Humane Society warns about fundraising scam
Humane Society of Utah warns not to give money to door-to-door solicitors claiming to be from the humane society
The Utah Humane Society announced that the organization had received calls from concerned residents in the Ogden and Sugar House areas saying they’ve had someone going door-to-door asking for donations for the humane society. These solicitors are not associated with the Utah Humane Society, which never collects donations door-to-door. The public should be wary about giving money to any solicitors without contacting the charity organization to verify.
“Scams like this hurt the public and the charities that are working hard to fundraise,” said Karin Duncker, Utah Humane Society development director. “Caring people are giving money with the good intention of helping a charity cause, but that money isn’t going where it needs to go.”
Callers identified the solicitor as female. No other information is available at this time.
The Utah Humane Society suggested reaching out to police if you find yourself in a similar situation. Use a nonemergency number to contact authorities.
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About the Humane Society of Utah
The Humane Society of Utah is dedicated to the elimination of pain, fear, and suffering in all animals. Since 1960, the Utah Humane Society has been sheltering homeless animals, fighting cruelty and neglect, and creating an atmosphere of respect, responsibility, and compassion for all animals. As the largest open-admission private animal resource center in the state, the Utah Humane Society welcomes any companion animal that can legally be admitted. We work hard to ensure that every healthy and treatable pet that enters the facility will be placed into a loving home. The Humane Society of Utah is a local, independent 501(c)(3) private nonprofit organization that does not receive any state or government funding and is not a branch of any national organization. It is funded by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, and foundations. Read more online at www.utahhumane.org.
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Donald Trump’s fantasy world
by Mel Gurtov
1314 words
House speaker Nancy Pelosi tore up Donald Trump’s speech, saying he was “shredding the truth.” It was quite a moment, and though she took some heat for such an impertinent act, she was right: The speech is full of lies, exaggerations, and misrepresentations. Here are some that caught my eye, arranged by topic:
The Big Lie
“. . . we must reject the politics of revenge, resistance, and retribution, and embrace the boundless potential of cooperation, compromise, and the common good.”
If Trump is known for anything, it is revenge politics—punishing the disloyal, rewarding the sycophants. Cooperation and compromise? Not on his watch. Respect for judicial independence and the oversight function of Congress goes unmentioned.
“Here in the United States, we are alarmed by the new calls to adopt socialism in our country. . . . Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country.”
Trump’s version of the Red Scare is what we can expect if Bernie Sanders is the Democratic nominee. But Trump might consult polls showing that “socialism” is quite popular among young people.
The Medal of Freedom to Rush Limbaugh
Rewarding a leading enemy of racial and social harmony, of humanitarianism, and of peace. A perfect example of Trump’s skewed values.
The Economy
“economic boom—a boom that has rarely been seen before. There’s been nothing like it. We have created 5.3 million new jobs and, importantly, added 600,000 new manufacturing jobs.”
Vast overstatements, numbers plucked from thin air. US manufacturing has slowed, not picked up. No mention of plant closures or low-wage employment without benefits. Also no mention of Obama’s role in job creation.
“The U.S. economy is growing almost twice as fast today as when I took office. And we are considered, far and away, the hottest economy anywhere in the world. . . . African American, Hispanic American, and Asian American unemployment have all reached their lowest levels ever recorded.”
Really? Again, wild exaggerations thrown out for political effect.
“We passed a massive tax cut for working families.”
As we all know, that tax cut overwhelmingly benefited the wealthy, the only class whose tax rate has gone down in recent years. The middle class remains as badly off now as it has been since the early 1970s.
“We eliminated the very unpopular Obamacare individual mandate penalty.”
Yes, and if the administration has its way, there won’t be a health care system, with steep cuts in Medicare and Medicaid on tap if Trump is reelected.
“Companies are coming back to our country in large numbers thanks to our historic reductions in taxes and regulations.”
There is no evidence of this despite the administration’s efforts to lure multinational companies back with all kinds of favorable actions.
Politics
“This new era of cooperation can start with finally confirming the more than 300 highly qualified nominees who are still stuck in the Senate.”
May they continue to be stuck there. Under Trump hundreds of right-wing judges have been added to the bench, and often unqualified other nominees have been inserted into critical positions in the EPA, energy department, and other agencies.
“Now is the time for Congress to show the world that America is committed to ending illegal immigration and putting the ruthless coyotes, cartels, drug dealers, and human traffickers out of business. . . . As we speak, large, organized caravans are on the march to the United States. We have just heard that Mexican cities, in order to remove the illegal immigrants from their communities, are getting trucks and buses to bring them up to our country in areas where there is little border protection. I have ordered another 3,750 troops to our southern border to prepare for this tremendous onslaught. This is a moral issue. The lawless state of our southern border is a threat to the safety, security, and financial wellbeing of all America. We have a moral duty to create an immigration system that protects the lives and jobs of our citizens. . . . Year after year, countless Americans are murdered by criminal illegal aliens.”
Racist and disgusting. This is where it all began: Trump’s (and Stephen Miller’s) virulent attack on immigrants, his twisted description of border security, his uninformed argument for a wall, and his illegal use of the military. He hasn’t changed in the slightest. Nowhere does Trump mention his goal, which is being achieved, for zero refugee admissions.
“As part of our commitment to improving opportunity for women everywhere, this Thursday we are launching the first-ever government-wide initiative focused on economic empowerment for women in developing countries.”
Under the wise leadership of Ivanka Trump, women in developing countries will surely see unprecedented US assistance. Laughable! Aside from the fact that such a program (if there really is one) would hardly be the “first ever,” this administration has abandoned Africa to the Chinese and offered precious little help to other developing-country regions.
“we recently imposed tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods, and now our Treasury is receiving billions and billions of dollars.”
Another bogus claim meant to hide the real costs of the trade war, including a 20% increase in farm bankruptcies, higher consumer costs, and major losses for auto, aircraft, and other exporters. The interim trade deal with China, which Trump glossed over, was hardly a victory, and while the US trade deficit with China has been reduced, that is mainly because of reduced US imports rather than increased US exports. So where could those “billions and billions” be?
Foreign Affairs
“As part of a bold new diplomacy, we continue our historic push for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Our hostages have come home, nuclear testing has stopped, and there has not been a missile launch in more than 15 months. If I had not been elected President of the United States, we would right now, in my opinion, be in a major war with North Korea.”
Still peddling the nonsense that Korea policy is a win. Over those 15 months, North Korea has carried out numerous missile tests and worked on improving its long-range missile capability. The denuclearization policy is dead and there is no reason to believe that the next Trump-Kim summit, announced for later this month, will result in a serious deal.
“Our approach [in the Middle East] is based on principled realism, not discredited theories that have failed for decades to yield progress. . . . Today, we have liberated virtually all of the [ISIS] territory from the grip of these bloodthirsty monsters. . . . In Afghanistan, my administration is holding constructive talks with a number of Afghan groups, including the Taliban. . . . To ensure this corrupt dictatorship never acquires nuclear weapons, I withdrew the United States from the disastrous Iran nuclear deal. And last fall, we put in place the toughest sanctions ever imposed by us on a country.”
“Principled realism” surely comes from a speechwriter with a flair for the absurd. Trump’s Middle East “policy” comes down to catering to Israel and Saudi Arabia, undermining Obama’s Iran deal, undermining what could have been a deal with the Taliban, and abandoning the Kurds and the Palestinians.
The Close
“We must choose whether we are defined by our differences or whether we dare to transcend them. We must choose whether we squander our great inheritance or whether we proudly declare that we are Americans. . . . We must keep America first in our hearts. We must keep freedom alive in our souls.”
Such blather, and never a mention of the Constitution or democracy. “Freedom” amidst official lawlessness, “America first” but never international cooperation. And how about freedom of the press?
The Glaring Omissions
The omissions were as notable as the issues that were mentioned: the climate crisis, the Ukraine scandal, Russia policy, human rights, international law, alliances, and the role of truth, facts, and accountability in a democracy.
--end--
Mel Gurtov, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Portland State University.
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With February being National Children’s Dental Health Month and about 15 percent of children aged 2-17 having not seen a dentist in the past year, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2020's States with the Best & Worst Dental Health as well as accompanying videos.
In order to determine which places have the healthiest teeth and gums in the U.S., WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 26 key metrics. The data set ranges from share of adolescents who visited a dentist in the past year to dental treatment costs to share of adults with low life satisfaction due to oral condition.
States with the Best Dental Health
States with the Worst Dental Health
1. Wisconsin
42. Florida
2. Illinois
43. Kentucky
3. Minnesota
44. Alaska
4. District of Columbia
45. Texas
5. Connecticut
46. Alabama
6. North Dakota
47. Louisiana
7. Michigan
48. Montana
8. Massachusetts
49. West Virginia
9. Idaho
50. Arkansas
10. Iowa
51. Mississippi
Best vs. Worst
To view the full report and your state or the District’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-best-worst-dental-health/31498/
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ADHD EXPERT WEBINAR
ADHD and Food Dyes, Nutrition, & Supplements: The Latest Science on the Dietary Changes That Improve (or Worsen) Symptoms
EXPERT: Joel Nigg, Ph.D.
Wednesday, March 11 @ 1pm Eastern Time - Register now!
Can't attend the live webinar? Register now and we'll email you the replay link
. . . . .
In the past decade, the evidence has become clear: aspects of diet do affect ADHD. Yet controversy over nutrition’s role in managing ADHD continues, especially regarding which dietary interventions are relevant, and who might respond favorably to those changes.
In this webinar, you will learn:
The expert Q&A webinar ADHD and Food Dyes, Nutrition, & Supplements: The Latest Science on the Dietary Changes That Improve (or Worsen) Symptoms will take place Wednesday, March 11, 2020, from 1pm-2pm Eastern Time (12pm-1pm CT; 11am-12pm MT; 10am-11am PT).
NOTE: Qualify for a certificate of attendance when you attend an ADDitude webinar live or listen to the replay.
MEET THE SPEAKER:
Joel Nigg, Ph.D.
Joel Nigg, Ph.D., is a professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience and Director of the Division of Psychology at Oregon Health & Science University. He is a leading researcher in the field of ADHD and the author of Getting Ahead of ADHD: What Next Generation Science Says About Treatments That Work—and How You Can Make Them Work for Your Child, which addresses lifestyle and environment approaches to ADHD.
Hi Dawn,
With New Hampshire holding the first primary election in the U.S., scheduled Feb. 11, and reliably predicting both the Democratic and GOP nominees, the personal finance website WalletHub compared the Granite State’s demographic characteristics and public opinions with those of the U.S. to determine: How Closely Does New Hampshire Resemble the U.S.?
Our data set of 31 key measures includes sociodemographic, economic, educational and religious metrics as well as public stances on certain issues.
Key Findings
For the full report, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/new-hampshire-us-resemblance/18589/
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STAY ALERT COFFEE LOVERS, SOMETHING BIG IS BREWING WITHIN SINGLE-SERVE COFFEE
WEST COAST STARTUP SOLVES THE SINGLE-SERVE COFFEE CRISIS
TO DELIVER QUALITY WITHOUT COMPROMISE
The Award-Winning Steeped Coffee full immersion brew method means no machines, no waste, guilt-free packaging, and amazing taste; Compostable Bags Deliver Gourmet Taste That's Good To Environment
[Santa Cruz, CA, FEB. 6, 2020] – Step aside, coffee pods. Take a rest, instant coffee. There’s finally a single-serve option available in the world of high-end coffee, and it’s quickly becoming a game changer.
Santa Cruz-based startup Steeped, Inc., one of the most promising and innovative companies in the industry, has launched its revolutionary Steeped Coffee brewing method to serious coffee drinkers across the nation. Brewed similar to tea, Steeped Coffee’s nitro sealed Steeped Bags, along with their guilt-free packaging made using renewable and compostable materials, achieve the unthinkable: freshly ground specialty coffee in a single-serving. That’s why it earned the “Best New Product” award for their innovative packaging at the recent Specialty Coffee Expo. And, it’s barista-approved!
Steeped Coffee launched when serial entrepreneur and coffee lover Josh Wilbur decided to combine the convenience of a single-serving brew method with the premium quality of ethically sourced coffee. Wilbur wanted to redeem the environmental dilemma created by wasteful coffee pods. Happy to do the math, Wilbur points out over 10 billion unrecyclable pods accumulate in landfills each year – enough to wrap around the earth more than 110 times if placed side-by-side. Moreover, each type of pod depends on expensive and often moldy brewing machines, which are also unrecyclable.
It took Wilbur seven years to innovate the proprietary Steeped Coffee system that delivers fresh roasted, pre-portioned, precision ground, micro batched coffee in customized Full Immersion Filters. “Premium coffee roasters have shied away from offering their specialty beans in single-serve packaging because it’s been nearly impossible to keep ground coffee fresh, which quickly ruins the taste,” said Wilbur. “With our Nitro Sealed bags, oxygen is replaced with nitrogen, so the coffee stays fresh as if it was ground moments ago.”
“Steeped Packs are the easiest way to make a delicious cup of coffee,” Wilbur Says. “You shouldn't need to perform chemistry before you’ve made your coffee.” Simply steep each Steeped Bag in hot water for about five minutes to allow the coffee to develop its distinctive body and flavor. There is no machine, no noise, no cleanup, no destructive waste.
As for flavor? Even the most discerning coffee connoisseurs in the industry are singing the praises of Steeped Coffee. Barista Magazine is a believer: “Like a tea bag—but for coffee? This new product from Steeped Coffee might just be one of our fave new ways to brew coffee on the road.”
“Finding Steeped has changed my coffee drinking life,” raved one reviewer on Producthunt.com. “It's my favorite new brewing method and I can't believe more people haven't heard of this yet. It is going to be huge.”
Entrepreneur’s Handbook concurs: “You’re likely going to see the Steeped Coffee methodology in hospitals, offices, hotels — places where single-serve coffee reigns — and perhaps on your next flight.
Features of Steeped Coffee include:
Steeped, Inc., based in Santa Cruz, California, is a B-Corp (Benefit Corporation) focused on every detail from farm-to-cup and beyond, to bring people the most convenient, quality, ethically sourced, and sustainably packaged products available. Steeped Coffee provides a single-serve method that combines convenience and quality all within Guilt-Free Packaging. The proprietary Steeped Brewing Method delivers 100% freshly roasted, precision ground, and nitro sealed specialty coffee pre-portioned within Steeped Full Immersion Filters. Steeped Coffee is the simplest way to make a perfect cup of coffee, with no machine needed, just add water. Steeped, Inc. offers its brewing method to Licensed Partners around the globe. For more information, visit http://www.steepedcoffee.com. For business inquiries, contact sales@steepedcoffee.com.
With so many coffee gadgets, machines, and accessories flooding the market these days, this simple unplugged Steeped Coffee brewing method might be just what you're looking for to take your moment, while at home, at work, or on-the-go.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17Pd1uZH_JxUCrO-huplKbV-MgdOLOwms
