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A trip to the beach isn't the only way to enjoy the summer weather – when temperatures soar make for the cool, shady paradise of the Marais Poitevin. Among lush green country-side and wetland marshes lies a network of waterways described by Henri IV during the 16th century as la Venise Verte.
A natural wonder
The Marais Poitevin Inter-regional Park covers 32,000ha of wetlands and 65,500ha of drained marsh, making it France's second largest wetland area after the Camargue. At its heart is the Sèvre Niortaise river, whose eight locks ensure navigability of a waterway cleared by order of Napoleon in 1808 to allow gabarres to travel between the Atlantic ports and nearby Niort.
The natural, unspoilt environment is perfect for walking, cycling, horse riding and boating – all easily accessible thanks to plentiful local hire facilities. The abundant wildlife includes otters, and the Marais is a stopping place for migratory birds – you can see many different species at St Hilaire-la-Palud's ornithological park.
Historic waterways
Neolithic man once inhabited this marshland that extends to the Bay of Aiguillon on the Atlantic Coast, but it was in the 10th century that the first efforts were made to drain the marshes. It wasn't until the end of the Hundred Year's War that work started in earnest and by the 17th century, the Marais Poitevin took the form it has today.
Go with the flow
The classic way to visit the Marais is to park your car in one of the villages (motor-homes can find parking and services in Arçais, Coulon and Mauzé-sur-le-Mignon) and do things in a more environmentally friendly way. You can take a trip in a traditional flat bottomed boat from Coulon, Arçais, St-Hilaire-la-Palud, La Garette, Maillezais or Le Mazeau and discover the tranquillity of the canals. Hire firms offer various packages, though it's worth taking a guide, who will navigate through the labyrinth of 'conches', 'fossés' and 'rigoles'. You'll also be treated to anecdotes about the history of the Marais.
Pedal power
Hire a bicycle from Coulon, Arçais or La Garette and you can enjoy 50km of cycle tracks – they wind between the waterways, so there are no hills to climb! To take things even more gently, follow marked footpaths – pick up a map of suggested itineraries from local tourist offices. Another popular way of discovering the park is on horseback, and there are equestrian centres in St-Hilaire-la-Palud, Arçais and La Garette. You can even visit the countryside in a horse-drawn carriage or a land train.
The villages
The villages of Coulon, Arçais and Magné, in the heart of thewetlands, are popular with visitors. Coulon, the notional capital of the Marais Poitevin, was once a bustling port – discover its history, and that of the Marais, in the Maison du Marais Poitevin museum.
The village of Arçais also had a busy port; today it charms lovers of cobbled streets, chateau ruins plus craft and antique shops.
Magné, an island set between the Sèvre Niortaise and the Sevreau rivers, has a listed Gothic church and a 19th century lock-house called the 'Marais-Pin'. The village of Le Bourdet is notable for its 2km path called 'Le Sentier de la Maraîchine' (a reference to the local breed of cattle which still graze here) and for botanical and geological circuits. In fact, each village reveals its own secrets, along with picturesque streets, traditional marsh houses, boutiques and art galleries, churches, wash-houses, locks, bridges and dovecotes.
Coulon's Maison du Marais Poitevin is one of four museums in the Marais, each focusing on a separate element of the parkland and offering educational activities, exhibitions, sales of local products and varied entertainment.
You'll find them in the villages of Coulon, Arçais, Mauzé-sur-le-Mignon and St Hilaire la Palud. Maps of suggested circuits are available in English from the offices, along with all the leisure companies' contact details – useful to have before you leave. www.marais-poitevin.com


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Thanks to a new free service from Experian, everyone in the UK can now check their credit scores with the three main credit agencies without paying a penny.
What's the deal?
Experian is the last of the major credit providers to provide free credit information, launching Credit Matcher earlier in September. Anyone can sign up and see how they'll be viewed by lenders, without committing to paying a £15 monthly fee, which is the fee for ongoing access to your full credit report.
Why should I care?
If you apply for credit in the UK, the chances are your chances of being accepted will largely depend on how you're viewed by the main credit agencies, Experian, Equifax and CallCredit.
Free access to your credit score means you can get a rough idea of whether you're a desirable customer. If your score seems lower than you'd expect, or it falls suddenly without explanation, that can be an early warning sign of identity fraud.
What's the catch?
These services only let you see your credit score, which isn't as detailed or as useful as your full credit report.
Scores doesn't show all the granular details held by credit rating agencies, like a history of when you've applied for credit, or the signs of whether or not you've been going over your credit card limits.
This full information can be accessed for a one-off fee, or through subscription services that cost £15 a month. Given different credit companies use different reports, that means it could cost £45 a month to get a complete picture of how you'll be seen by lenders.
Experian will cover the costs of this service through credit card advertising.
What are my other options?
ClearScore was the first company to offer free (on-going) access to credit scores, using a similar model to Credit Match, relying on credit card adverts. They'll provide your credit score, as estimated by Equifax.
Noddle launched shortly after, and gives its users free access to credit score information from ClearScore.
Where can I find out more?
- For Experian CallMatcher: Experian.co.uk/creditmatcher
- For Equifax scores, via Clearscore: ClearScore.com
- For CallCredit scores, via Noddle: Noddle.co.uk

subset: commoncrawl


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Hello lovelies!
Beauty and fashion influencer Christen Dominique picks her MAC Cosmetics favorites and turns them into a set. So we get MAC x Nordstrom Christen Dominique Set which is perfect for everyday glam look. The set features four products and is available in a limited edition exclusively at Nordstrom right now.
U.S. Launch Date – Now exclusively at Nordstrom


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Watch the official music video for "The World Is Yours 2" by Rich The Kid.
Directed by Louie Knows: Instagram.com/louieknows Music video by Rich The Kid performing 4 Phones. © 2019 Interscope Records
Subscribe for more Rich The Kid: http://smarturl.it/RichTheKidYT Splashin out now: http://smartURL.it/Splashin
Directed by Daps Producer: Sara Lacombe Production co: Creative Row DOP: Joshua Reis Art Director: Juan Mabson Stylist: Rasheeda Ameera Editor: John Holloway Colorist: Robert Currer...


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According to data from the World Bank, Croatia is ranked as the 28th richest country in the region.
Based on data for 2014, countries in the region of Europe and Central Asia accounted for 27 percent of the world's wealth. The countries of Western Europe accounted for the largest share of wealth in the region, whilst Croatia placed below the region average, reported the World Bank.
Croatia, with $147,545 per capita placed as the 28th in the region of Europe and Central Asia i.e. below the region's average of $368,233. For example, Poland ranked better than Croatia with $154,932 per capita, whilst the neighbouring country of Slovenia placed as the 16th with $351,776 per capita.
In 2014, Western European countries accounted for 83 percent of regional wealth – Germany (19%), France (14%), Great Britain (13%), the Russian Federation (9%), whilst Eastern European and Central Asian countries accounted for the remaining 7 percent.


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"Tuis enim fidelibus, Domine, vita mutatur non tollitur … Truly for Thy faithful, O Lord, life is changed, not taken away." This phrase from the Preface for the Dead is a fitting way for us to ring out a liturgical year and to bring in the new with the First Sunday of Advent.
During November we reflected on the Four Last Things and prayed for the dead. Since Advent was once longer than it is today, the themes of the Second Coming and the world's end flow back into the end of the year and forward into the new. So it is with life.
Births also prompt reflection on the end of life, just as deaths cause us to consider the whys and wherefores of our births. To what end, O Lord, is this beautiful little image of God brought into the world's travails? To what end, O Lord, did this Christian soul play out his role before going to Thy throne? What now lies ahead for me? What lies beyond the final breath? For the faithful, thoughtful living chimes with these questions.
Each year Holy Church, who is the greatest expert on humanity that there has ever been, presents to us through liturgical seasons and cycles both the mysteries of the Lord's life and those of the history of salvation, from creation to the resolution of the cosmos in fire. She gives us these mysteries year in and year out, not because they change, but because we change. With every year, wherein we grow and diminish, have successes and defeats, joys and sorrows, we are little different. Hence, we are able to reflect on and be transformed by the celebration of the same mysteries in a new way, year in, year out.
Our active participation in our sacred liturgical worship – we are our rites! – shapes who we are. And so our lives are woven by God's grace and our elbow grease into an ineffable tapestry of contrasts until, when the loom's shuttle ceases its swift courses, the thread is cut and we are released into glory. Life changes. It doesn't end. As Longfellow wrote, "the grave is not the goal".
Advent is a season of joyful penance – or penitential joy, if you prefer – before our happy celebration of the First Coming of the Christ Child. Prepare well the path of His coming to you during this holy season.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.


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Stroft GTM 100M
Stroft is the choice of an active angler for all types of fishing. This Stroft fishing line is soft and it has excellent pulling strength. The silicon PTFE used in the line lengthens its life span and makes it easy to handle even in winter conditions.
- Good knot strength
- Excellent fly leader material
- 100m
- Blue Grey Transparent
- 2.3kg / 0.14
- 3kg / 0.16
- 3.6kg / 0.18
- 4.2kg / 0.20


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Earn points toward FREE PIZZA with Piece of the Pie Rewards
More About Your Jasper Domino's
Get Faster, Fresher Pizza Delivery in Jasper
For Jasper pizza delivery that doesn't disappoint, choose Domino's. When you order Domino's, you're not ordering the average pizza. You're ordering a pizza with crispy-crunchy crust baked to your specifications, a robust marinara sauce made from only the finest, ripest tomatoes, and a rich variety of toppings that are sure to please both pepperoni addicts and veggie lovers alike. With Domino's pizza, every slice is exactly the way you want it.
At Domino's in Jasper, we make it easy to get exactly what you want: pizza that's fast and fresh. Order your pizza over the phone or online, or visit a Domino's near you to place a carryout order.
Get started by picking one of our homemade crusts, including a fluffy, seasoned hand-tossed crust, a pan crust featuring two colossal layers of cheese, a crunchy thin crust, or even a gluten-free pizza crust! Then, choose your sauce and your favorite pizza toppings. Whether you're a serious fan of mushrooms and spinach or love spicy pepperoni and tangy asiago cheese, you can be sure your local Domino's has it all.
With over 34 million different ways to make a single Domino's pizza, you can be sure we've got a slice for any taste. Build your own pizza from scratch or choose from one of our specialty pizzas, like the ever popular Buffalo Chicken, Pacific Veggie, or Ultimate Pepperoni and have it delivered hot and fresh to your doorstep, fast!
From Our Oven to Your Door: Jasper Pizza Delivery
Order from your Jasper Domino's and you'll see—we're pretty serious folks when it comes to pizza delivery. In fact, we're so serious about it that we promise your pizza will arrive piping hot and freshly made, right from our oven to your door. Use our patented Pizza TrackerⓇ to follow the progress of your pizza order from the time it's placed till it arrives at your doorstep… and try not to drool on your keyboard while you wait.
Hungry for More Than Pizza Takeout in Jasper?
We may be fast when it comes to delivering pizzas, but we're super fast when it comes to pizza takeout in Jasper. Order from our pizza menu or try something new! Give your tastebuds exactly what they're looking for with one of our oven-baked sandwiches or pastas, platters of specialty chicken wings, crisp and colorful salads, and event satisfyingly sweet desserts like Domino's Marbled Cookie Brownie™. It's a decadent blend of gooey milk chocolate chunk cookie and rich fudge brownie that'll have you begging for another.
We have over 12,000 stores in more than 80 countries, which means we know quality and customer service. It's our goal to be the best pizza delivery company in the world, not only in Georgia, and everything from our courteous delivery drivers to our stellar pizza coupons reflects this commitment. Call your local Domino's restaurant in Jasper, use our free smartphone app, or place your order online for fast pizza delivery and carryout today! We aren't like every other pizza restaurant in Jasper. We're your favorite pizza place in Jasper!


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Meet the Stacker: a handy tool that helps you improve your grip strength. It allows you to simulate Hermann Goerner's brick lifts. It has a loading surface of 8″ and allows you to add as many standard plates you want to push your elbow harder.
More gadgets like this ➡ : here
The Stacker is available for under $35 at this time. More info is available here.
*some of our articles have aff links. Please read our disclaimer on how we fund Exxponent.


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Residents have overwhelmingly reported positive satisfaction with the City of Casey's Maternal and Child Health Service, according to a recent community feedback survey of 799 local parents.
92 per cent of respondents to the survey reported positive satisfaction with the service, including 56 per cent saying they were 'very satisfied' and 85 per cent stating they are 'likely to' or would 'definitely recommend' the Casey Maternal & Child Health Service to a friend.
The survey, rolled out in March and April 2019, was designed to assess the community's experience when accessing the Maternal and Child Health Service, with the intent that the outcomes of the survey be used to inform the design and delivery of the service going forward.
City of Casey Mayor Cr Amanda Stapledon said 799 community members from across the municipality engaged with the survey, giving the service providers a representative picture of the entire municipality.
"Findings showed that, while there is still room for improvement, the community experience of the services and programs referenced are overwhelmingly positive, with the largest majority in each section reporting positive satisfaction," she said.
"Most respondents reported that they found the information packs they received during nurse home visits, to be 'useful information'. Similarly, a large majority reported that advice provided through the MCH Service 'was useful in the care and parenting of children'.
"Of those surveyed, 84 per cent said they found "the location and accessibility of appointments with the MCH Service" to have been convenient. While, 79 per cent of respondents were satisfied with their experience in the First Time Parents Group.
"The City of Casey Maternal & Child Health is dedicated to delivering a service that meets the needs of today's families and this consultation has helped us to identify the many things that are working for the community, as well providing ideas and highlighting demand for future service possibilities."
Each year sees over 5,000 babies born to the City of Casey and Council operates the largest MCH Service in Victoria, with a passionate and professional team dedicated to helping our youngest residents get the best start to life.
Council's MCH service plays an integral role in supporting local families through their parenthood journey and making a difference to children's early years.


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Court of Appeals of Utah
June 28, 2018
State of Utah, Appellee,v.Isaac Alberto Tirado, Appellant.
District Court, Farmington Department The Honorable Thomas L.
Kay No. 131702061
Randall W. Richards, Attorney for Appellant
D. Reyes and Lindsey L. Wheeler, Attorneys for Appellee
Ryan M. Harris authored this Opinion, in which Judges Gregory
K. Orme and David N. Mortensen concurred.
HARRIS, Judge.
Defendant Isaac Alberto Tirado was a passenger in a car that
was pulled over and eventually impounded. While conducting an
inventory search of the impounded vehicle, officers found
four types of illegal drugs near the passenger seat:
methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, and unprescribed
oxycodone. After being charged with various drug-related
offenses, Defendant moved to suppress the evidence discovered
during the inventory search. The district court denied that
motion, and Defendant appeals. We affirm.
While on patrol one afternoon, a Layton City police officer
(Officer) noticed a car with an expired registration. Officer
pulled over the vehicle, which had two occupants: a driver
(Driver) and Defendant, who was sitting in the front
passenger seat.[1] Officer approached the vehicle and asked
Driver for his license and registration, but Driver was
unable to produce a current registration. Officer also asked
Defendant for identification, but Defendant did not have any
and instead simply gave Officer his name. Officer then
returned to his patrol car to run a records check on the
information he was given.
After checking Driver's information, Officer learned that
the vehicle had been unregistered for nearly a year, and that
Driver had an outstanding "traffic warrant" for
expired registration. After receiving that information,
Officer noted that, due to its expired registration, he could
"technically" impound the vehicle, but Officer did
not at that point decide whether he would actually do so.
Officer then ran a records check on Defendant, and obtained
information that led him to believe that Defendant was a
"gang member and drug abuser." At that point,
Officer determined that he would in fact impound the vehicle,
but decided not to arrest Driver on the outstanding warrant;
instead, Officer gave Driver a citation for expired
The Layton City Police Department has a written policy (the
Policy) that governs the manner in which its officers are to
inventory the contents of the vehicles they impound. In
relevant part, the Policy provides as follows:
All property in a stored or impounded vehicle shall be
inventoried and listed on the Vehicle Impound Report Form.
This includes the trunk and any compartments or containers,
even if closed and/or locked. Members conducting inventory
searches should be as thorough and accurate as practical in
preparing an itemized inventory. These inventory procedures
are for the purpose of protecting an owner's property
while in police custody, to provide for the safety of
officers, and to protect the Department against fraudulent
claims of lost, stolen or damaged property.
Unless it would cause an unreasonable delay in the completion
of a vehicle impound/storage or create an issue of officer
safety, officers should make reasonable accommodations to
permit a driver/owner to retrieve small items of value or
personal need (e.g., cash, jewelry, cell phone,
prescriptions) which are not considered evidence or
later testified that it is "common practice" among
Layton City officers to simply photograph the contents of the
vehicle rather than to meticulously list each item on a
written form.
After deciding to impound the vehicle, Officer asked both
Driver and Defendant to exit the car, and explained his
intention to tow the vehicle. By this time, a backup officer
(Backup Officer) had arrived to assist. Officer told both
Driver and Defendant that they were free to go and that they
could call someone to pick them up. Driver and Defendant did
not immediately leave the scene, and Officer asked them if
they wanted any items from the car before it was impounded.
Defendant asked for a backpack. Before giving the backpack to
Defendant, however, Officer searched it and found a computer,
an iPad, and a cell phone inside; Officer then ran the serial
numbers of the items to determine if any were stolen, and
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text:
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie came out Sunday against legislation bolstering background checks for gun purchases, saying that such measures would amount to "trying to put lipstick on a pig" and create "false senses of security."
"I wish that background checks stopped criminals or stopped school shootings, but they don't," the Kentucky lawmaker told NBC News' "Meet The Press."
Massie was reacting to a revived proposal by Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., to expand presale checks for firearms purchases online and at gun shows. The measure was first introduced after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 in Connecticut, and the Senate has rejected it twice.
"You could put all the information you want in it, but the [Sandy Hook] shooter in Connecticut who stole his mother's firearms and shot her before he committed the crime … isn't going to be stopped by a background check," said Massie. He added, "and in ten years, we're still going to have school shootings unless you propose real legislation, like President Trump has proposed, that would allow teachers to be armed."
The issue of background checks and other gun legsilation has roared to life in the wake of the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., that killed 17 people.
President Trump told Fox News' "Justice with Judge Jeanine" Saturday night that any new gun legislation likely would involve strengthening background checks.
"We are drawing up strong legislation right now having to do with background checks, mental illness," Trump said. "I think you will have tremendous support. It's time. It's time."
Trump's early ideas in the wake of the Parkland shooting were met with mixed reactions from his party. His talk of allowing teachers to carry concealed weapons into classrooms was rejected by at least one Republican, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., both spoke to Trump on Friday. Their offices have not spoken publicly on the conversations or legislative strategy.
The Senate also could consider a bill from Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., to strengthen FBI background checks — a response to a shooting last November in which a gunman killed more than two dozen people at a Texas church.
That bill would penalize federal agencies that don't properly report required records and reward states that comply by providing them with federal grant preferences. It was drafted after the Air Force acknowledged it failed to report the Texas gunman's domestic violence conviction to the National Criminal Information Center database.
On Sunday, Massie described the current background check system as "flawed" and "biased against minorities."
"Three million people, law-abiding citizens, [have been] denied a purchase since this has been put in place," Massie said. "But only about one in a thousand are prosecuted for trying to 'buy a gun illegally.'
"The reality is, most of those three million, 99.9 percent of them are actually law-abiding citizens who were denied a purchase because the background check system is flawed. It doesn't have the right information in there. It's got false information … If you can get the information from the ATF, you would find that out."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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Universal Credit tenants owe double in rent arrears
Council tenants on Universal Credit owe more than double the rent arrears of those still on housing benefit, a BBC probe has found.
Flintshire council in north Wales, one of the first counties to test the new payment, says rent arrears have gone up by £1m, with one claimant saying a mistake left him with just £29 a month to live on.
But employment minister Alok Sharma said the new benefit is working, and claimed the rise in rent arrears is only temporary.
He said: "Universal credit is working well. After a period of time people will on average see those (rent) arrears coming down."
The results from the 129 councils that responded to the BBC investigation showed the average amount owed by tenants claiming universal credit across the UK is £662.56. For those still on housing benefit it is £262.50.
Simple Landlords Insurance has produced a guide to help landlords negotiate the Universal Credit system, which can be found here.
The guide shows what landlords and agents can do to help tenants who are on, or about to claim, the new benefit to avoid delays and rent arrears.
Universal credit, which had cross-party support when it was first proposed, brings together six benefits, such as job seekers allowance, child tax credits and housing benefit, into one payment, and is paid once a month in arrears, like a salary.
While this has worked for people, other claimants have said it is this delay in the payment, combined with confusion over the online application process, that has seen families left with no income for weeks, forced to turn to food banks and choose between paying bills or paying their rent.
Currently one million people across the UK claim the new benefit, a figure that will eventually rise to eight million.
Last month, research by the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has revealed that almost two-thirds of private landlords with tenants receiving Universal Credit have experienced them going into rent arrears.
Based on responses from more than 2,200 landlords, the RLA's research exchange, PEARL, found that 61 per cent of landlords with tenants on Universal Credit have seen them go into rent arrears.
This is up from 27 per cent in 2016.The research also found that on average Universal Credit tenants in rent arrears owed almost £2,400, a 49 per cent increase compared to last year.


text:
Full Face Snorkeling Mask
Why limit your field of vision with old-style swimming goggles?
This newly designed full face snorkeling mask offers a much more complete field of vision, as well as an improved anti-fog and breathing tube mechanism.
- 180° field of vision. Arc-shaped surface for wider vision without blind spots
- Anti-fog ventilating channel reduces fogging
- Leak-free breathing via quick water stop and filtering system
- Built-in mount for Action-Cams
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text:
Senior Director, Worldwide E-commerce Cloud Platform & Renewals
Palo Alto, CA, USA | VMware
Industry:Computer Software / Computer Games
Position Type:Full-Time
Functions:General Management
Experience:10-12 years
Job Description:61 people have viewed this job
As the Worldwide Sales Leader for E-Commerce Cloud Platform & Renewals, you will be responsible for leveraging digital and e-commerce to drive new product sales and optimize the customer journey from acquisition through renewal activity.
In addition to contributing to growth and success of VMware's renewals and Cloud products, you will be responsible for setting the vision and strategy for the customer journey and digital lifecycle of both our perpetual and SaaS product offerings online.
This role will report directly to the Worldwide Vice President of Renewals, E-Commerce and License Compliance.
Each day at VMware is different and exciting, with new opportunity to solve problems and collaborate with customers and internal stakeholders.Here is an idea of some of the topics you will work on:
E-Commerce Sales and P&L Management:
Responsible for setting and meeting e-commerce sales goals, as well key performance drivers such as traffic, conversion, renewal rates and XSUS expansion with existing customers
Oversee the e-commerce P&L, partnering closely with the digital product development team on technology investments, operations on warehouse & logistics and finance.
Oversee daily, monthly and quarterly sales forecasting.
Develop and execute online marketing calendars to support revenue targets, in line with overall brand and retail marketing initiatives across channels.
Contribute to recommendations for enhancements to e-commerce-related systems and workflow to improve process and efficiencies.
Work internally with Business Units to adopt and drive more transactional cloud offerings on our stores.
To succeed in this position, the following qualities are paramount:
Passionate about digital
Laser focused on driving revenue, but customer-first obsessed
Data-driven, continuously looking for ways to exceed targets. Able to synthesize information quickly and concisely to make recommendations.
Exceptional leader and collaborative team player in a highly agile and fast-paced environment
Ability to think at a high level strategically while understanding operational detail
Comfortable with ambiguity; strong idea leadership, solution-driven, with desire to pioneer
Highly organized, detail oriented and efficient multitasker
Positive, self-motivated, growth mindset
10+ years' experience managing all key business functions described above
Proven track record in growing a successful, sizeable e-commerce business with experience in both strategy development and operational execution
Strong knowledge of e-commerce strategy and planning, budget and P&L management, sales forecasting, online merchandising and marketing
Proven leadership and team management skills
Deep understanding of paid media and performance marketing
Hands-on experience with retention marketing and customer journey-building
Knowledge of customer analytics, segmentation and propensity modelling
BA/BS required
Preferred Skills:
Global e-Commerce experience
Loyalty program experience
Already a member? Sign In


text:
A COUPLE who beat a man to death in his own home before setting the flat on fire in a bid to cover their tracks have been convicted of murder.
The lifeless body of Paul Gillett, 54, was found in the bath of his flat in Station Road, Clacton, by firefighters.
The crews had responded to reports of a fire at the block of flats at around 7am on Boxing Day last year.
Mr Gillett suffered a minimum of 73 blows to his body and head, including defensive wounds.
Freya Parker-Magowan, 43, had been living with Mr Gillett at the time of his death. She had moved in with him a week before Christmas having split from her partner, 48-year-old Seth Stollery.
However, the pair had reconciled and in the early hours of Boxing Day had visited Mr Gillett's home to pick up Parker-Magowan's belongings.
The pair arrived at the flat at around midnight on Christmas Day and stayed for several hours.
During that time Mr Gillett was subjected to the assault, which was launched with multiple weapons including a stool and a kettle.
Fire investigators found five fires had then been started in the flat in an attempt to cover up the murder.
When uniformed officers first attended the scene they quickly located a key witness which led to important evidence being secured and both Stollery and Parker-McGowan being identified, found and arrested.
Through their investigations detectives established that, earlier in the evening, Stollery had been told that Mr Gillett and Parker-Magowan had engaged in a sexual relationship while she was staying at the flat.
Both Stollery and Parker-Magowan were picked out during an identity procedure as having been seen going into the block of flats around midnight on the night of Christmas Day.
The pair, both of no fixed address, were charged with murder and arson with intent to endanger life.
At trial, both confirmed they were the only other people in the flat at the time Mr Gillett was murdered, but each sought to blame the other.
They claimed the assault took place during a dispute over an iPad they claim Mr Gillett (pictured below) had stolen and then sold.
They both denied the charges.
A jury at Chelmsford Crown Court took less than two hours to convict them both.
They are due to be sentenced at the same court next month.
The court heard Mr Gillett was a loving father to his daughter and had cared for his wife before she passed away.
Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Truss, from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said the murderers had "taken advantage" of Mr Gillett's nature.
"Seth Stollery and Freya Parker-Magowan acted together to kill Paul Gillett in his own home," he said.
"The attack he suffered was brutal and the pair tried to cover their tracks by setting fire to his home.
"I want to praise the police and fire officers who first attended the scene for their fantastic work which set the foundations for this conviction.
"In a short amount of time, through speaking to people at the scene and excellent local knowledge, they were able to identify Stollery and Parker-Magowan, locate them and secure them, and secure vital evidence. It is this which led to today's conviction.
"Mr Gillett was a quiet man, who was liked within the flats at which he lived.
"Stollery and Parker-Magowan took advantage of his nature.
"They brutally and needlessly murdered him before trying to callously cover their tracks.
"They had no regard for the safety of other residents when they started the fire in Mr Gillett's home.
"I am pleased with the result today, and hope it brings some closure for Mr Gillett's family".


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SOCY601, Evaluation and Policy Research
Evaluation research is a social research methodology conducted for evaluative purposes by using social research methods. Policy research is a process which focuses on practical social factors and provides recommendations based on the research results with empirical evidence. The primary purpose of evaluation research is to investigate social programs and provide comprehensive evidence for the… Read More SOCY601, Evaluation and Policy Research


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Toronto News | Weather & Traffic | CTV News Toronto
Weather conditions continue to hamper search for boy who fell into Lake Erie
TORONTO -- Police say weather conditions continue to hamper a search for a nine-year-old boy who fell into Lake Erie over the weekend.
Investigators say three children were at the shore near Port Dover, Ont. on Saturday afternoon when two of them were swept into the icy lake by a wave.
They say the third child, a 10-year-old girl, ran to the road and flagged down a car to ask for help.
Police say a man and woman got out of the car and went out onto the ice to the water's edge and were able to rescue one of the children, an eight-year-old boy.
They say the other child did not resurface.
Provincial police, the U.S. Coast Guard and other emergency crews were called in to help with the search but police say dangerous weather conditions kept them from going into the water.
The rescue operation was called off Saturday night and recovery efforts began Sunday morning, but police say conditions remained too dangerous to enter the water.
Recovery crews were able to get closer to the water's edge on Monday, but rough waters and high winds are preventing them from going into the water today. Police say a shoreline search is underway instead.


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Things changed. Significantly. It might no longer be news to you that the state's Supreme Court officially issued this map Monday, seeking to correct and null partisan gerrymandering within the Republican-drawn congressional map we have come to know. Of the House of Representatives' 18 seats representing Pennsylvania, the outgoing map produced 13 Republicans and 5 Democrats, despite the fact that the 2016 election saw President Trump winning 12, and Hillary Clinton winning 6 of such districts.
The new, Court-drawn map removes 1,100 miles of district borders, aiding Democrats by now producing ten districts that voted for the President, and eight that had voted for his opponent (1). Change is noticeable everywhere, new districts appearing much less 'snaky,' the visually-awkward quality largely indicative of partisanship in a state's districting process. Not only are district boundaries of noticeable change, but even district numbers have been reassigned. The outgoing map was rather difficult to trace, assigning districts the first and second congressional districts to Philadelphia, before assigning the third and fifth to the state's Northwestern portion, fourth to York and Adams counties, while district 6 through 18 seem to radiate from the Philadelphia metropolitan area towards Pittsburgh, with plenty of non-sequence in its path. The new map, going into effect this election cycle, is much more forgiving in organization. District 1 is now the familiar Bucks County district, continuing to borrow municipalities from Montgomery, who is largely represented within the fourth district. Districts 2, 3, and 5 divide Philadelphia, with the latter also covering Delaware County. Districts now sequence more rationally from Philadelphia and its suburban counties, making their way westward before culminating at District 18 in Pittsburgh. Philadelphia's suburban districts have lost their serpentine characters, which were thought to divide democratic strongholds in favor of GOP votes.
What is more relevant to us, residents of Centre County, is the we no longer anchor PA-5 blue at its southeastern corner. The 5th Congressional District stretched from Happy Valley to eastern Erie County, encompassing much of the western I-80 corridor along its way. Instead, Centre County is now among PA-12 and PA-15, split to the north and west of campus. Residents of Park Forest Village, Toftrees, Benner Township, and Bellefonte now reside in District 15, together with many of the counties of the former 5th District. Campus, along with the rest of the borough, Lemont, Boalsburg, Circleville and Pine Grove Mills have now been separated into PA-12, joining Williamsport, Lewisburg, and many of the counties of the former 10th district. Clinton County (Lock Haven) and Potter County have also been drawn into PA-12 from the former 5th district.
The new district lines cut right through Centre County. PA-15 (to the north and west of campus) incorporates Park Forest Village, Port Matilda, Toftrees, Benner Township and the vicinity of the State College Airport, Pleasant Gap, Bellefonte, Milesburg, and Phillipsburg. PA-12 (campus, south and east of campus) incorporates the borough of State College, College Township (Houserville and Lemont), Circleville, Pine Grove Mills, Boalsburg, the vicinity of the Nittany Mall, and Centre Hall. University Park campus is now in the same congressional district as Lock Haven University and Bucknell University in Lewisburg (the latter formerly of PA-10).
The much anticipated, court-ordered, map has predictable implications on primary races that had already been underway. Marc Friedenberg, the Penn State professor who had been campaigning for the Democratic nomination to challenge Glenn Thompson for the PA-5 seat, has already come out and addressed he has been redistricted, eager to now challenge Tom Marino for the new PA-12 seat instead.
"Even though I was looking forward to winning the fight against Glenn Thompson, the incumbent in the redrawn 12th is Tom Marino, who is every bit the swamp-dwelling sellout that Thompson is. You may remember Tom Marino from one of my campaign's first issue statements (https://marcforpa.com/2017/10/18/americas-opioid-crisis/). He withdrew his nomination as the nation's top drug czar because it turned out he was one of the nation's top drug pushers, blocking the DEA from stopping the flow of addictive opioid painkillers into Pennsylvania in exchange for a $100,000 bribe from the pharmaceutical industry."
Kerith Strano Taylor announced that she has been redistricted into PA-15, and will continue her fight against congressman Glenn Thompson.
"I am proud to be running in the new 15th US Congressional District. While the number may be different, and some of the counties are new, my commitment and dedication to serving rural Pennsylvanians in Congress remains the same.
In the end, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court selected a map that they felt fairly benefited the most Pennsylvanians. Today's redistricting does not change my mission to bring rural Pennsylvanians a voice, and a vote, at the table."
1. Ingraham, Christopher. "Analysis | New Pennsylvania Congressional Map Erases 1,100 Miles of District Borders." The Washington Post, WP Company, 20 Feb. 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/02/20/new-pennsylvania-congressional-map-erases-1100-miles-of-district-borders/?utm_term=.cce0e4e72464.
$10,151,663.93, every Penn Stater's favorite number is this year just over a hundred thousand greater than last year's total, making THON 2018 a third consecutive year of growth in tandem with the institution's recent structural changes (i.e. the removal of canning as a primary fundraising practice and staple of THON culture).
While final tallies are still underway to account for the last few pennies that you, the various members and peers of this organization, contributed in those final few hours, the Penn State College Democrats is proud to have raised, as of right now, $3,058.43 for the kids. We would like to take this moment to thank all of you, our numerous members, their friends and families, and all in our community who have assisted in this campus' most notable cause. THON is not only the collective face of numerous campus organizations, spanning over 15,000 student volunteers under its umbrella, the over forty-year old charity benefiting children with pediatric cancer and their families is truly an entire economy of dedicated and tireless volunteers, working under the banners of hundreds of different committees and organizations all in the interest of others. THON, is unquestionably Penn State's proudest tradition, that unites students of all backgrounds, be them social, economic, racial, gender or political.
We extend you all our sincerest gratitude in helping in the success of this year's effort, and look forward to doing it all again next year, for THON 2019.
Penn State is lacking in color during more than just white out football games. Despite the efforts of multicultural clubs and initiatives meant to promote inclusivity and acceptance, Penn State is lacking in diversity, statistics show.
Though there are 73 multicultural and international student organizations listed in the Office of Student Activities' directory, Penn State is a predominantly white university. Unsatisfied with this, Penn State continues recruitment of minorities and bolsters inclusion initiatives to help those that are already on campus feel welcome. Students and faculty are hesitant to say whether this is working, but it appears it is not enough to discourage white supremacists like Richard Spencer from targeting the University.
A majority 68.4 percent of the student body is white, statistics by Undergraduate Admissions show.
An article by The Atlantic titled "The missing black students at elite American universities" puts this into perspective. Penn State is nearer the national average percentage of white students in universities in 1994, which was 72 percent, than the 58 percent in 2013.
The white-to-minority ratio has made Penn State an ideal target for white supremacist Spencer, who was denied the ability to speak on campus due to fear of violent responses. The head of the African American Studies Department at Penn State, Cynthia Young said Spencer speaks at universities because of their tendency to emphasize diversity. Penn State, Young said, is a "public university with an overwhelmingly white community" where Spencer possibly believed he could expect a "warm welcome."
Ohio State University, similarly to Penn State, is being sued by the Georgia State University student who requested Spencer speak at both colleges. Ohio State's autumn 2016 statistical summary reports only 19 percent of its student body is attributed to minorities.
Young said she expects Spencer to come to campus regardless of being rejected. Even though Penn State's student body is mostly white, she has firm confidence that his ideals will not take root. Instead, she foresees counter-protests and potentially the violent response the university feared.
"Students have an incredible amount of power," Young said.
Though Spencer is likely to be met with resistance, there are some students who may side with him. Beginning last year, posters have been appearing on bulletin boards in campus buildings. The posters advocate for Identity Evropa, an alt-right organization that practices white supremacy. Flyers associated with the organization have commonly appeared on college campuses nationwide. The reason for this, Young said, is because campuses are slowly diversifying their curriculum and adding diversity requirements. There is concern among white supremacists that white culture is becoming decentralized.
"White decline is a myth," Young said, "but it's a powerful one."
According to Undergraduate Admissions, African American students made up 5.8 percent of Penn State's student body in 2016. The aforementioned Atlantic article denotes the national average for American universities that specialize in bachelors, master's and doctoral degrees was 14 percent in 2013. Again, Penn State falls behind the national average.
The lack of diversity is a problem not just within the student body, but within the university's staff, according to faculty. A literature professor for the College of Liberal Arts at Penn State and Chair Elect of the Faculty Senate, Michael Berube, said only 3 percent of the university's staff and faculty are African American. Berube was recently a panelist for an event about white supremacism and discussed why this is and what can be done about it.
Higher administrations within Penn State are continually less diverse, with each tier more white than the last, Berube said. However, he said, this is not due to racism. People in charge of recruitment and hiring processes "don't have to have a racist bone in their collective bodies, Berube said. "They just have to not care enough to notice."
Penn State's Faculty Senate is self-described as the "representative body of Penn State's faculty with legislative authority on all matters pertaining to the educational interests of the University." One of its functions is faculty recruitment. Being part of the Senate, Berube said he believes a solution to diversifying faculty is to have more diversity within members of the Senate. "It can be done," he said. "It takes collective effort, affirmative action and refusal of white exemption." The All In initiative at Penn State emphasizes the importance of diversity and inclusivity. It accommodates minority cultures, such as by offering extra dining options during Halal and hosting a variety of events. More recently, All In has been working to recruit more minority students and faculty. According to All In's website, it ensures every Faculty Senate meeting includes a diversity topic. In March of last year, All In hired Sara Oliver-Carter as senior director of talent, diversity and inclusion to lead diversity initiatives. While All In is a start to increasing diversity, Penn State student Andrew Mollenauer believes it needs to do more.
"Major institutions like Penn State owe it to the minority community to show more respect than simply calling themselves inclusive," Mollenauer (sophomore - journalism) said. The solution, he said, is "outspokenly busting stereotypes instead of simply preaching diversity at an ingenuine, abstract surface-level."
With the combined minority recruitment efforts of All In, Undergraduate Admissions and the Faculty Senate — including by himself — Berube said he is hopeful numbers will rise among students and staff at Penn State in the coming years.
When sophomore Freddy Purnell heard about an anti-LGBT+ protest at Penn State, he geared up with his red hat emboldened with "Make America Gay Again" and hurried to counter it. Purnell is deeply invested in LGBT+ and sexual assault issues, and he takes a leadership role both individually and within a variety of student organizations. He has spoken at a number of events, such as pride rallies and during National Coming Out Day. A peer educator for Men Against Violence, a group run by the Gender Equity Center, he informs students about sexual assault on campus and advises on how to prevent it. He goes to fraternities, classes and club meetings to discuss topics such as consent, bystander intervention, relationship violence and gender equity.
While Purnell is reluctant to say he can have a national impact, he believes he can influence more local areas. According to The Daily Collegian, 14 sexual assaults had been reported at Penn State in the fall 2017 semester as of Nov. 1. "I definitely feel like I can make a difference here," Purnell said, "and that's why my goal is to become even more involved so I can expand my ability to help people." An aspect of the LGBTQA Resource Center, "Straight Talks" educate about LGBT+ campus resources and open conversation to people's personal stories. Purnell's confidence in his ability to spur progress is not baseless.
One of his talks this year brought Purnell to a local middle school. The middle schoolers were given papers listing and defining terms relating to sexuality and gender identity. At the end of the session, the students turned in papers with their written feedback about the talk. One student wrote the session and term list had helped them understand how they identified theirself. "That's the best part of doing any of these programs," Purnell said. "[It's] when you know you made a difference in someone's life."
Along with helping out with student organizations, Purnell practices activism as an individual by frequently attending protests and speaking about his personal experiences in front of crowds at rallies.
Despite his dedication, he denies that he is a leader. Instead, he said he prefers to assist qualified people who are able to organize programs with getting their messages across. Regardless, he is seen as a leader by some students. Purnell was recently elected as a finalist for an award in the LGBTQIA+ Advocacy category for Black Student Union's 2017 Black Men on the Rise competition. Nominees for the award are African American men in the Penn State community, who show prowess through leadership activities. They are put forth by themselves or their peers and are then voted on by students. Among others, finalists in other categories alongside Purnell include senior Brian Davis, a social justice activist, and senior and Penn State football player Marcus Allen.
Black Student Union referred to Purnell as "known to be an inspirational and powerful speaker at pride rallies and other events that uplift the [LGBT+] community" and as "an inspiration to many members of the [LGBT+] community as well as their allies." While awards are a plus, they are not Purnell's motivation for doing what he does nor are they his goal. He said he is inclined to peer educating because he enjoys helping people. LGBT+ and sexual assault are real and relevant issues, he said.
"Queer discrimination and sexual assault are problems that happen every day in the U.S. and more frequently on campus than we care to talk about," he said. "I think it's everyone's responsibility to try and put an end to those." With the help of others and with his continuance with advocacy, Purnell said he ultimately aims "to improve Penn State and make it a place where everyone can feel safe and accepted, regardless of race, orientation or gender identity."
On Wednesday, October 18th, the Coalition of Graduate Employees held a 'work-in' demonstration in the Kern Graduate Building. This demonstration took place outside of the room where the Graduate Council was meeting, which creates and institutes policies for the Graduate School. There have been several like it in the past, including on Old Main lawn. During 'work-ins', Grad students conduct their work as a form of demonstration that they are more than mere students.
The Coalition of Graduate Employees (CGE) represents the more than 3,500 graduate employees at Penn State. They are the graduate assistants, teaching assistants and researchers at every department and college.
Within the last 2 years, they began a campaign to unionize graduate students at Penn State. According to youngworkers.org, a union is "an organized group of workers who come together to make decisions about their conditions of work". By joining unions, workers are able to have a strong impact on their wages, work hours, benefits, safety and other concerns related to work etc. To give just a few examples, union demonstrations helped spark enough political momentum to give us the weekend, minimum wages, employer-based health insurance and work safety standards.
In February earlier this year, the CGE filed for representation with the PLRB. The PLRB is the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board. Months after the filing, on April 3rd, 2017, President Barron released the following statement: "…the University's relationship with our students is fundamentally different from that of an employer and employee. For this reason, Penn State opposes this petition for representation with the PLRB."
But the relationship is hardly distinguishable between that of an employer and employee. Graduates sign contracts with the university, are on Penn State's payroll, pay taxes, are provided a health insurance benefit etc. And a survey conducted by CGE showed that 94 percent of respondents reported being half-time Graduate Assistants, which is defined by the university as 20 hours per week. Yet, the results also indicated that 47 percent of respondents reported working for the university more than 20 hours per week.
Some of these students report discrepancies between what their contracts say their supposed to work, and what they actually work. According to the survey, students have said:
"It's an absolute insult that my contract says I work 20 hours…I've been very explicitly told by people in power that it needs to be over 40 hours a week..."
"Half time? What a joke. I'm in the lab 50 plus hours a week."
"I am funded as an appointment for 20 hours per week and paid accordingly. However, I am required to work a minimum of 50 and frowned on below 60-70..."
40 hours a week, is considered full-time work according to the federal government.
The poverty line in State College for a single person is approximately $22, 667 a year before taxes. GA's receive about $21,000 in annual income (on average). With that, many are struggling to make ends meet.
Brianne Pragg, graduate student in Sociology and Demography, who is an active member of CGE, said "I know a number of grad employees who make so little that they need government assistance. It is not really uncommon."
17 percent of respondents reported making under $18,000 a year. Of those 17, 63 percent stated they work more than 20 hours per week. The latest U.S. Census indicated that there were 360,000 graduate-degree holders on public assistance, with the number doubling from 2007 to 2010.
"We are workers and we are valuable to Penn State." Brianne said. "The administration said during one of their hearings that the teaching we do is just done in service of the university, that research is just a part of training; when our research goes towards Penn State's rankings as a research institution, and our teaching teaches undergraduates. I actually have a friend in mathematics, who did some calculations and found that about 30 percent of classes are taught by grad students. And that's approximate, but the point is that this university would not be able to operate without our labor. It's important that our labor is recognized, because really, it's just insulting."
Unions have been recognized by universities across the nation for decades, including Temple University in Philadelphia. Of the hundreds of American graduate schools, 33 have unions. Even so, the administration, Brianne says, is avoiding CGE. They would rather sneak into back doors than recognize the value of their labor.
The work-in on Wednesday was a respectful demonstration, and ended without major incident. Administrators walked out of the meeting room and avoided eye contact with the protestors. Many of them walked hurriedly, clearly flustered by the presence of graduate employees.
"This isn't about everybody hating their university. We are doing this because we truly love Penn State, and we want it to be better. What we are trying to accomplish is good for everybody. When graduate employees are happy, they're going to be able to produce better work."
Indeed, a wealthy university with a reputation as a world-class research institution, and with one of the most successful college football programs in the country, should, at the very least, ensure that none of its graduate employees have to resort to government assistance. CGE proposes that graduate employees should have a basic living wage, and they deserve all the support they can get from the Penn State community.
And even though unionization will face opposition from higher-ups, remember what was written a year ago in the Collegian by Shakil Rabbi: "power can be derived from two sources – money or people. As PSU graduate employees, our power is clearly the latter."
If you'd like more information on CGE, visit their website: http://cge-psu.com/
To get involved, please contact here: http://cge-psu.com/get-involved/
And don't' forget to give them a like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cge.psu/, and follow them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cge_psu
Every 90-days, the President is supposed to 'certify' the terms of the Iran Nuclear Deal deal so as to reaffirm US commitment. Trump has already recertified it twice since becoming President. On Friday, October 13th, he announced his decision not to recertify the agreement. He offered a dilemma to Congress: draft new requirements to strengthen it, or else I'm leaving it.
"We will not continue down a path" Trump said during a White House speech, "whose predictable conclusion is more violence, more terror, and the very real threat of Iran's Nuclear breakthrough." He spoke in reference to the Iran Nuclear Deal, which is an international agreement spearheaded by the P5 + 1 and European Union. The P5 + 1 refers to the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – The United States, United Kingdom, France, China, Russia and Germany.
Donald Trump's rhetoric once again does not reflect reality. He claims that regional stability is in jeopardy because of the deal, when in fact, regional stability would be jeopardized in the very near future without it.
The Iran Nuclear Deal, also called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was endorsed by over 90 countries of the world. It was passed unanimously by the UN Security Council in 2015 after years of tough negotiations with all the parties involved.
Uranium and plutonium are radioactive materials used to make nuclear weapons. They go through an enrichment process that allows them to become weapons-grade. The agreement forced Iran to reduce its stockpile of low-enriched uranium by 98%, and to stop producing weapons-grade plutonium in their Arak reactor (the only one capable of enriching plutonium). Prior to the deal, Iran was 2 months away from their first weapon, which would have begun a Middle East arms race. After implementation, Iran still does not have a nuclear weapon, and their nuclear research and development capabilities will be heavily limited for 15 years. Some restrictions, like UN 24/7 inspection and access measures are in effect for 25 years. If any of the terms are violated by Iran or any parties involved, a "snapback" will occur, meaning that the deal becomes null and crippling economic sanctions will be imposed on Iran. In exchange for Iran's cooperation, Iranian markets can do business with the West. This has benefitted the Iranian economy greatly, so their incentive is to maintain the terms.
If Trump were to scrap the deal, which he has threatened to do, US influence and control of the situation will be diminished. He will push Iran to the brink, and on top of ramping up their nuclear program, their government will likely seek sympathy points from other governments in the region and the world, which will further the risk of them assembling a nuclear weapon in a shorter period of time.
He also says that Iran is not following the "spirit" of the deal, what does that even mean? UN Inspectors have gone into Iran since implementation and confirmed that Iran is following the terms of the agreement. The Chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano, has said that "I can state that the nuclear-related commitments undertaken by Iran under the (nuclear agreement) are being implemented".
There are valid criticisms, such as the fact that the agreement only provides limited access to Iranian military installations, and, that it is temporary. However, the state of international politics indicates that the terms are probably as good as they can realistically get. Several of the administration's own national security aides, such as Defense Secretary James N. Mattis have voice their support for the agreement. Not to mention that the consensus among foreign policy experts is that the JCPOA is a step in the right direction.
The leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Germany issued a joint statement that they remain committed to the deal due to the "shared national security interest". They also strongly advise against leaving it, adding in their joint statement "we encourage the U.S. Administration and Congress to consider the implications to the security of the U.S. and its allies before taking any steps that might undermine the nuclear agreement". Additionally, neither China nor Russia support Trump's decision. This again leaves the President at odds with the majority of the large industrial nations, but that should serve as no surprise considering his past actions. He received criticism from almost every nation on Earth after leaving the Paris Agreement, and was roundly criticized for leaving NAFTA.
The 'all or nothing' attitude displayed by the President is not only politically impossible, but it's irresponsible. He places our national security at risk once again, by engaging in unpredictable, ill-advised, and embarrassing behavior.
Since May of 2009, Donald J. Trump has given Americans a plethora of outrageous, provocative, and often baffling Tweets to ponder. But when the president took to his favorite social media outlet the other week, he left his followers with what may have been one of his strangest posts yet.
When hurricanes Harvey and Irma devastated the continental (and red) states of Texas and Florida the president expressed his whole-hearted support of disaster recovery efforts on multiple occasions. Now that Hurricane Maria has devastated the island of Puerto Rico, however, FEMA apparently has more important matters on its hands. Generally, I have faith in the president's ability to help the government properly allocate federal aid resources. But given that the majority Puerto Ricans are struggling to obtain basic survival items, such as medicine, food, and even clean water, I am simply at a loss as to what those more important matters are. So is the Republican-controlled House, which approved $36.5 billion in relief funds for Puerto Rico, among other hurricane-devastated areas, by a vote of 353-69. Such bi-partisan support of relief efforts in Puerto Rico begs the question, "Why is President Trump in such a hurry to move FEMA and first-responders elsewhere?"
A large portion of Donald Trump's voter base, non-college educated, white Americans, feel that a recent influx of Hispanic immigrants from Mexico has enabled foreigners to steal "their" jobs. As a result, many of Trump's ambitions as president, from ending DACA to building a border wall, have been largely focused on altering United States immigration laws in ways that would have large impacts on the country's Hispanic population. Unfortunately, in addition to spurring widespread bias against Mexican-American immigrants, these efforts have also inspired prejudice against many law-abiding U.S. citizens of Hispanic backgrounds and strengthened nationalist movements in America. Puerto Rico's lack of statehood and heavy Hispanic population cause many with such prejudices to view the island as a lesser part of the U.S. than any given state. Therefore, Trump's motive to undercut relief efforts in Puerto Rico was likely the chance of solidifying the support of his base.
This motive seems even more probable considering his remarks during a trip to Puerto Rico earlier in the month. During the surprisingly brief visit, Trump trivialized the damage done to the island by comparing the death toll of Hurricane Maria to that of Hurricane Katrina. Because Maria's death toll of 16 seems relatively low in comparison to Katrina's 1,800+ fatalities, limiting federal aid to Puerto Rico may seem more reasonable. However, these numbers are misleading, since the damage done to Puerto Rico extends far beyond the lives lost to the storm. Yet again, Trump attempted to make his lackluster job performance seem exceptional and his lack of compassion acceptable.
For a number of reasons, the idea that the U.S. president values the support of potential voters over the lives of minority citizens should be deeply disturbing to Republicans and Democrats alike. All branches of the government are ultimately responsible for protecting and ensuring the well-being of all United States citizens. If the president is willing to compromise the health of some citizens to win the votes of others, the Executive Branch is corrupt. Furthermore, the president's hasty decision-making demonstrates that he is easily manipulated by anyone on whom the longevity of his power and influence depends.
Democrats Go to Washington, D.C.
From blessing the rains down in Africa to racing up Smithsonian stairs to touring the monuments under a full moon, I and 30 members of the Penn State College Democrats did plenty during our weekend in Washington D.C. to unify our club even further.
Two Fridays ago I was behind the wheel of my car driving four hours, listening to the Hamilton soundtrack with my passengers and anticipating our arrival. That night, we walked from our hotel downtown to the White House. There, about one hundred people were gathered, called on by a Facebook event gone viral to sing "Africa" by Toto. A guitar and ukulele accompanied our voices as we murmured the half of the song's lyrics we remembered and laughed at the half we forgot. The lights from our phones and from inside the White House illuminated the night sky.
We took a break from college dining halls to indulge in some city food. I watched Penn State take on Northwestern in a restaurant bar while sharing a basket of buffalo chicken fingers. We won, and Oklahoma lost its game, ensuring our rank as number three in the new AP poll. I found some fellow Rick and Morty enthusiasts in our group and set out on a mission — which we unfortunately failed — to get limited-time Szechuan sauce from McDonald's.
We visited and took photos at the Capitol against a blue sky in 85-degree weather despite it being October. Inside, we observed models depicting D.C's evolution and growth around the Capitol. We visited a few of the many infamous Smithsonian museums. I and several others took our marks and raced up the flights of stairs to the American Art Museum. We gazed upwards at the airplanes hanging by cables from the ceiling of the Air and Space Museum.
The trip to D.C was both a chance to meet with prominent organizations and plan our own education rally but, maybe more importantly, gave new club members a chance to get to know each other. Our 30-person group occupied nearly an entire hallway of double rooms in the Holiday Inn we stayed at. We had to be quiet to avoid disturbing unsuspecting guests, but we met up in our hotel rooms at nights. We engaged in general shenanigans, playing games with an abundance of icebreakers. Several of us spoke in turn about how grateful we were to be so involved in a club so early on.
Before I manned the steering wheel and waved goodbye to the city, we did my favorite thing of the weekend: a night tour of the monuments. There was a full moon and purple sky when we arrived at the Washington Monument. I stood against its side — with my counterparts doing the same — and looked straight up to notice how much taller the 550-foot spire appeared while lit up at night. We sat together on the steps of the Lincoln monument around midnight and walked to the World War II, Korean, War Veterans, FDR and Thomas Jefferson Memorials.
This year being my first in the club, I hardly knew anyone when I left campus that Friday. After a weekend of music, socializing and exploring, I felt like I had made some friends and even felt like I belonged.
Denouncement of Harvey Weinstein - and a response to Penn State College Republicans
Let's be clear:
Sexual assault is never acceptable.
Sexual harassment is never acceptable.
Sexual misconduct, of any sort, is never acceptable.
Any assailant who has thoughtfully infringed upon the rights of another, regardless of their gender, accomplishments, reputation, or politics, is an unquestionably horrendous offender to their community, and society at large.
In a tweet last week, the Penn State College Republicans called upon us to formally "denounce the allegations against Harvey Weinstein," given his legacy as a donor and supporter of Democratic causes, such as the Hillary Clinton campaign. Their full statement can be viewed here:
Done as easy as it is said, I write the following portion on behalf of the entirety of Penn State College Democrats, the executive board, the various committees, and all participating members. We, as an organization, whole-heartedly and unequivocally denounce and condemn Harvey Weinstein along with all perpetrators and assailants of sexual assault and harassment. Sexual misconduct is not, and shall never be a partisan issue. We will not be deterred in our condemnation of Harvey Weinstein, or ever be deterred in the condemnation of any sexual assailant, because of a history of supporting Democratic causes and candidates. We, the College Democrats, understand sexual assault, harassment, and misconduct as a paramount, abhorrent violation of the rights of others, regardless of the assailant's or victim's gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or fashion expression- that victims of sexual misconduct deserve our fullest listening, support and attention, and that perpetrators deserve prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.
We, the Penn State College Democrats, unequivocally expect and look forward to seeing Harvey Weinstein receive the fullest legal consequences, and look forward to seeing him delivered to justice given that such allegations are true. We easily accept the invitation to hold offenders responsible for their actions, and uphold and confirm our principles that sexual assault, harassment, and misconduct of any sort, are incredibly serious matters.
Furthermore, we invite, encourage, and expect the Penn State College Republicans to formally condemn and denounce the sexual misconducts of several notable figures of conservative media, political office, and other right-wing causes, including Roger Ailes, Bill O'Reilly and even the notably inappropriate statements of the President himself that help to encourage and normalize sexual assault, harassment, and misconduct. We reasonably expect the Penn State College Republicans to hold themselves to the same integrity standards they expect of others, without any apprehension or challenge.
We shall always take this responsibility seriously, that we shall never cower from confronting the gravity and seriousness of sexual assault in the interests of partisanship. The moment our commitment to civic responsibility is lost in the interest of partisan agenda, we will collectively lose our integrity as a society.
I would like to pose yet another important question, perhaps a challenge, to the Penn State College Republicans. From here forward I now write entirely out of my personal interests and concerns, and would like to make clear that going forward in this post, I am no longer representing the varied interests and opinions of the College Democrats as a whole, or any of its individual members, other than myself. I think it's important that we acknowledge the reality of the political climate in which we find ourselves today in late 2017. With a new administration and with a perhaps a new cultural tone since last year, it's important that we ask the Penn State College Republicans an important question: are you still the party of 'small government and family values,' the party of Nixon, Reagan and the Bush family? Or, are you planning to go forward as the party of Trump, the party of nationalism, scientific-skepticism, and frankly, anti-intellectualism?
We don't have to pretend that there aren't voices questioning the best message for the Democratic Party going forward. Yet while we discuss methods of execution, we are united in the cultural ideals we expect for this nation. I await your eloquent response, arguing that perhaps they aren't, as I think that its fair to say that we liberals, moderates, and frankly the rest of the world, equally observe that yes, the two value-systems currently splitting the Republican Party are very much mutually exclusive, and you are at a crossroads of how to best define your future. I hope you're aware of just how important the choice is, the choice that you are in the process of making.
Will you be the party that advocates for personal responsibility and limited government? Will you align with the John Kasichs, the Ana Navarros, the John McCains? Or, will you be the party that advocates for cultural nationalism (note: not patriotism), and resistance to the scientific and academic communities to the likes of Steve Bannon, Steve Miller and President Trump?
Writing for the College Democrats, I, along with many of my peers, will gladly concede that the Democratic Party, as an institution, is far from perfect. I will gladly concede that Hillary Clinton was far from the perfect candidate. However, will you have the courage to stand up to President Trump in his moments of inexpertise. Be it in a critical or friendly, advisory, manner, will you have the courage to suggest that perhaps the President Trump could make better use of his tweets? Will you have the guts to stand up the administration and the President when perhaps he could make better use of his time and reorganize his priorities, and advise him through his learning curve into political office? You have the choice the help steer the debate toward issues that matter: designing a more effective tax policy, discussing the most efficient means to ensure that 330 million have access to healthcare, how to administrate Social Security and Medicare while mitigating the national debt, which will affect our generation more than our parents- discuss the real substantive issues that actually put bread on the table. Or, you have the choice to fall into the trap, align with the proudly blind 'Kool-Aid block,' and continue to allow the President to steer the conversation into divisive cultural issues. YOU have the power to determine whether or not the conduct of NFL players in face of the national anthem is more substantive than appropriate hurricane relief for Puerto Rico. YOU have the power to decide whether defining and combatting 'Fake News' is more of a priority than fixing the complications in our healthcare system. YOU have the power to decide whether the affairs of transgender individuals and their ability to serve our nation are more dire than ensuring that GDP and stock-market growth is reflected in rising incomes for families and low-income Americans. President Trump is not beholden nor responsive to us. YOU have the choice to determine your own narrative as a campus organization, or waver to the interests of the Kool-Aid block and have the President and his twitter determine it for you.
College organizations, we equally participate in this beloved, 'millennial' generation, the culture that enough of our parents, especially on the conservative-end, find pleasure in criticizing. We know ourselves. We know that with technology and the speed of communication available to us, the cultural gap between ourselves and our parents might just be greater than those of generations before. We, "the millennials," have the privilege of access to the fullest extent of human knowledge at the ease of our fingertips, that we have an unprecedented exposure to people, cultures, and ideas, from all corners of the world. We are the future. Do you understand this? How will you help to guide the Republican Party and its message as it transitions from one generation to the next? Given how often our parents and the Fox News pundits love to complain about our generation's political identity, I think it's fair to say, in regards to President Trump and the development of this administration- that not very many of us are buying this shit. The generation that we are, its hard for us accept arguments that belittle the importance of the environment, and actually go as far as to refute scientific and academic consensuses concerning it. It's becoming harder for us to accept arguments that the humanity ought to best develop on its own, within the frame of their national boundaries. Globalization- we all know its happening whether you like it or not. If you're really against it, get off the internet, prove it. Instead, maybe we can talk about how we best deal with globalization? It's becoming harder for us to accept that there is a major political party who authentically advocates for 'small government,' when it often becomes so invested in regulating the personal affairs of other people's lives, using its power to enforce the morals of one group of people upon others, inhibiting people's liberties to lead their own lives by their own definitions, even if such definition bears absolutely no consequence on anyone else, whatsoever. The mob mentality is strong right now, it's a natural part of the sociology of democratic societies. The Kool-Aid vote may continue to have a strong voice for the time being, but our generation is progressively coming up to bat, and those before us will soon fade out. I encourage you to enjoy your electoral successes now as they occur, because while I expect you to laugh and defensively scorn at what I am about to say, I think it's pretty obvious: if the everyday nonsense coming out of this administration and those who represent it continues, the Republican Party, and the conservative principles of 'small government and family values' will be damaged for a generation to come. I almost hope that some of you are laughing right now, so strong in your 'alternative reality,' refusing to acknowledge any of it. If you actually value 'small government, family values, and personal responsibility,' as your party has liked to champion for decades, now is the time when you need to reassure yourselves of that, and continue to defend it, as this new faction within your party clearly seeks to change that. YOU have the power to lead the future of the Republican Party toward the libertarian principles you claim to stand for, and ensure that the Republican Party is truly a party of 'small government', in both our wallets and in our bedrooms. YOU have the power to choose or not if the Republican Party will return to the world of science and academia, or continue to refute it and play the harp of the certifiably insane.
You are presented a choice that determines the Republican Party's cultural vision for the future, for the future of this country. It's 2017. President Trump is watching you. Breitbart and Fox News are watching you. The rest of the world is watching you from a far, as you make this choice. Don't be afraid, because more important than perhaps anyone else, history is watching, and history will remember the choices you made at this moment in time. History will remember the choices we all made, across the political spectrum, to confront the serious issues that confront our time, and how we respond to the different faces of power that seduce their way into authority. History is watching, and in the end, history always speaks.
Frankly, I'm not sure if I expect CRs to respond to any of this. Frankly, I'm not sure what to expect. If they have learned enough from the new President representing them, admitting to your faults and being open to change is be avoided at all costs. Deflect, blame, and the use of twitter as a platform for playground fights have become the new norm. Thanks to Trump, personal responsibility, as a tenet of the Republican mantra, has been completely thrown out the damn window, and may God help you if you actually try to otherwise.
Predictable Trumplicans won't respond to any of this. A predictable Trumplican would instead draft back a fiery response about 'Predictable Democrats' and how we need to redefine our party and cultural vision because we're too radical and thus keep losing elections, and Antifa, and BLM...yada yada yada. A Somehow it will all be Obama or Hillary's fault. Somehow Trump will bear no responsibility in being absolutely damn inept to push forward any of his legislative agenda. It's Mitch McConell's fault. It's the 'Fake News Media's' fault. It's establishment Republicans' fault. It's Democrats' fault for being so obstructive, as if they forget how much hell and obstruction Republicans gave Obama since 2010, yet 44 still got things done. Trump has the ENTIRETY OF CONGRESS to enact his agenda, yet HE STILL CAN'T GET ANYTHING DONE. But yet, no, somehow it's not just because he's an inept doofus who literally has no idea what he's doing, in the eyes of a committed Trumplican. He is adept at one thing, having a twitter account more insecure and immature than a teenager, and being able to distract his army of zombie-like supporters, so brainlessly happy after drinking the Kool-Aid that they'll happily vote against their own interests. Democrats aren't perfect. I agree. Though when it comes to intellectual dishonesty, for Trumplicans it is not only an art form, it is a sport, with Sean Hannity and Milo as quarterbacks, and that is why I can no longer identify as Republican as I was first raised to in my childhood.
But, I know, I know, I know....I'm just a fiery liberal spewing my liberal hatred for the President, and that makes me un-American. All we liberals do is hate, hate, hate, we claim to be tolerant but we're tolerant up until the point where you disagree with our viewpoints, etc. I just love the different forms of right-wing self-victimization, despite their loathing of victimization culture. You know what? If you're a Republican that resorts to facts, science, and reason to form a substantive debate, I will gladly respect and listen to your opinion, even if I disagree with it. If your political and cultural philosophy is formed on the intolerance of other people whose lives bare no consequence to your own, no, and I will say this proudly: I will not tolerate you. You are the cancer of our society.
Deflect, blame, re-assign fault: that is the Trumplican motto. Let's not be blind.
So, what will be the definition of the 21st century Republican? Based on many of the Republicans our age, I do have hope. I do have hope that they will take the reigns and steer their party's narrative back to the principles championed by its greatest leaders. I have hope, that while maybe it is too soon, this all being just too fresh, that they will come to stand for what is honest and true. Maybe one day in the future, some of them will be able to confidently and courageously look at history in the eyes, and let her know that they were the ones who finally did something.
On Indigenous People's Day, the Daily Wire, which is the conservative opinion website founded by firebrand Ben Shapiro, posted a video 'satirizing' indigenous people's day.
In the cartoon, Native Americans are depicted as savages who ate each other, and were in a state of constant war. Then, it shows the onshore arrival of the white man (Christopher Columbus) in 1492. Columbus hopes off his ship, begins to build, domesticate animals, and grow food. The Native Americans are in shock and awe over their savior. It fast forwards to 2017 and shows the modern bustling city in all of its glory. In the next frame, there's a 'list of contributions' from the pre-Columbus and after-Columbus era. The pre-Columbia list shows only 3 contributions, and the after-Columbus era shows a laundry list of modern contributions. It signs off with 'Happy Indigenous People's Day!'
Soon after the video was posted on the website, there was backlash against it for its racist connotations. Ben Shapiro was quick to fire back. Here is his statement, which was originally posted as a Tweet by CNN correspondent Oliver Darcy at the following link:
"I've been on vacation for the last two weeks, and I'm only just seeing the video now. While I didn't greenlight it, it's obvious to me that it's satire and must be evaluated by those standards. Everybody needs to calm the hell down. The video is obviously a response to the Left's decision to turn Columbus Day into a story purely about Western civilization "genociding" Native Americans rather than the great gain Western civilization brought the world via entry into the Americas, despite awful wrongs committed in the process, as I tweeted. Conservatives are allowed to make satire, too."
In response to his statement I have two things to say. One, satire is supposed to be funny. And I am stunned about how a Harvard law graduate can't seem to comprehend that racist satire is not funny to most people. He actually feels attacked that empathetic people don't find it funny, and resorts to the usual 'conservatives are oppressed' talking point. The real satire isn't the video, it's Ben Shapiro himself. How could anyone take his constant self-victimization seriously?
Two, his defense of the video is whitewashing, plain and simple. Nobody says that Hitler helped to modernize Germany, even though under his tyranny Germany developed the Autobahn and Volkswagen was created. We call Hitler for what he is. "Entry" into the Americas? Is that what we call land invasion now? With a force of 17 ships, Columbus "entered" the Americas in 1493 by appointing himself as governor of the Caribbean and the mainland of America. As "governor", Columbus set up his headquarters in Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) and implemented policies of slavery and extermination of the native Taino population. Prior to Columbus's arrival to Hispaniola, it is estimated that the Taino population in Hispañola was upwards of a million. After just 25 years of Columbus's policies, the Tainos were reduced to tens of thousands or less. In 1542, only 200 were left. I'm sorry – is that not genocide? Anyone who tries to claim otherwise doesn't want to face the truth. Even one of those among the early invaders recognized this. Bartolome de Las Casas, was a prominent Spanish Dominican friar whose family became wealthy from their trips to the Americas. After seeing the treatment of native Americans in Hispaniola, which included unwarranted killings and the encomienda system (a form of slavery), he underwent a profound change and began writing about what he had seen. He writes in Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies:
Yet into this sheepfold, into this land of meek outcasts there came some Spaniards who immediately behaved like ravening wild beasts, wolves, tigers, or lions that had been starved for many days. And Spaniards have behaved in no other way during the past forty years, down to the present time, for they are still acting like ravening beasts, killing, terrorizing, afflicting, torturing, and destroying the native peoples, doing all this with the strangest and most varied new methods of cruelty, never seen or heard of before, and to such a degree that this island of Hispaniola once so populous (having a population that I estimated to be no more than three million), has now a population of barely two hundred persons.
In what is the present day United States, the story wasn't much different. European settlers did not suddenly have a change of heart, as the writings of Las Casas resulted in virtually no immediate change. It is true, that disease is thought to have killed as much as 90% of Native Americans. And in some cases, Native Americans attacked English settlements. However, most people would take issue with strange men with muskets claiming land that you've occupied for generations. For the remaining 10%, what can we say? We can say that the Sand Creek, Gnadenhutten, Conestoga, and Camp Grant massacres, Indian Removal Act (Trail of Tears), forced assimilation policies and white supremacy of Manifest Destiny point to how the colonizers viewed Native Americans. A Century of Dishonor by Helen Hunt Jackson highlights some of the key points that Ben Shapiro seems to not want to face. Why massacring women and children is considered 'civilized' to anyone, is beyond me.
Which brings me to my next point. Ben's statement (and the video) reflect an all-too-common sentiment that Western civilization has magically manifested all good into the world, all by itself. This is called Eurocentrism. And history textbooks are known for being Eurocentric, as shown over and over again in Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen.
Sacagawea was invaluable to the Lewis and Clarke expedition. She was also adopted as an early feminist figure by the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Native Americans were crucial to many expeditions throughout North America, when they weren't being massacred. Benjamin Franklin was inspired by the Iroquois confederacy (which is the subject matter of a Senate resolution in 1987). Native Americans first learned how to grow potatoes, beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, wild rice as well other foods, and in the moments of relative peace, taught the colonizers their farming knowledge. And with Thanksgiving around the corner, I'd like to mention that they were the first to raise turkeys.
Over 60% of the global food supply comes from Native American agriculture. They introduced colonizers to Tobacco. They introduced them to snow shoes, canoes, kayaks, lacrosse, cotton, rubber, etc. They were the first to extract valuable metals like gold. They were the first ecologists, and long ago preached the need to live in harmony with the natural world, an idea that we are just now 'rediscovering'.
As Ben Shapiro would say, "facts don't care about your feelings". I couldn't agree more. And let me rephrase that in a more appropriate fashion, facts don't care about your Eurocentrism.
Penn State College


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The aging of baby boomers means that older population segments will outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. According to Jonathan Vespa, a demographer with the U.S. Census Bureau, "there will be 78.0 million people 65 years and older compared to 76.7 million (previously 76.4 million) under the age of 18" by 2035. By 2030, all baby boomers will be older than age 65 and 1 in every 5 residents will be retirement age.
The evolution of this generation presents challenges and opportunities for home healthcare as baby boomers will need care – and will want to receive that care at home. The key issue is that the demand exceeds the available and forecasted home healthcare workers. Here are a few examples of states forecasting gaps in care due to the increased size of the older population:
- In Florida, people over 60 make up nearly 23% of the State's population. By 2020, the State is expected to have a population of over 23.5 million, and people over 60 will make up over 28% of that population according to Florida's Department of Elder Affairs. To meet the demand, the state anticipates a 47.5% projected growth in the number of home health aides needed from 2016 to 2026, according to Projections Central.
- In Texas, the aging of the Baby Boom generation is projected to yield an elder population of 5.9 million, or 19.4% of the state's total population in 2030. At this point, just under 1 in 5 people in Texas will be over 64 years of age. This growing population is likely to present new challenges. To meet the demand, the state anticipates a 42.7% projected growth in the number of home health aides needed from 2016 to 2026, according to Projections Central.
- If California simply maintains its current level of coverage, the California Employment Development Department forecasts that an additional 200,000 homecare workers will be needed by 2024. If the homecare industry were expanded to cover all individuals who have a self-care limitation, the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education estimates that California would need at least 600,000 and as many as 3.2 million additional workers by 2030.
Many home health agencies are currently dealing with a staffing shortage and also anticipating a greater health workforce shortage in coming years. Andrea Devoti of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) said that recruiting and retaining qualified personnel to work in the homes of patients is a top concern of agency managers and owners. Employee churn – which can lead to cancelled/rescheduled appointments and undermine an agency's ability to take on new patients – can lead to a breakdown in the continuum of care, weaker overall outcomes, and an increased risk of readmissions. Ultimately, this can adversely impact an agency's reputation amongst community and institutional referral sources.
Implementing a virtual care platform can help your organization better utilize your current staff while being able to provide better – meaning, more timely and higher quality – care to your patients. Instead of spending most of the day behind the wheel, nursing staff can increase their productivity by using the platform to engage patients in virtual visits and continue to provide frequent updates about their medication, upcoming appointments, and overall well-being. The reduction in weekly travel time (along with a corresponding decrease in related expenses and liabilities) positively impacts an agency's bottom line and ability to optimize the use of their current staff. Staff will appreciate the flexibility in being able provide care from any location throughout the day, night, and geography they serve. Given the immediacy and impact of virtual care, agencies can use the platform to achieve greater staff satisfaction, retention, and engagement – thus, helping a home healthcare organization achieve the Quadruple Aim in healthcare.