Indian authorities rush to contain a deadly Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala
Rhea Mogul
By Rhea Mogul, CNN
Updated 8:01 AM EDT, Thu September 14, 2023



A medical team from Kozhikode Medical College carry areca nut and guava fruit samples to conduct tests for Nipah virus in the Kozhikode district of Kerala, India, on September 13.
A medical team from Kozhikode Medical College carry areca nut and guava fruit samples to conduct tests for Nipah virus in the Kozhikode district of Kerala, India, on September 13.
Stringer/Reuters
CNN
—
A state in southern India is taking measures to contain an outbreak of the Nipah virus after two people died from the rare and often deadly disease, shutting schools and testing hundreds to prevent its spread.

Kerala’s chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the virus has been detected in the state’s Kozhikode district, urging residents to exercise caution and follow the health department’s safety guidelines.

Two people have died from the virus, he said in a statement Wednesday, the state’s fourth outbreak since 2018. “We should not be afraid, but face this situation with caution,” Vijayan wrote on social media.

Nipah is a zoonotic virus transmitted from animals to humans, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). However, it can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between people.

Infection with the virus can cause mild to severe disease, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Symptoms often begin with a headache and drowsiness but can quickly transform into a coma within a matter of days, the CDC says.

It can also cause acute respiratory syndrome – where the lungs cannot get enough oxygen to the body – and fatal encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain.

Residents fix a sign reading, "Nipah containment zone," in the Kozhikode district of Kerala, India, on September 13.
Residents fix a sign reading, "Nipah containment zone," in the Kozhikode district of Kerala, India, on September 13.
Stringer/Reuters
There is no vaccine, and treatment is limited to supportive care.

So far in Kerala, more than 700 people have been identified as close contacts and are being tested for the virus, the state’s health minister Veena George told reporters on Wednesday.

Of those, 77 are considered “high risk,” she said, adding the group has been asked to remain at home and monitor their health.

Authorities in Kozhikode have shut some schools in the district, its district collector said in a statement Wednesday. Meanwhile, seven villages have been declared “containment zones,” Reuters reported.

Multiple outbreaks in Kerala
Kerala experienced a deadly outbreak of the Nipah virus in 2018, killing 17 people and causing widespread panic in the state. More than 230 people were tested during that time as authorities embarked on a rigid contact-tracing operation to contain its spread.

Among the dead was a nurse who was treating patients at a hospital in Kozhikode.

The following year, Kerala put more than 300 people under surveillance after a man was diagnosed with the virus. The state had another outbreak in 2021, claiming the life of a 12-year-old boy.

Nipah virus was first identified during a 1998-1999 outbreak in Malaysia, where nearly 300 people were infected and more than 100 died, according to the CDC. More than a million pigs were euthanized to halt its spread.

The virus was named after the village of Kampung Sungai Nipah in Malaysia, where pig farmers contracted the disease.

During that outbreak, most human infections resulted from direct contact with sick pigs or their contaminated tissues, according to the WHO. There have been subsequent outbreaks in India and Bangladesh, with more than 600 reported human cases between 1998 and 2015, it added.

Human-to-human transmission of the Nipah virus has also been reported. According to the WHO, between 2001 and 2008, around half of reported cases in Bangladesh were due to human-to-human transmission resulting from workers providing care to infected patients.

The virus is on the WHO’s list of epidemic threats in need of urgent research and

Site logo image ScamicideScam of the day – September 15, 2023 – Student Loan Debt Relief Scams Increasing

Steven Weisman, Esq.

Sep 14

I have written often about phony student loan debt relief companies and with good reason. More than forty-two million Americans have student loans with an outstanding balance of more than 1.4 trillion dollars so it is no surprise that scammers are focusing their attention on these students and former students through scams that falsely promise to provide debt relief. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled that President Biden's program for student loan forgiveness was unconstitutional. Interest on student loans began accruing again on September 1st and repayments are scheduled to resume in October, leaving many people scrambling as to what to do about their student loans.

As you can imagine many people with large student loans are susceptible to scammers promising to reduce or eliminate student loan debt. Scammers promoting phony loan forgiveness services are targeting people through robocalls, emails and text messages. The old adage still is true. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't true. Many of these student loan debt relief scammers promise quick loan forgiveness, which is unrealistic. In addition, you should never pay any upfront fees for student loan debt relief assistance. Those fees are illegal and are a sure indication that you are being scammed.

TIPS

For information you can trust about federal student loan repayment option, go to https://studentaid.gov/repay . There you can learn about loan deferments, forbearance, repayment and loan forgiveness programs and there is never an application fee. If you owe private student loans, contact your loan servicer directly. You can also look into student loan refinancing rather than consolidating the loans. Refinancing student loans can result in a lower interest rate.

Also, remember my motto, "trust me, you can't trust anyone." Don't trust scammers merely because they use names that sound like they are affiliated with the government. You also should never share your FSA ID with anyone.

Here also is a link to an FTC video that explains student loan scams and what you can do to protect yourself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TjSI4Q6ztQ

If you are not a subscriber to Scamicide.com and would like to receive daily emails with the Scam of the day, all you need to do is to go to the bottom of the initial page of http://www.scamicide.com and type in your email address on the tab that states "Sign up for this blog."

We're just about 24 hours from a major deadline, and our constitutional republic is at stake.

The radical Left is trying to misuse the 14th Amendment to "disqualify" President Trump from being on the ballot – preventing millions of Americans from voting for him if they so choose.

At the same time, the Biden Administration has unleashed an unconstitutional assault on major conservative institutions like Fox News, the Republican Party, Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, and numerous others.

This is how tyranny starts and liberty dies.

But the ACLJ is fighting back, filing some of the biggest lawsuits in the nation to defend your liberty.

We're in court today to intervene in a major lawsuit in Colorado, where they are trying to ban President Trump from the ballot. And we're preparing to file in numerous other states to defend your constitutional right to vote for the candidate of your choosing and defeat this blatant attack on the Constitution.

We're also preparing to file our biggest lawsuit ever against Biden to defend Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA, and with them, all conservatives.

But we're going to need each and every one of you to defend our constitutional republic. This is a fight that WE CANNOT LOSE.

As we file in court, we urgently need your Tax-Deductible support. Our Matching Moment Deadline is MIDNIGHT tomorrow. Have your gift DOUBLED today.

Have Your Gift Doubled by Our Midnight Deadline.

Jay Sekulow
ACLJ Chief Counsel

DONATE NOW
GIFTS DOUBLED

Hunter Biden indicted on federal gun charges
President Biden's son was indicted for making false statements and unlawfully possessing a firearm
Brooke Singman By Brooke Singman , Jake Gibson Fox News
Published September 14, 2023 1:38pm EDT

WATCH LIVE: Biden delivers remarks on the economy after Hunter indicted
The first son faces multiple federal firearms charges.

Hunter Biden was indicted Thursday on federal gun charges out of Special Counsel David Weiss' investigation.

Biden was charged with making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm; making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federal firearms licensed dealer; and one count of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.


According to the indictment, "on or about October 12, 2018, in the District of Delaware, the defendant, Robert Hunter Biden, in connection with the acquisition of a firearm, that is, a Colt Cobra 38SPL Revolver with serial number RA 551363…knowingly made a false and fictitious written statement, intended and likely to deceive that dealer with respect to a fact material to the lawfulness of the sale of the firearm…in that the defendant, Robert Hunter Biden, provided a written statement on Form 4473 certifying he was not an unlawful user of, and addicted to, any stimulant, narcotic drug, and any other controlled substance, when in fact, as he knew, that statement was false and fictitious."

Hunter Biden
President Biden's son Hunter Biden exits the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Wilmington, Delaware, on July 26, 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The indictment also states that "on or about October 12, 2018, through on or about October 23, 2018, in the District of Delaware, the defendant Robert Hunter Biden, knowing that he was an unlawful user of and addicted to any stimulant, narcotic drug, and any other controlled substance…did knowingly possess a firearm, that is, a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver with serial number RA 551363, said firearm having been shipped and transported in interstate commerce."

COMER TO PURSUE HUNTER, JAMES BIDEN PERSONAL BANK RECORDS AS NEXT STEP IN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

These are the first charges Weiss has brought against the first son since being granted special counsel status.

"As expected, prosecutors filed charges today that they deemed were not warranted just six weeks ago following a five-year investigation into this case," Hunter Biden's attorney Abbe Lowell said Thursday in a written statement. "The evidence in this matter has not changed in the last six weeks, but the law has and so has MAGA Republicans’ improper and partisan interference in this process.

"Hunter Biden possessing an unloaded gun for 11 day [sic] was not a threat to public safety, but a prosecutor, with all the power imaginable, bending to political pressure presents a grave threat to our system of justice," Lowell continued. "We believe these charges are barred by the agreement the prosecutors made with Mr. Biden, the recent rulings by several federal courts that this statute is unconstitutional, and the facts that he did not violate that law, and we plan to demonstrate all of that in court."


Fox News first reported in 2021 that police had responded to an incident in 2018, when a gun owned by Hunter Biden was thrown into a trash can outside a market in Delaware.

COMER SUBPOENAS MAYORKAS, SECRET SERVICE OVER TIP-OFF OF 2020 HUNTER BIDEN TAX PROBE INTERVIEW

A source with knowledge of the Oct. 23, 2018, police report told Fox News that it indicated that Hallie Biden, who is the widow of President Biden's late son, Beau, and who was in a relationship with Hunter at the time, threw a gun owned by Hunter in a dumpster behind a market near a school.

Special Counsel David Weiss
U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David C. Weiss. (Fox News screenshot)

A firearm transaction report reviewed by Fox News indicated that Hunter Biden purchased a gun earlier that month.

On the firearm transaction report, Hunter Biden answered in the negative when asked if he was "an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance."

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Hunter Biden was discharged from the Navy in 2014 after testing positive for cocaine.

The charges come after an original plea agreement collapsed in July. Hunter Biden was expected to plead guilty in July to two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax as part of a plea deal to avoid jail time on a felony gun charge.

Hunter Biden was forced to plead not guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and one felony gun charge.

Attorney General Merrick Garland tapped Weiss to serve as special counsel with jurisdiction over the Hunter Biden investigation and any other issues that have come up, or may come up, related to that probe.

The White House declined to comment.

Fox News' Mark Meredith contributed to this report.

Brooke Singman is a Fox News Digital politics reporter. You can reach her at Brooke.Singman@Fox.com or @BrookeSingman on Twitter.




You can bet we will not see charges on failure to disclose the income, pay taxes and FARA violations.







They need to indict the AG for dragging their feet on the tax evasion charges purposely to reach the statute of limitations




No American believes Hunter will face an aggressive prosecution.





I’m not interested in gun charges. That is NOT Corruption. I want to know if Joe knew, participated, or benefited from his son’s influence peddling. Starting with the $10 Million Burisma payment.




Of course the Big Guy benefited - as well others in the family including Hunter. Corruption gone wild.



You already know he did.



Yeah, right. Throw us a bone. That's the safe charge, because prosecuting it doesn't require anything remotely looking like tax records or bank accounts. We all know what the collateral damage of those charges would be.





pollywoggle
5 hours ago

Exactimundo. A minnow-sized deflection from the 50 foot megalodon circling beneath the fishing boat...





Agreed...nothing being done here is not without approval from the Oval Office.

Every shred of information here has been carefully scripted, rehearsed, focus grouped, and executed at the precise time.

Nothing here is happening by accident.





elaw888
5 hours ago

"In America right now today, almost half of Americans are a $400 unexpected expense away from complete upheaval..." - Kamala Harris

Inflation is here to stay and Democrats created it on purpose. Inflation makes the poor more desperate and dependent on government while it allows the government to bor...






outsiderperspective470
4 hours ago

You seriously believe that roughly half the American population have conspired to create inflation?


What are Republicans doing to fix that? Where is their legislation to actually help people?



The charges and determination to prosecute should be the same as all the Jan 6'ers who were prosecuted.

No two tier Justice.


Agreed. If Hunter Biden is found guilty and punished harshly, this will be a big step forward for gun control in the USA. In the past, lying on a 4473 resulting in illegal firearm possession usually ended up with no punishment, or just a slap on the wrist. If the government is actually going to sta...

See more



Hold him in solitary for two years.



It seems that they are kind of caught between a rock and a hard place. If they don't give him jail time, it shows they are not serious about their gun control "reform" efforts.




Question:

How will Democrats respond to an indictment based on actual evidence?



So the message is - paying taxes is optional and only required after being caught cheating, no consequences should be encountered.




Hopefully he will not be the only Biden indicted on federal charges. Lock up the whole family. You don’t need 22 LLCs when you have no legitimate product or service.







And the walls come tumbling down.

Even the liberal media are calling for Joe to step aside.

Before it is all said and down, Biden will not be the 2024 candidate.




Remember, Hunter was given an administrative discharge for drug usage, specifically cocaine. The discharge was never entered into the federal database, I wonder why wink wink, but does prove a history of abuse.




NYSTruth
6 hours ago

It’s about time. Let’s be fair with Justice and do the right thing. He is guilty and should be in jail. We arrest many people let’s arrest everyone that breaks a law.

Reply


California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs bill ending travel ban to red states
Biden breaks silence on possible impeachment, blames GOP desire to 'shut down the government'
51 mins ago


NRA gets unanimous GOP backing in suit to dismantle governor’s ‘unlawful’ gun order
Oversight Dems admit Hunter's longtime business partner handled Biden’s finances throughout VP tenure

Putnam Valley Husband And Wife Indicted For Operating A Prostitution Business At Multiple Massage Parlors In New York
Thursday, September 14, 2023
Shareright caret
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Kevin McConville, the Sheriff of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging HONG RU LIN, a/k/a “Bruce,” and KENA ZHAO, a/k/a “Angela,” with violating the Travel Act and conspiring to do so in connection with their use of facilities of interstate commerce to operate a prostitution business at multiple massage parlors in Putnam, Westchester, New York, and Queens County. LIN and ZHAO were arrested this morning and will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Hong Ru Lin and Kena Zhao operated an extensive prostitution business, using massage parlors as cover for their illegal activities. Today’s Indictment makes clear that my Office will continue to pursue those who operate illicit businesses, especially when they do so behind the closed doors of supposedly legitimate establishments.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “This indictment puts an end to an alleged extensive commercial sex enterprise that exploited countless women and repeatedly violated U.S. laws. Let these charges be a message to anyone who seeks to exploit women for monetary gain, the FBI is committed to protecting victims, and will always bring their predators to justice.”

Putnam County Sheriff Kevin McConville said: “We will continue to work with our federal and local law enforcement partners to keep these types of crime out of Putnam County.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in White Plains federal court:[1]

Between at least September 2020 and the present, LIN and ZHAO operated a prostitution business out of multiple massage parlors that they owned in Putnam, Westchester, New York, and Queens County. LIN and ZHAO managed a roster of women who worked at the massage parlors and performed sexual acts for the customers of LIN and ZHAO. LIN and ZHAO communicated by cellphone and private chatroom to manage and operate their prostitution business. Among other things, LIN and ZHAO used cellphones to communicate with potential customers, assign particular employees to customers, monitor the income of their prostitution business, and set performance goals for the women who worked in the massage parlors. In addition, on at least one occasion, ZHAO personally participated in a massage during which a sexual act was offered to a customer.

* * *

HONG RU LIN, 50, and KENA ZHAO, 45, both of Putnam Valley, New York, are charged with violating the Travel Act and conspiring to violate the Travel Act. Each of these counts carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The statutory maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. Mr. Williams also thanked the Town of Carmel Police Department, the Westchester County Police Department, and the Yonkers Police Department for their assistance in this matter.

Mr. Williams noted that the investigation is ongoing. If you feel you may be a victim of or have information related to the conduct in this case, please contact the FBI Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or at tips.fbi.gov.

The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division and the White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Keenan and Ryan W. Allison are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

A comment shouted from a stranger in a passing car saved her life
September 14, 20235:00 AM ET
By

Laura Kwerel

,

Autumn Barnes

3-Minute Listen
Download

Trieste Belmont believes small kindnesses can be more powerful than we realize.
Trieste Belmont
The following story includes references to suicide.

This story is part of the My Unsung Hero series, from the Hidden Brain team, about people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else.

In 2014, Trieste Belmont was struggling with depression. She had just gone through a breakup and was grieving her grandmother, who had recently passed away.

It felt like nothing was going right. Around this time, Belmont was teaching a dance class. She didn't have a driver's license and depended on friends and family to give her rides to and from work. But one day, her ride didn't show up.

"I waited for about an hour and they never came. So, I decided to just walk home," Belmont said.

The route that she took home crossed a high bridge. When she got there, she decided to stop walking.

"I was just having one of the worst days of my life. And I was looking down at all the cars, just feeling so useless and like such a burden to everyone in my life that I decided that this was the time and I needed to end my life," Belmont remembered.

"I was sobbing and crying and working up the courage to just go through with it, because I knew at that moment that it was going to make everyone's lives better."

But right as she was in one of her darkest moments, a person in a car behind her shouted, "Don't jump."

"Those words just changed everything for me," she remembered. "Having a stranger care about me in my darkest time made it so that I didn't jump, and it saved my life."

When life gets hard, you don't have to do it alone. Just ask Lynn
MY UNSUNG HERO FROM HIDDEN BRAIN
When life gets hard, you don't have to do it alone. Just ask Lynn
Soon after that experience, Belmont decided to seek out support. With the help of her therapist, family and friends, her mental health has since greatly improved. But that moment still resonates as the catalyst for her life moving in a whole new direction.

"Something that I realized is that even if something's not a huge moment in your life, just the little, small gestures that you can make for other people really do make a difference," Belmont said.

Small kindnesses, she believes, can be more powerful than we realize.

"Even if you see someone that has a cute outfit on, telling them might make their day. They might be super depressed and worried about the way they look. But if you come in and you give them a small little compliment, it could change everything for them."

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 9-8-8 for help.

My Unsung Hero is also a podcast — new episodes are released every Tuesday. To share the story of your unsung hero with the Hidden Brain team, record a voice memo on your phone and send it to myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org.

‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ singer cancels show because tickets were too expensive
by: Dylan Abad

Posted: Sep 14, 2023 / 10:50 AM EDT

Updated: Sep 14, 2023 / 10:50 AM EDT

SHARE
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Oliver Anthony, the singer who went viral for his hit country song “Rich Men North of Richmond” canceled a performance in Knoxville after learning the price of his tickets were going for over $90.

Anthony was scheduled to play at the Cotton Eyed Joe, a bar in west Knoxville, on Sep. 27. General admission tickets for the show went for $99 and a meet-and-greet was available for $200.

“Please don’t pay $90 for a ticket,” Anthony told fans on Facebook. “I told [the bar] I don’t want to do anything that’s more than $40 a ticket, ideally no more than $25 apiece. These are supposed to be affordable shows.”

In a now-deleted Facebook post, the bar claimed they set the prices higher to “break even and bring our customers a show we thought would be fun.” The bar also claimed they agreed to pay Anthony $120,000 for a 60-minute show.

“I wanted to clarify. The most I’ve ever made on a show is $35,000. We’ve done two shows in NC that were completely free, and have another free show scheduled September 23rd in Kentucky for a cancer benefit.”

Despite the confusion, Anthony took responsibility for the blunder.

“All the fault ultimately is with me,” he said. “I should have been more thoroughly involved in the booking, and I should probably consider using a professional consultant in this area. There’s no reason why tickets should have went up for sale before a contract was signed.”

Fortunately for fans caught in the stir, Anthony said he found several other venues in the Knoxville area that can accommodate more people, and of course, keep admission at $25.

“We will still be having a good time in Knoxville soon.”

Poughkeepsie Officer Suffers Fentanyl Overdose During Investigation, Police Say
A police officer in the region is recovering after suffering an overdose of fentanyl he was exposed to while investigating drug use in a vehicle.

A City of Poughkeepsie Police officer suffered a fentanyl overdose after coming into contact with the white powder during a drug investigation.

Photo Credit: City of Poughkeepsie Police
Kathy Reakes
09/14/2023 3:30 p.m.
The incident took place in Dutchess County in the city of Poughkeepsie around 2 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 13 in the 300 block of Mill Street.

During the investigation, the officer removed a “foil” containing an unknown substance from the front pocket of the man in the vehicle, said Capt. Richard Wilson of the City Of Poughkeepsie Police.

As the officer attempted to determine the contents of the foil, he began to feel signs of an altered state including lightheadedness, Wilson said.

Wilson said the officer immediately radioed for additional units and assistance for what he believed (based on this investigation) was fentanyl exposure. The officer removed a nasal delivery of naloxone used to reverse opioid overdose and exposure. The officer self-administered the naloxone with limited effect.

The officer was quickly joined by a police sergeant who determined the officer was having a serious medical crisis and rushed him to Mid Hudson Regional Hospital.

Once at the hospital, the officer collapsed and was escorted by multiple other officers into the emergency room. MHR staff quickly administered additional naloxone/Narcan at which time the officer began to stabilize, Wilson said.





The officer was treated and later released.

The suspect, David J. Reid, age 35, address unknown, was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and reckless endangerment.

Reid was released on an appearance ticket.

"Our thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery are with our officer and his family," the department said.

Wilson said the department is actively working with county, state, and federal partners to address the serious and catastrophic effects that drug use and the availability of fentanyl is having on communities.

If you have information regarding narcotic distribution including fentanyl in the City of Poughkeepsie, call the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department Neighborhood Recovery Unit at 845-451-4060 or the “TIPS” line at 845-451-7577.

If you have information regarding narcotic distribution including fentanyl Dutchess County-wide, please call the Dutchess County Drug Task Force confidential tip line at 845-463-6040 or by sending an email to DrugTaskForceTips@gmail.com.

Click here to follow Daily Voice Southwest Dutchess and receive free news updates.

Skip to content
Skip to footer


6


Discover
Following
News
Coronavirus
US News
World News
Local
Science


Personalize
headphone stoped
share
more
BREAKING NEWS: Judge severs Trump's Georgia case, and 16 others, from trial starting in October
The Western Journal
The Western Journal
Brutal Marijuana Studies Now Emerging - It Should Never Have Been Fully Legalized
Story by Warner Todd Huston •
14h
Health Topics mentioned in this article

Cannabis

Smoking

Lung Health

Patrick T. Fallon - AFP / Getty Images
Patrick T. Fallon - AFP / Getty Images
© The Western Journal
For years, marijuana advocates claimed that if only America would loosen restrictions, we'd all see how beneficial the drug is. But now, more than 10 years after the first efforts to do just that, we are seeing that the critics were right. Liberal pot laws and increased usage are far from the panacea pot-lovers claimed. Starting back in 2012, Colorado passed a law to allow private use of marijuana. Soon the state of Washington joined the Centennial State in loosening its pot laws. And many more came in the following years, especially when the states began to realize it could tax "legal" marijuana and bring millions into their state treasuries. Now even the federal government is looking to loosen the reins and is preparing to take pot off its Schedule One prohibitions, a move said to be the first step in decriminalizing marijuana. But now these states are finding that it is time to pay the piper, as a raft of ill-effects are spreading like wildfire all across the country. From mental illness to addiction and impaired driving, the effects on many are not as beneficial as advocates claimed. There do seem to be a very few beneficial uses for pot for a small number of people. It does help in pain relief for the chronically afflicted, it can help with nausea from chemotherapies and it is sometimes effective for those with anxiety. But all those benefits are limited and are far outweighed by the deleterious effects seen when widespread use is factored in, according to a raft of new studies reported by the Daily Mail. With a pool of more than 40 million pot users to look at, researchers are finding that recreational use of the drug is becoming an increasing problem everywhere it is being tried. As the Mail noted, researchers from the Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark have found that despite claims by pot advocates, the drug is just as addictive as any other drug. And 41 percent of users have developed major problems with depression. The research found that chronic marijuana use quadrupled risk of developing a bipolar disorder and added to a rise in psychotic breaks, including thoughts of, and deaths by, suicide, with pot linked to 30 percent of cases of schizophrenia. The researchers added that people who already have a propensity for these mental disorders often find that pot makes them worse, not better. That is nothing like the benign effects pot advocates claimed we'd be seeing. Pot advocates also claimed that one can't really become addicted to the drug. This has also been revealed as false. "New research from University of Washington and Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute estimates 21 percent of marijuana users had become addicted," the Mail reported, adding that at least four million Americans have developed "marijuana use disorder" since pot became so much easier to get. Another claim that many advocates have made is that pot will calm you and make sleep come easier. This is also not true, studies have found. "A 2021 study in the journal BMJ reported adults who used cannabis 20 or more times in the previous month were more likely than non-users to get six or fewer hours of sleep per night," the Mail reported. In addition, 39 percent of daily pot users developed clinical insomnia. An even more alarming study says that pregnant women will put themselves at a 70 percent higher risk of birth defects if they regularly use pot during pregnancy, and they will be 2.3 times more susceptible to a stillbirth. Also, "A 2022 study published in JAMA Pediatrics found prenatal cannabis exposure after five to six weeks of pregnancy is associated with attention, social and behavioral problems that persist into early adolescence," the Mail reported. Finally, the evidence seems irrefutable that heavy pot smoking is just as bad on your body as heavy tobacco smoking. Smoking anything -- pot or tobacco -- increases the risk of coronary artery disease and also puts users at an increased risk of lung disease. A study from Canada found that "three-quarters of marijuana users had emphysema - a lung disease which leaves sufferers struggling to breathe -- compared to two-thirds of tobacco users," the Mail wrote. While it might be a better idea to go to a prescription model, where only seriously ill people are able to gain access to pot, it seems clear that recreational and non-medicinal use has had detrimental effects on Americans.

Related video: Cannabis Control Board's adult-use applications expected to open in October (WRIC Richmond)

okay some person freaked out cuz he claims FB wants access to his cc. i bet it does.

apparently rumors are going around with prices about 4.99 monthly to use facebook.

don't give them your bank card. anything.

Its pure balderdash.

Another scam. People u got to realize that everyone is trying to scam us now. esp the poor people.

Don't fall for it.