WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, S.2159, the bill to rename the VA Clinic in Middleburg, Florida after Andrew Kenneth Baker, was signed into law by President Biden at the White House.
After the bill passed the House and Senate earlier this fall, the president’s signature was the final step before the formal designation and name change ceremony in Middleburg.
“It’s an amazing day in Florida’s Third Congressional District,” said Cammack. “To have this bill across the finish line during my freshman term is a major accomplishment, and to do it in memory of Chief Baker and his service and sacrifice is truly an honor. I look forward to seeing the new name go up on the building in the new year, and to celebrate this project’s completion. Thank you to Senators Rubio and Scott and all of my Florida colleagues for your support of this effort.” Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today called on Apple and Google to take immediate action and correct the application store age ratings of TikTok by the end of the year. Attorney General Moody and 14 other state attorneys general state that the change will help parents protect their children from being exposed to harmful content online.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “While our investigation into TikTok continues, it is important that action is taken now to better protect children from harmful content they might encounter on this China-owned social media platform. If TikTok isn’t banned outright, app stores should at the very least increase the age rating on the TikTok app to ensure parents know that this social media platform is not appropriate for users under the age of 17.”
In a pair of letters to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, the coalition of attorneys general outlined the deceptive nature of the current ratings for the social media platform. The letters state that without taking the necessary steps to increase the age rating and change the accompanying age descriptions, the states reserve the right to take appropriate legal action against the companies. Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution charged a human trafficker with manslaughter and human trafficking causing great bodily harm, permanent disability or permanent disfigurement. The defendant, Daniel Rhodes, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested Rhodes, who used several women’s drug addictions to coerce the victims into engaging in sexual activity for Rhode’s financial benefit. According to an FDLE investigation, Rhodes also injected one of the victims with a drug concoction that included fentanyl, resulting in the woman’s overdose death.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “This monster injected his victims with drugs and coerced them to perform sex acts for his financial gain. An FDLE investigation also revealed that he caused the death of one woman, by injecting her with a fentanyl-laced drug mixture. My prosecutors will aggressively pursue this case to make sure this vile human trafficker pays for his crimes.” Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is issuing a Consumer Alert highlighting schemes associated with the holiday season. The National Retail Federation predicts that overall spending during the holidays is expected to total a record-breaking $950 million. Schemers know spending increases during the holidays and will craft ways to target consumers.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “It’s a busy time of year for shoppers, retailers and delivery companies as millions of gifts are sold, shipped and delivered. It’s also a busy season for scammers concocting schemes to exploit the holiday demand. Today, I am releasing the 12 Schemes of Christmas Consumer Alert to help Floridians identity and avoid scams they could encounter during this busy holiday shopping season.”
Attorney General Moody lists 12 schemes Floridians should be wary of during the holiday season and beyond:
Crostinis:
10.5-ounce baguette, sliced ½-inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
Bruschetta:
1-pound strawberries, trimmed and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey or granulated sugar
½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, ricotta or burrata
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
½ cup fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
(NewsUSA) – As the sun rises in middle America, nature comes to life. Ducks, geese and other birds emerge from a marsh, taking flight into a golden sky, while prairie grasses whisper in the morning breeze and insects begin to hum.
The growing cacophony of honks, quacks, chirps and splashes is music to Jason Black’s ears. As public land manager of the McPherson Valley Wetlands in central Kansas, they are proof that this habitat is thriving.
“This is a special place,” says Black. “I get to watch it grow through the seasons, watch the birds come and go. Everything from our state bird, the meadowlark, to whooping cranes to a number of species of ducks and geese and shorebirds when water conditions and migration are lined up just right.”
These public wetlands were recently improved through a public-private partnership thanks in big part to one of the nation’s largest clean energy infrastructure companies, Williams. The company’s generous contribution allowed Ducks Unlimited to seek matching funds to restore several areas that are critical to waterfowl during spring and fall migrations. Continue reading
Stories for Kids with Wholesome Fun, Culture, Imagination and Learning
(NewsUSA) – Amanda Given, an author, speech language pathologist, yogi, mother, mental health advocate and child at heart, has given us a charming story with colorful and playful illustrations that will help any child, young or old, open up and learn to deal with their feelings, all by learning about Balloon Breath.
This obviously is an important topic for children and their parents or guardians. So much has been written about the difficulty of young children to understand and control their emotions, with strategies from learned scholars and therapists on how to cope. Yet sometimes, it’s the simplest of stories to which children can best connect, putting them in a position to learn and grow.
That’s why “BALLOON BREATH” does such an impressive job of helping children open up and deal with their feelings. The book, geared primarily to pre-schoolers in the 2-to-5 age range, is a simple tale in which Lonnie is frustrated with the behavior of his brother, Curly, who has taken his blanket, and dominated the channels on the TV set to his own liking and without consideration of his brother. Lonnie feels like he is going to explode with anger.
Fortunately, his favorite babysitter, Scarlett, comes over and tries to instill happiness into the atmosphere with fun activities, by eating, pretending to be lions, going to the upbeat sunroom — anything to create a cheerful mood. Finally, Scarlett explains what she does when she gets mad: “Sit criss-cross applesauce. Take a DEEP breath in. That’s it. Now exhale all the air out.” Continue reading
Young married couple doing their paperwork together, paying bills online. Focus on the guy. Loving young couple using laptop and analyzing their finances. Writing notes.
(NAPSI)—If you’re like many people, you make New Year’s resolutions. Whether you love or hate the tradition, studies show that one of the most popular resolutions is healthier living—followed closely by setting financial goals.
These two resolutions are also interdependent, as 72% of people report experiencing money-related stress at least some of the time. That means financial wellness is proving to be more vital to overall health and happiness than ever.
It’s also a fact that only a small percentage of people who make resolutions actually keep them.
Luckily, Chylon Pappas, vice president of marketing at First Tech Federal Credit Union, has tips and savings tricks to get you started on the path to improving your overall financial health in 2023 and beyond.
- Make a Plan:Mapping out your financial goals is the first step. This will serve as a guide you can reference and fine-tune.
Investing, saving for retirement, and reviewing spending habits regularly can seem daunting, but there are a few ways to make the process less overwhelming: Continue reading
(NAPSI)—A uniquely American vision of love and murder, trauma, and healing around 2026, “Even Climate Change Can’t Stop Love and Murder” is the highly anticipated romantic suspense thriller and follow up to last year’s critically acclaimed “Even A Pandemic Can’t Stop Love And Murder” by A.E.S. O’Neill.
The Story
Barely surviving the climatic run-in in “Even A Pandemic Can’t Stop Love and Murder” with Jagger, the golem-like mob killer antagonist, Alby and Ginger—the series’ reluctant protagonists—are being relocated by government agents from New Jersey to Sedona, AZ. A dark episode in Iraq has left Alby permanently in hiding—a threat of death that follows him from the deserts of the Middle East to the deserts of Arizona.
The two cross a country straining at its social seams against climate chaos, insurrectionists, and white supremacists—deadly threats are at every turn as they search to define their love for each other—unaware that Jagger is still alive and after them.
Stuck in Alby’s truck for days, Alby and Ginger slowly get to know each other. Alby is quiet, with a wry sharpness. Ginger, a professional dance instructor, who is both tough and righteous with a hair-trigger temper, feels safe with Alby in ways she doesn’t understand. Their conversations range from deeply emotional to darkly funny and irreverent, reminiscent of the snappy patter used in the 1930s “Thin Man” classics. Continue reading
(NAPSI)—Rural small businesses face greater challenges to economic recovery and are less optimistic about the future compared to their non-rural counterparts, according to new survey data from SCORE, mentors to America’s small businesses.
SCORE’s Fall 2022 Megaphone of Main Street: The Small Business Rural/Urban Divide surveyed more than 3,000 entrepreneurs and found that while more than 75% of small businesses surveyed have returned to pre-pandemic levels or better, more than half (53%) of rural entrepreneurs say they feel somewhat or extremely negative about the economy and its impact on their business.
Although customer acquisition remains a challenge for all small businesses, inflation, the overall economy and cash flow are top concerns. In particular, rural entrepreneurs feel more challenged by inflation and supply chain disruptions. Specifically, rural small business owners are:
- 30.2% more likely than non-rural small business owners to cite inflation as one of their top three business concerns
- When compared to non-rural counterparts, are 32.4% more likely to cite supply chain disruptions.
Diving deeper, rural small businesses say cash flow is constrained by rising costs for utilities, supplies, labor and capital. Rural entrepreneurs are:
- 9.3% more likely than non-rural small businesses to report higher costs of doing business
- 24.5% more likely to report higher vendor prices, when compared to non-rural entrepreneurs.
Compared to their non-rural counterparts, twice as many rural entrepreneurs say there’s a lack of local banks in their area from which to seek financing, further limiting their ability to secure funding. Continue reading
