelled.
The summit itself was called off in May – President Trump citing Pyongyang’s “open hostility” – only for it to take place after all.
The US has made clear that it wants to see an end to North Korea’s nuclear activities before it will consider lifting economic sanctions.
The summit was seen as possible turning point after a ratcheting up of tensions.
North Korea had carried out a sixth nuclear bomb test in September and boasted of its ability to launch a missile at the US.
President Donald Trump has said that payments to two women who say he had affairs with them did not break election campaign rules.
His comments come after his ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty to violating laws during the 2016 presidential election over his handling of the hush money.
Interviewed by Fox & Friends, President Trump said the payments had come from him personally, not from the campaign.
Donald Trump has in the past denied knowing about one of the payments altogether.
He also accused Michael Cohen of making up stories to receive a lighter sentence.
In an excerpt from the Fox & Friends interview, which will be aired in full on August 23, President Trump responded to questions about the hush payments by insisting that they were “not a campaign violation”.
He said: “They came from me. And I tweeted about it. But they did not come out of the campaign.”
President Trump added that he only found out about the payments “later on”.
The president’s comments contradict a statement made earlier by Michael Cohen under oath in which he said Donald Trump had instructed him to make the payments.
Last month, Michael Cohen released audio tapes of him and Donald Trump allegedly discussing one of the payments before the election.
Michael Cohen, who was Donald Trump’s personal lawyer for more than a decade, admitted passing on funds to two women thought to be Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.
The hush money payments were not reported to the Federal Election Commission during the campaign.
The question is whether the payments were made to protect Donald Trump’s personal reputation or to protect his image as a presidential candidate.
Under US election rules, any payments made with the aim of influencing a vote must be reported.
Michael Cohen acknowledged in court that the aim was indeed to protect Donald Trump’s candidacy, saying he had paid the money “at the direction” of Trump “for the principal purpose of influencing the election”.
If Donald Trump were to be prosecuted over the money – not through the normal courts, because he is the sitting president, but conceivably in Congress, through an impeachment process – investigators would have to prove that he had indeed given the money to Michael Cohen for electoral reasons.
In his first public comments, back in April, about his alleged affair with Stormy Daniels, President Trump denied knowing about the $130,000 payment made to the actress via Michael Cohen.
Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, alleges that she and Donald Trump had met in a hotel room in 2006.
Asked by a reporter in the press cabin of Air Force One if he had any knowledge about where Michel Cohen had got the money to pay Stormy Daniels, President Trump responded at the time: “I don’t know.”
The following month, the president officially disclosed a payment to Michael Cohen of between $100,001 and $250,000 for expenses incurred in 2016.
Michael Cohen has reached a plea deal with prosecutors, which may see his prison sentence reduced from 65 years to five years and three months.
On the same day that Michael Cohen pleaded guilty, a jury convicted former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort of bank and tax fraud charges.
It was the first criminal trial arising from the justice department probe led by former FBI chief Robert Mueller.
Robert Mueller has been investigating allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, and whether the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to swing the election in his favor.
Russia has denied claims it interfered in the elections.
There is no confirmation that Michael Cohen will speak to Robert Mueller’s Russia inquiry but his personal lawyer has said his client is happy to talk.
When it comes to your physical well-being, what you don’t know can very much hurt you. And while the internet has provided society with a myriad of benefits, it also contributes to the spread of some very silly rumors. Unfortunately, certain health-related myths have been perpetuated across the web for years and have convinced many people of their veracity. That’s why we’re here to sift through four common myths and separate fact from fiction. Check these out now and learn how to start handling your health better today:
Cracking Joints Leads to Arthritis
Simply put, cracking your knuckles won’t make you any more prone to developing arthritis later on in life. People who do crack their knuckles, like those who don’t, have about the same probability. So crack away if you feel like it!
You Can Catch an STD from a Toilet Seat
STDs are some of the most common, yet misunderstood infections around, and this is just one outlandish rumor associated with them. The truth is though, in just about every case, STDs can’t persist outside of the body. That means casual contact with an infected person –– or sitting on a toilet seat –– won’t put you at risk for contracting an STD.
Weight Loss is all about Willpower
In one sense, yes, it does require strong force of will to stick to a dietary regimen within a busy schedule, but to think that all weight loss is down to forcing yourself to exercise and eat healthy is incorrect. A number of biological and genealogical factors influence a person’s weight, and it’s highly reductive to suggest losing weight is as easy as adopting a new mindset.
Mental Health Issues are Rare
Fortunately, we’ve come a long way toward destigmatizing mental-health issues from a cultural standpoint. Nevertheless, the falsehood that mental-health problems are rare still persists. The opposite, in fact, is true. Around twenty percent of Americans deal with some form of mental health issue, and many children (around one in ten) experience serious depression during adolescence.
The Bottom Line
Many people don’t understand certain health and science intricacies because they don’t want to educate themselves. After all, it can be frightening to see a doctor –– even for something as routine as a checkup. The truth is though, there’s nothing to fear from a stethoscope or a luer adapter or any other medical instrument. And the more active a role you take in learning about your health and seeking sound medical advice, the better off you’ll be for it.
Sleep — the most basic of things to do to keep your body healthy and your mind sharp. But it seems that even this is as difficult as pushing ourselves to go to the gym every week. There are many reasons why sleep is difficult for us like a condition that prevents us from doing so, or due to mountains of work that needs finishing.
Regardless of the reason, not getting enough sleep exposes us to serious illnesses like high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease. For this reason, tracking devices for sleep are becoming increasingly popular. In a fast-paced world where sleep has become a privilege, it is important that we consciously keep track of it.
Tracking devices like the FitBitVersa, is equipped with technology that can help us get the best sleep possible. It seems you will not be getting one just to count your steps for the day, but to track your “ZZZs” at night too.
How does the FitBit Sleep Feature work?
When you consult a sleep specialist, you will be asked to stay in the hospital so they can measure your stages of rest. They will use an instrument called an electroencephalogram which measures brain activity and muscle movements.
The FitBit technology works mostly in the same way as the electroencephalogram. What it does is measure your heart rate and movement all night. Based on those the data gathered, it will make intelligent guesses on your sleep cycle.
Of course, this does not mean a FitBit is a viable replacement for a sleep doctor. But it can give you a general idea on how often you get to the deep sleep level and for how long.
Different levels of sleep
To give users a better picture of what their sleeping cycle looks like, FitBit worked with the National Sleep Foundation to show the four different stages of sleep. These are what you will expect to see when your FitBit shows you your sleep data.
Awake – Waking up in the middle of the night is completely normal, especially if you are going to take care of bodily needs such as peeing or drinking water. It is also normal to wake up from a dream or move around a few times.
Light Sleep – This stage is when you are still aware of your surroundings even if you are asleep — the early stage of the sleep cycle. You can still be easily woken up in this stage, and may still even lose sleep. Light sleep already has the capacity to re-energize your mind and body, which is why power naps are helpful at times when you cannot sleep for long.
Deep Sleep – In deep sleep, you will become less responsive to outside stimuli because your body is in its most relaxed state. This is when your body starts healing and recovering from the day’s activities. While sleeping patterns are different from person to person, as observed, we get lesser deep sleep when get older. This is partly because the body produces less melatonin and many adults are magnesium deficient. To achieve deep sleep some use prescriptions like Ambien or a natural sleep aid, such as Better Rest which contains both melatonin and magnesium.
Rapid Eye Movement (REM) – This is the second stage of deep sleep where you brain becomes active even when you are sound asleep. Dreams happen in this stage, but your muscles are inactive so that you will not act out what you are seeing. Additionally, this is when your brain starts storing your memories in your long-term memory bank.
When you access the sleep cycle data on or FitBit Versa, these are the four stages you will be seeing. Pay close attention to how long it took you to get to deep sleep and REM, because that will determine whether you will need to consult with a specialist or just need to take a leave from work to get a much needed rest.
