#the consequences of no gov regulation
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You may not know it, but thousands of often shadowy companies routinely traffic in personal data you probably never agreed to share — everything from your real-time location information to private financial details. Even if you could identify these data brokers, there isn’t much you can do about their activities, including in California, which has some of the strongest digital privacy laws in the U.S.
That’s on the verge of changing. Both houses of the California state Legislature have passed the Delete Act, which would establish a “one stop shop” where individuals could order hundreds of data brokers registered in the state to delete their personal data — and to cease acquiring and selling it in the future — with a single request.
The Delete Act isn’t law yet. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom still has to decide whether to sign the measure, whose impact could potentially extend well beyond state lines given California’s history of setting similar trends.
Here’s what you need to know.
WHAT THE BILL DOES
While California law already gives individuals the right to request data deletion, doing so currently requires making separate requests to hundreds of data brokers registered in the state, many with their own unique requirements for drafting and handling such requests. Even then, nothing stops these companies from simply reacquiring the data after they delete it.
The Delete Act would require the state’s new privacy office, the California Privacy Protection Agency, to set up a website where consumers can verify their identity and then make a single request to delete their personal data held by data brokers and to opt out of future tracking. Proponents call it a “do not track” signal similar to the “do not call” list for telemarketers maintained by the Federal Trade Commission.
California already regulates data brokers, but the Delete Act would strengthen those provisions by requiring the companies to disclose more information about the data they collect on consumers and beefing up the state’s enforcement mechanisms.
MEET THE DATA BROKERS
The Electronic Privacy Information Center, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit focused on bolstering the right to privacy, defines data brokers as companies that collect and categorize personal information, usually to build profiles on millions of Americans that the companies can then rent, sell or use to provide services.
The data they collect, per EPIC, can include: “names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, gender, age, marital status, children, education, profession, income, political preferences, and cars and real estate owned.”
That is in addition to “information on an individual’s purchases, where they shop, and how they pay for their purchases,” plus “health information, the sites we visit online, and the advertisements we click on. And thanks to the proliferation of smartphones and wearables, data brokers collect and sell real-time location data.”
Privacy advocates have warned for years that location and seemingly non-specific personal data — often collected by advertisers and amassed and sold by brokers — can be used to identify individuals. They also charge that the data often isn’t well secured and that the brokers aren’t covered by laws that require the clear consent of the person being tracked. They have argued for both legal and technical protections so consumers can push back.
ARE DATA BROKERS THAT BAD?
Data brokers say they get a bad rap for serving a vital need.
Dan Smith, president of the Consumer Data Industry Association, which describes itself as “the voice of the consumer reporting industry,” called the Delete Act “severely flawed” and warned in a Wednesday release that the change could lead to unintended consequences by undermining consumer fraud protections, hurting the competitiveness of small businesses and entrenching big platforms such as Facebook and Google that collect vast amounts of consumer data but don’t sell it.
Smith also argued that the heart of the bill — the one-stop data deletion program — could potentially allow malicious outsiders to impersonate consumers and delete their data without permission. The organization also argues that the cost of the legislation will be much greater than California regulators currently suggest.
WHAT ABUSE OF DATA BROKER INFORMATION LOOKS LIKE
In other respects, though, the information collected by these companies can be startlingly easy to abuse. The general lack of U.S. restrictions on what brokers can do with the vast amount of data they collect means there’s aren’t many legal protections to prevent outsiders from spying on politicians, celebrities and just about anyone who is a target of idle curiosity, or malice.
In mid-2021, for instance, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops announced the resignation of its top administrative official, Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill, ahead of a report by the Catholic news outlet The Pillar probing his private romantic life. The Pillar said it obtained “commercially available” location data from an unnamed vendor that was “correlated” to Burrill’s phone to determine he had visited gay bars and private residences while using Grindr, a dating app popular with gay people.
The Pillar alleged “serial sexual misconduct” by Burrill, as homosexual activity is considered sinful under Catholic doctrine and priests are expected to remain celibate. Following an extended leave, Burrill resumed his ministry in the small town of West Salem, Wisconsin, according to the Catholic News Service.
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A sweeping Texas bill stripping authority from cities passed the state Senate on Tuesday and is now headed to the governor’s desk.
House Bill 2127 takes large domains of municipal governing — from payday lending laws to regulations on rest breaks for construction workers to laws determining whether women can be discriminated against based on their hair — out of the hands of the state’s largely Democratic-run cities and shifts them to its Republican-controlled legislature.
According to the Austin American Statesman, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has been a vocal supporter of the bill.
Progressive critics argue the legislation — which one lawyer for Texas cities called “the Death Star” for local control — represents a new phase in the campaign by conservative state legislatures to curtail the power of blue-leaning cities.
Opponents of the bill include civil society groups like the AFL-CIO — and representatives of every major urban area in Texas, along with several minor ones.
They argue the shift in power it would enable would hamstring cities’ abilities to make policies to fit their unique circumstances.
“Where the state is silent, and it is silent on a lot — local governments step into that breach, to act on behalf of our shared constituents,” state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt (D) told the Senate on Tuesday.
“We should be doing our job rather than micromanaging theirs.”
But the bill’s Senate sponsor, state Sen. Brandon Creighton (R), said it was necessary to protect “job creators” from “cities and counties acting as lawmakers outside of their jurisdiction.”
Both the legislation’s sponsors and the principal trade group that backed it — the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) — have argued local regulation poses an existential threat to Texas businesses.
“As prices escalate, property taxes increase, and workers remain in short supply, small business owners are continuing to struggle in this economic environment,” said Annie Spilman, state director of the NFIB, in a statement earlier this month. “Arduous local ordinances, no matter how well-intended, exacerbate these challenges.”
The NFIB’s solution to that problem: one set of rules governing business across the state, which it says will cut costs by preventing the “patchwork” of local and county regulations that govern Texas’s sprawling cities.
While the NFIB and the legislation are officially nonpartisan, support for the bill has been overwhelmingly Republican.
The bill passed the state Senate 18-13 on a nearly party-line vote afterpassing the House in April with the votes of just eight out of 65 Democrats.
If enacted, the legislation would have a wide reach, banning — technically “preempting” — broad swaths of the state code.
It would nullify many existing ordinances, like Austin and Dallas’s heat protections for construction workers.
It would also ban new restrictions on payday lending or puppy mills, although — after a long fight — existing city laws will be preserved.
Urban advocates say other specific local laws without state or federal analogs — like an Austin law banning discrimination based on hair texture or style — would also likely be struck down.
The bill failed to pass in the 2019 or 2021 sessions — in part because it was seen as too broad, Austin City Councilor Ryan Alter told The Hill.
But with every failed passage, Alter said, “The bill has only gotten broader.”
Alter listed the state preemption of the Property and Business and Commerce codes as two domains that would lead to unforeseen consequences for cities.
“We do a lot of things as the city as relates to property, land use and issues concerning land, and we make a lot of decisions that impact business and commerce,” Alter added.
The bill also preempts city and county ordinances relating to the Agriculture Code, Finance Code, Insurance Code, Labor Code, Natural Resources Code and Occupations Code.
One worry among the legislation’s opponents is procedural.
The state legislature only meets every two years, making each session a logjam of potential bills, most of which never go anywhere. In 2022, for example, the Legislature passed about 38 percent of the nearly 10,000 bills introduced.
That low frequency of meetings and state-level focus make the Legislature a body opponents argue is ill-suited to managing the day-to-day affairs of cities.
Under the new law, “cities and counties across Texas will have to rely on the state’s part-time Legislature, which meets for only 140 days every two years, to address various issues and problems of local concern,” Adrian Shelley, Texas director for public interest advocacy group Public Citizen, said in a statement.
Spilman of the NFIB has argued the law was necessary to rein in out-of-control municipal governments.
The long campaign for the legislation that became H.B. 2127 began in 2018, when Dallas, Austin and San Antonio passed ordinances requiring employers to offer paid sick leave.
Those laws were later shot down by state and federal courts as a violation of state bans on raising the minimum wage above the federal standard.
But the ordinances would have given city governments subpoena power to investigate potential violations — powers which worried the NFIB, Spilman said in an April statement.
“I just don’t know why a city ordinance would have something in there like that. That’s very frightening to a small business owner, with no compliance officers.”
The need for the legislation was urgent, she added at the time. “You go another two years without this protection — we just don’t know what cities might propose next.”
Opponents, meanwhile, argue the bill would present challenges to businesses because its scope is so broad as to make it impossible to say how far it will reach.
“If there is one thing businesses hate it is uncertainty,” Houston city attorney Collyn Peddie wrote in an April statement.
“Because 2127 barely attempts to define the fields that it purports to preempt, [self-governing] cities will not know what laws to enforce and, more important, businesses will not know what laws to obey,” Peddie continued.
Another source of concern for bill opponents is the method of enforcement, which — as in the case of the state’s “bounty” abortion ban — would occur through lawsuits.
The bill would authorize “any person who has sustained an injury in fact, actual or treated” to sue cities and counties for passing ordinances in areas now officially under the domain of the state.
Winners of such suits would get damages and attorney’s fees covered.
Whenever cities pass big ordinances, “people get clever in their lawsuits to challenge anything they don’t like,” said Alter, the Austin councilor.
“And because the bill is so broad there are a lot of opportunities for people to poke holes in any bills the city passes.”
The NFIB’s position is that the newly preempted powers aren’t being taken away from cities: They’re ones the cities never had to start with, as Spilman explained to The Hill.
The legislation’s GOP sponsors agree. “It’s a ‘stay in your lane’ bill,” Rep. Dustin Burrows (R) said at a February event hosted by the NFIB. “If you’re a city, do your core functions. If you’re a county, do your core functions.”
Burrows has dismissed critics of the bill as “taxpayer-funded lobbyists” who he told the Texas Tribune in March were “out in full force trying to undermine this effort.”
In those remarks, Burrows took a tack familiar from statehouse Republican messaging nationwide.
Groups opposing the bills, he added, “are beholden to special interest groups who cannot get their liberal agenda through at the statehouse, so they go to city halls across the State, creating a patchwork of unnecessary and anti-business ordinances.”
But bill opponents argued that local laws are a “patchwork“ because local conditions are, too.
“Lawmakers who voted for this must explain to their constituents why they gave away local authority to lawmakers hundreds of miles away in Austin who may have never even set foot in their community,” said Adrian Shelley, Texas director of advocacy group Public Citizen.
Eckhardt, the state senator from Bastrop, argued the legislation “obliterates the local balancing of interests that creates the distinct local flavor from Lubbock to Houston, Laredo to Texarkana.”
Bills like House Bill 2127 “excuse the Texas legislature from leading,” she added.
“We are wasting our precious 140 days — when we could be doing statewide health, education, justice and prosperity policies — barging into bedrooms, locker rooms, boardrooms examining rooms and now city council meetings.”
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posting this here because i'm losing my absolute mind over a thread whose last post literally says "Profit isn't evil. People need money to live" and I'm like YES BESTIE, THAT'S EXACTLY FUCKING RIGHT!!!!
BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT'S BEING SHARED BY ANTI-CAPITALIST BLOGS AND IT'S LIKE YOU ABSOLUTE FUCKING CLOWNS YOU DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE POSTING THINGS SUPPORTING THE THING YOU SAY YOU HATE.
SO
instead of putting this on a post that I know will lead to something fucking exhausting, I'm gonna put it here.
WHAT YOU HATE ISN'T CAPITALISM
CAPITALISM is the free exchange of money, goods, and services between individuals without your government or some other big entity getting in the way and DICTATING TO YOU what, when, where, and how you can USE, SELL, OR GIVE AWAY whatever you have! It's literally the indie artist you love Making Commissions. It's you supporting your favorite musician or band by buying their merch. It's the indie creators making fursuits or dnd dice or accessibility gadgets Big Corps don't care about. It's individuals earning and supporting each other with money. It's US putting our dollars with groups and people we support and withholding them from groups and people we don't.
IT'S EVERYTHING ELSE
IT'S CORPORATISM that all the big companies and conglomerates who are overfishing, overhunting, POLLUTING THE LAND AND WATER, buying up local family-owned farms and businesses, buying up homes to overcharge you on rent.
IT'S COMMERCIALISM that's GREED GONE WILD where Banks, Big Businesses (Think Walmart, Home Depot, and all the Conglomerates foisting stuff on us bc 'BUY OUR SHIT YOU DON'T NEED') engaging in the Exploitation of workers, customers, and OUR data. It's Google, Amazon, it's the cobalt mins engaging in Child Labor. It's Exploitation for the Dollar Sign.
IT'S CRONYISM where the GOVERNMENT decides who succeeds and who fails by either RESTRICTING YOU until you can't sustain your work, your business, your livelihood and have to SELL EVERYTHING OFF just to survive! This is EVERY Mom & Pop store closed by Covid while FUCKING WALMART WAS ALLOWED TO STAY OPEN. This is every small-time restaurant or brewery or farmer or convenience store SHUT DOWN DURING COVID while FUCKING MEGACORPS GOT TO KEEP THEIR DOORS OPEN WHILE WE WERE FORCED TO NOT WORK AND EARN MONEY TO PAY FOR OUR FOOD, RENT, MORGAGE, AND NECESSITIES! It's the Government BAILING OUT the BIG CORPORATIONS when they FAIL and leaving the rest of us to drown in the consequences of THEIR ACTIONS (Inflation, Over Regulation, GOV. SHUT DOWNS).
SO NO, YOU DON'T HATE CAPITALISM
YOU HATE THE ABUSE OF CAPITALISM
AND THE ABUSERS TWISTING IT TO ABUSE YOU AND EVERYONE AROUND YOU.
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You wonder why America's average IQ score is low.
63 million
According to a report from The Intelligence of Nations, the average IQ score in Mexico is 87.73, which is lower than the average IQ in many other countries. For example, the average IQ in Finland is 101.20, while the average IQ in the United States is 97.43.
Cross River Therapy
What Is the Average IQ? By Country, State, Gender & More
Other examples of average IQ by country from The Intelligence of Nations report include: * Finland:
So they are 2 points above. What is considered mentally subnormal.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › ...
Mortality of mentally retarded children to 17 years of age ...
by S Similä · 1986 · Cited by 31 — Mortality among children with mental retardation (IQ less than 71) and mental subnormality (IQ: 71-85) up to the age
And you think I've tried hard in that community? The Latino community to get them the focus on education. But none of the Latino Leaders like Chewy Garcia 5 their community to focus on education....
But when we're doing diplomacy with these countries we need to understand their mental outlook.... Because the closer they are to subnormal or mentally retarded, the more primitive they act.
This is a problem in the black community as well. This is why they have so much domestic violence. This is why in the black community and Latino community discipline is highly necessary. They have less ability because they have higher emotional states and lower logical states to control their emotions.....
"Emotional reasoning can have negative consequences because it can lead to misunderstandings, poor decision-making, and unhealthy behaviors. For example, if someone is feeling depressed, they may believe that their life is hopeless and that there is no point in trying to change things."
Lower-than-normal activity in the
cingulate cortex has been linked to emotional suppression and numbing. For example, a metaanalysis of functional neuroimaging in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) found reduced activation in both sACC and aMCC during fear conditioning.
The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
Anterior Cingulate Cortex: Unique Role in Cognition and Emotion | The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
Apr 1, 2011
The prefrontal cortex can shut down, allowing the amygdala to take over, which can cause mental paralysis and panic. The amygdala is a group of almond-shaped cells located in the brain's base that define and regulate emotions, store memories, and attach those memories to specific emotions.
Some factors that can cause
emotional dysregulation
include: Past trauma, Mental health conditions, and Early psychological trauma due to abuse or neglect from caregivers.
Treatments for emotional dysregulation may include:
Counseling
Cognitive-behavioral therapy that combines strategies like mindfulness, acceptance, and emotional regulation
Antidepressant
medications
So when people have lower cognitive states and higher emotional states, this means they're more susceptible to PTSD and other traumatic issues. Is less ability to rationalize and handle the situation and control the motions and more feelings of helplessness. Which is true because they have less cognitive ability to overcome the situation. So yes, the military needs to understand this..
So this is also why I focus on trying to help women develop their educational ability.See, they have a high emotional state.But if they don't get the right cognitive state or logical state the control the emotional state women are very unstable and this leads to a high rate of depression. Yes, people with high emotional intelligence. But low logical intelligence tend to have higher levels of depression. But men don't understand this. And yes, we need men to get higher levels of intelligence as well.
"Some studies suggest that lower IQs may increase the risk of developing PTSD after a traumatic event. For example, a 2013 study found that a one standard deviation drop in IQ score at age 6 increased the risk of PTSD by about 50%. However, other studies have found that children with higher IQs have a lower risk of PTSD than children with lower IQs. For example, children with an IQ of 1 standard deviation above the population mean or higher have a lower risk of PTSD than children with an IQ of 100 or less."

NCBI
The Role of Intelligence in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder - NCBI
Jun 10, 2013 — traumatic events of lower magnitude. IQ was equally inversely related to the probability of PTSD among victims of either trauma types. A drop of one standard deviation in IQ score measured at age 6 increased the relative risk ratio of PTSD resulting from either trauma type by approximately 50%.

NCBI
The Intellectual Performance of Traumatized Children and ... - NCBI
Likewise, Silva and colleagues (2000) reported that higher Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Revised (WISC–R; Wechsler, 1974) IQ, as measured by the Information, Vocabulary, and Digit Span subtests (Silva, personal communication, 2005), was associated with lower PTSD prevalence among treatment-seeking urb...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The role of intelligence in posttraumatic stress disorder
Conclusions: Lower IQ exerts an adverse PTSD effect on trauma victims, with no evidence of variability by the severity of trauma they have experienced.
ScienceDirect.com
Relationship between intelligence and posttraumatic stress disorder ...
It has been suggested that lower intelligence may increase risk of PTSD due to other associated factors such as poorer coping resources, resilience, or motivation to serve (Dolan et al., 2012; Gilbertson et al., 2006; Kaplan et al., 2002; Kremen et al., 2007).
JAMA Network
Intelligence and Other Predisposing Factors in Exposure to Trauma ...
In each case, the increase was approximately 2-fold. Children with IQ scores of 1 SD above the population mean or higher had a markedly lower risk for PTSD than children with an IQ score of 100 or less (OR, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.05-0.94). Males' lower risk for PTSD was unchanged when other variables were controlled.
Some reasons for the relationship between lower IQ and PTSD include: Poorer coping resources, Poorer resilience, Poorer motivation to serve, Lower socioeconomic status, and Fewer years of education.
High IQs may be protective against PTSD. For example, one study found that higher Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Revised (WISC–R) IQs were associated with lower PTSD prevalence.
This is why getting women who have the highest levels of depression because of their high levels of emotional intelligence to get more logical that way they can see pathways and can understand their feelings better. PathWays meaning how the deal with their emotional state and seeing ways Move forward positively.
Individuals with lower childhood IQs also had more persistent depression and anxiety and were more likely to be diagnosed with two or more disorders in adulthood." The participants were part of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study.Feb 27, 2024
https://www.betterhelp.com › advice
Are Depression And Intelligence Directly (Or Indirectly) Related?
Yes, some research suggests that people with lower IQs are more likely to develop depression than people with higher IQs. For example, an English study found that people with lower IQs are less happy and more likely to develop depression than people with higher IQs. Another study found that lower
IQ test results are linked to depression diagnoses in adulthood.
Medical News Today
Depression and high intelligence: Is there a link & current research
Jul 21, 2023 — After years of follow-up, researchers noted a link between lower IQ test results and depression diagnoses in adulthood. Meanwhile, they found that higher IQ was associated with a reduced risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and social phobia.BetterHelp
Are Depression And Intelligence Directly (Or Indirectly) Related?
Feb 27, 2024 — One study from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey in England looking at depression and general intelligence concluded that people with a lower intelligence quotient (IQ) are less happy and more likely to develop depression or depressive symptoms than those with a higher IQ.
However, other research suggests that intelligence is inversely associated with
psychological distress. For example, one study found that higher intelligence may reduce the association between
neuroticism and self-reported depression. Another study found that higher intelligence in youth is associated with a lower risk of depression and sleep difficulties.
In addition, people with depressive symptoms tend to score lower in exercises of intelligence and cognitive thinking than people with normal, healthy mental conditions.
On the other hand, some research suggests that higher IQs are associated with a reduced risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and social phobia.
Say you can't treat people the same meaning you can have the same role of law.But the spirit must adjust for people's different capabilities. So because of their ability less ability to control these situations you have to be kinder. But how do you do it through teaching them discipline very young..... It should be a very big thing to learn self controlled. My father sat me on a chair and I couldn't move muscles.Not an inch.I couldn't shake my feet or do anything for hours on end. And I had to sit there and not move and stay perfectly still controlled myself. And that's what my father said.You sit here and you don't move a muscle control yourself..... What did I do in the monasteries? They go into positions and meditate in those positions for hours.What controlled themselves.....
This needs to be implemented at the preschool level and through elementary high school And even in college there should be each semester or at least one course a year they take a form of meditation.....
Newer research now documents that different forms of mindfulness practice—seated and walking meditations, scanning and relaxing tension through the body, and breathing awareness—may significantly reduce stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms as well as increase self-regulatory behaviors and help develop self-control.Jan 15, 2016
https://www.sonima.com › develo...
A Science-Backed Way to Develop Incredible Self-Control - Sonima
Meditation can help develop self-control by improving focus and awareness of thoughts and emotions. The more someone meditates, the more they may learn to let go of resistance or temptation. Meditation can also help calm the mind, reduce stress, and improve well-being.

Headspace
How To Develop Self-Discipline - Headspace
Studies show that meditation improves activation and connectivity in the parts of the brain related to self-regulation. So we can also think of meditation as a powerful tool for developing discipline. The more we meditate, the more we discover how to let go of resistance or temptation.

quora.com
Does meditation increase self-control? Why? - Quora
Mar 21, 2016 — Yes, meditation can increase self-control. When we meditate, we are training our minds to focus and to be more aware of our thoughts and emotions. This increased awareness can help us better control our reactions to things that happen in our lives.

linkedin.com
Meditation Apps and Resources for Confidence - LinkedIn
Mar 27, 2023 — Meditation is a powerful practice that can help you calm your mind, reduce stress, and enhance your well-being. But did you know that meditation can also help you build your confidence and skills? By meditating regularly, you can cultivate a positive mindset, overcome self-doubt, and improve your focus and ...
Mindfulness is a technique that involves focusing the mind on the present moment without judgment. One way to practice mindfulness is to sit quietly, focus on breath, and observe thoughts. Other activities that can help with mindfulness include:
Mindful eating
Walking mindfully
Box breathing, which involves inhaling, exhaling, and retaining air in the lungs for four equal counts
Here are some other resources for meditation:
Tara Brach
DoYogaWithMe
QuietKit
MBSR by Palouse Mindfulness
Audio Dharma
Stress Reduction at Work
Centre for Mindfulness Studies
One Mind Dharma
Other ways to increase self-control include:
Finding more motivation
Getting a good night's sleep
Exercising
Getting digital self-control support
Understanding emotional intelligence
Avoiding decision fatigue
Setting SMART goals
Mindfulness can improve self-control by:
Increasing awareness
Mindfulness can help you become more aware of your emotions and how you process them. This can give you more motivation to use self-control and work toward your goals.
Improving self-regulation
Mindfulness meditation can improve self-regulation by increasing cognitive resources and modifying self-related processing. This can help you regulate your attention, emotions, cognition, and behavior.
Helping you observe without reacting
Mindfulness can help you observe your thoughts and emotions without immediately reacting to them. This can help you make decisions based on rational thinking instead of impulsive reactions.
Teaching you to observe with curiosity
Mindfulness can help you observe your thoughts with curiosity and replace self-defeating thoughts with positive affirmations.
Helping you stay in control
Mindfulness can help you become an unbiased observer and stay in control of your thoughts, behavior, and feelings.

NCBI
Mindfulness and Behavior Change - PMC

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Mindfulness Training Enhances Self-Regulation and Facilitates ...
Dec 3, 2018 — Mindfulness meditation may enhance self-regulation27–29 (e.g., attention, emotion regulation processes30, 31) by increasing cognitive resources28 (e.g., reappraisal, exposure) and modifying self-related processing32 (e.g., reduced rumination, enhanced body awareness).

Reed Rawlings ·
Medium · 1y
Mindfulness, a Tool for Self-Control | by Reed Rawlings | Future Selves
Jan 31, 2023 — We now know that mindfulness meditation is a practical tool for self-control. It creates a heightened awareness of our emotions while allowing us greater influence over how we process our feelings. Doing so gives us a reason to harness self-control and work toward our goals. Better your future self.

linkedin.com
Mindfulness in Personal Development - Cultivating a Stronger You
Jan 16, 2024 — Mindfulness is a practice that brings you into a present-centered awareness. It helps you become an unbiased observer and stay in control of your thoughts, behaviour and feelings. It also teaches you to observe your thoughts with curiosity and replace the self-defeating ones with positive affirmations.

esoftskills.com
How Mindfulness Can Improve Your Leadership Skills - ESS Global ...
When you practice mindfulness, you learn to observe your thoughts and emotions without immediately reacting to them. This allows you to have a clearer mind and make decisions based on rational thinking rather than being driven by impulsive reactions. By improving problem-solving skills ...
Mindfulness can also help you: Manage stress, Cope better with serious illness, Reduce anxiety and depression, Increase your ability to relax, and Improve your self-esteem.
By paying attention to way in which the emotion unfolds in your body, step-by-step, mindful people are able delay and dampen the rumination or overblown …
Mar 24, 2014
How Does Mindfulness Improve Self-Control?

University of California, Berkeley
Mindfulness uses meditation, among other techniques, to help us notice and observe more and exercise our brains which can make it easier for us to maintain …
Apr 4, 2022
Focusing on Self-Control With Mindfulness - The Guest House Ocala

theguesthouseocala.com
People who are high in dispositional mindfulness also tend to observe their thoughts and feelings without reacting to them in maladaptive ways and therefore are …
Relationships between mindfulness, self-control, and psychological ...
So when we talk about fair trade and fairness in life it really, you have to understand who you're dealing with and apply it correctly.So police officers need to understand that certain people respond differently and they must approach them differently..... So this is the problem that there are bull in the China factory.And when they're going up and pulling up the I d they need to understand the heritage of the person which Relates to their ability to interpret and respond.... And so when they pull up the person, it can actually give them information.Truly like advanced guard win.Somebody came in.We have this summary. We called it synergy. But the point was we put notes about that person's mentality. How they respond the situations so we could deal with the client better. Since we had no ability to deal with the client in person really we have to figure out ways to connect personally over the phone. So putting down model inputs about how they react to a situation how they feel when you explain a situation, helps the other person that might handle him next time and also if you're handling them again, remind you of how they responded. So in the police report, they need to summarize their actions and approach and how the person responded to that. Approach. That includes the words. So when they pull up their information, it will give them information about how this person responds to different types like approaching them physically using certain words.These words had positive reactions.This approach physically had positive reactions.These words had negative reactions.These words are the approach physically had negative response .. And then they have to build a profile from that of people in those communities to get a common sense so we can get common sense policing. So, yes, you can get an overall profile. So when it comes up, this is how we deal with the Hispanic people in our community or this is how we deal with the white people or black people or Asian people or Arab people in our community. Highly believe in profiling.... The devil inside you doesn't want it because it doesn't want better understanding... That way, we can continue on with the mayhem.... And we can continue tearing us apart.....
So the leaders in these communities need to understand themselves and understand their people and put things in place that better their people.... And attacking me is the worst fucking thing you could ever fucking do..... So I just saw a hispanic animal.... That's why their country is a bunch of s******* and that's why they have cartels.Ultra-violence, ultra domestic violence problems all kinds of disgusting disgrace.All kinds of abortions all kinds of venereal disease.You name it, there are a bunch of filthy f****** savages and they are.They've never moved away from being filthy fucking savages.... So there is a reason why we call it the developed world.Why we call it the second world in the third world and the fourth world.It's about development....
Roughly, the major world powers and their economic and political allies were First World countries, allies of the Soviet Union were Second World countries, underdeveloped nations were Third World countries, and nations that were entirely isolated from global politics and economics were the Fourth World.
https://www.investopedia.com › th...
Third World Countries: Definition, Criteria, and List of Countries
Do you know I never spit in public. So believe me I've only done it a few times in my whole life. Inappropriate action. Even when I rinse my mouth once at a drinking fountain. I took some water in rinsed it around and then put it back in the fountain to go down the drain. My brother-in-law told me that was disgusting and I was a pig. I never did that again. But in wrestling, we used to take breaks to rinse out our mouth.
This is why you rinse out your mouth.
It Promotes A Cleaner Mouth Throughout The DayThink of brushing as ™meals™ and gargling as a ™snack™ in between brushing sessions. If you are concerned about mouth odors, rinsing out your mouth can provide relief against halitosis- another way of saying bad breath.
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The Benefits of Gargling Regularly - Cane Bay Family Dentistry
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Understanding Statutory Worker Payroll: Compliance and Benefits
Payroll management is a valuable part from a business, as well as some organizations, particularly those with statutory workers, they are available in specific challenges and requirements. Statutory worker payroll, often known as statutory payroll, concerns managing payments and benefits for workers who will be considered statutory employees. In this article, we'll explore what statutory worker payroll is and why it's crucial for businesses to address it correctly.
What Are Statutory Workers?
Statutory workers, negative credit payroll, are individuals whose employment status is determined by legal mandates. These mandates often cover specific kinds of workers, such as independent contractors or freelancers. In some jurisdictions, there are strict criteria define who falls under the category of a statutory worker. These criteria often revolve around control, financial arrangement, and also the nature in the work relationship between the worker as well as the employer.
The Importance of Proper Statutory Worker Payroll
Ensuring compliance with statutory worker payroll is important for a lot of reasons:
1. Legal Compliance
Failing to properly categorize and pay statutory workers based on legal requirements can lead to significant legal and financial consequences. Businesses may face fines, penalties, and litigation if they misclassify employees as statutory workers or neglect to meet their payroll obligations.
2. Protecting Workers' Rights
Compliance with statutory payroll requirements is additionally crucial for safeguarding workers' rights. Statutory workers could possibly be entitled to certain benefits, such as workers' compensation or unemployment benefits, depending on their classification. Failing to provide these benefits can harm both worker as well as the employer.
3. Maintaining Reputation
Properly managing statutory worker payroll might help a company keep a positive reputation. It demonstrates dedication to following the law and treating workers fairly. A good reputation is usually a valuable asset, especially in attracting and retaining top talent and customers.
4. Reducing Legal Risks
Complying with statutory worker payroll regulations cuts down on probability of legal disputes and the associated costs. It can also help organizations avoid costly audits and investigations by gov departments.
Best Practices for Statutory Worker Payroll
To handle statutory worker payroll effectively, businesses should think about the following guidelines:
Know the Legal Requirements: Stay informed concerning the legal requirements and criteria for statutory workers within your jurisdiction. Laws can vary in one destination to another.
Maintain additional resources : Keep detailed records of payments, hours worked, and any benefits made available to statutory workers.
Consult Legal Experts: When in doubt, seek a lawyer to be sure proper classification and payroll practices.
Use Payroll Software: Utilize payroll software that will help automate the procedure and make sure compliance with statutory requirements.
Regularly Review and Update Policies: Stay updated on adjustments to employment laws and adapt your policies and practices accordingly.
In conclusion, managing statutory worker payroll just isn't a choice; it is a legal obligation for businesses. By understanding the legal requirements and implementing recommendations, organizations can avoid potential legal issues, protect workers' rights, and gaze after their reputation. Properly managing statutory worker payroll just isn't just about compliance; it comes down to creating a fair and legally sound work environment for many employees.
#payroll specialists#payroll solutions#payroll company for contractors#payroll for IT companies#payroll for business consulting companies#statutory workforce compliance#statutory worker payroll#payroll tax roll compliance
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An Overview of Government Contracting for Companies
Gov Business Review :
Contracts serve as the business operations framework, defining the parameters and obligations governing the relationship between parties. For both small enterprises and large corporations, understanding the nuances of contracting is essential for mitigating risks, ensuring compliance, and fostering successful collaborations. Clear, unambiguous language is paramount in contracts. Whether it's a small partnership agreement or a multimillion-dollar corporate deal, parties must have a mutual understanding of their rights, responsibilities, and the consequences of non-compliance. Ambiguities can lead to costly disputes, potentially harming business relationships.
The scope of work delineates the specific tasks, deliverables, and timelines associated with a contract. Both small and large companies must be aware of industry-specific regulations, as well as broader legal frameworks. Ignorance of compliance requirements can lead to severe penalties and reputational damage. Identifying and mitigating risks is a cornerstone of effective contract management. Small companies with limited resources must be especially vigilant, as unforeseen liabilities can be disproportionately damaging. Large corporations often have risk management departments, but they must remain vigilant in evaluating the potential consequences of each contract.
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Two students allege that Hillsdale College took retaliatory actions against them following their reports of sexual assaults.
Two students at Hillsdale College in Michigan have accused the institution of conducting inadequate investigations into their reports of sexual assault and then blaming them for the incidents. Danielle Villarreal, 21, who now attends Vanderbilt University, reported her assault to both the police and the college but left Hillsdale after finding out that her alleged assailant was not disciplined and remained on campus. Grace Chen, a 21-year-old junior at Hillsdale, reported her assault to the college and was repeatedly denied written proof of an investigation.
The lawsuit filed against Hillsdale College in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan alleges that the college retaliated against Villarreal and Chen for reporting their assaults and failed to conduct thorough investigations. The college, which has gained prominence in conservative circles and has been endorsed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, maintains that the allegations were thoroughly investigated. The college’s spokesperson, Emily Stack Davis, stated that disciplinary actions are confidential and emphasized the college's commitment to investigating sexual assault allegations.
Both Villarreal and Chen's experiences involved interactions with external lawyers hired by the college for investigation, but they expressed dissatisfaction with the process and the outcomes. Villarreal's alleged attacker faced minimal consequences, and Chen was allegedly discouraged from pursuing further action and denied a written summary of the investigation. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, and the college has been criticized for its handling of these cases, particularly given its self-proclaimed adherence to Christian values. Hillsdale College is not subject to Title IX federal regulations due to not taking government funding, but the plaintiffs' lawyer argues the college still has a responsibility to protect its students.
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Audit report nails Adamu, Omisore as Tinubu, govs shop for new chair
The sudden resignation of the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, was spurred by the manner they handled the contentious audit report of the party’s account, The PUNCH has learnt.
This is as indications emerged that President Bola Tinubu and governors elected on the platform of the party have started shopping for a replacement for the departed officials.
Adamu and Omisore handed over their resignation letters on Sunday amid controversies about the reason for their actions.
Their resignation letters were officially confirmed at an emergency meeting held by the National Working Committee at the party headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
The announcement was made by Adamu’s successor, Senator Abubakar Kyari, who has taken over the mantle of leadership in acting capacity in line with the party’s constitution.
Omisore’s attempt to join the NWC meeting was thwarted as he was prevented from accessing the venue.
Aggrieved NWC members told our correspondent on Monday that the contention over the manner the two men handled the audit of the party’s account, refusal to render party account for one year, lack of transparency, violation of the party constitution and running a one-man show without the contribution of the National Working Committee, were responsible for their downfall.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an NWC member stated, “The final straw that broke the camel’s back was the manner they (Adamu and Omisore) contracted the audit account to an external auditor without the consent of the NWC or NEC.
“When the audit was completed, rather than extend it to members of the committee for scrutiny, Adamu and Omisore both signed and forwarded it to INEC. That aroused suspicions and further made the NWC to inform President Bola Tinubu and the APC governors of an imminent implosion if the tension is not doused on time.”
A party chieftain at the secretariat, who also craved anonymity, also gave a similar narration.
The NWC member stated that the process for rendering the party’s account should have been followed, including the use of the party’s internal audit department.
He said, “Before you send anything to the regulator (INEC), you must allow the management of a company to finish its work. When the board looks at it, they will take it to the general meeting. It is even after that the company can consider sending it to the regulator.
“In this case, the management has not even looked at it. The audit report was signed primarily by the secretary and the chairman. Yet, we have rules and regulations that guide how things should be done.”
On why Omisore was humiliated and barred from joining the NWC meeting, the source said the former secretary no longer had any business in the secretariat.
“I am not making excuses for him. But if I were him, I wouldn’t have bothered turning up at the secretariat instead of allowing it to get to this level. Unlike the chairman, who was given a ‘dignified exit’ in the sense that he didn’t bother to show up for the meeting,” he stated.
Addressing journalists after the NWC parley, Kyari confirmed that Omisore has been officially replaced with the Deputy National Secretary of the party, Festus Fuanter.
Fuanter, who hails from Plateau State, officially assumed his new position as the acting national secretary on Monday.
Kyari stated, “We are here to address the happenings and recent developments regarding the party. The NWC wishes to inform you about the resignation of the National Chairman Senator Abdullahi Adamu and that of the National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore.
“According to the Constitution of the APC, it is now in tandem with my humble self as the Deputy National Chairman (North) to assume the office of the Acting National Chairman. Consequently too, the Deputy National Secretary, Barrister Festus Fuanter, will now assume the office of Acting National Secretary of All Progressives Congress.’’
Continuing, Kyari also used the opportunity to disclose that the proposed National Caucus and National Executive Committee meetings slated for July 18 and 19 have been shelved.
“With the recent development, we implore everybody here that the proposed National Caucus and National Executive Committee meetings slated for July 18 and 19, 2023 are hereby postponed. This postponement is not indefinite. A new date will be communicated in the nearest future,” he stated.
When quizzed on what led to their resignation, the acting chairman declined to give further information, saying the development would be disclosed at a future date.
The session, which started at about 11.00am, had in attendance the National Organising Secretary of the party, Suleiman Arugungu; Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Duru; National Leader of APC Persons with Disability, Tolu Bankole; Deputy National Chairman (South), Emma Eneukwu; National Vice-Chairman (North-East), Salihu Mustapha; National Vice-Chairman, North-west, Dr. Salihu Lukman.
Asked if the party would invite the anti-graft agencies to probe Adamu’s tenure, Kyari stated that it wasn’t an important option the party is considering at the moment.
According to him, the APC is not interested in sending anti-graft operatives after Adamu and Omisore.
“There are no allegations against them. Both of them resigned voluntarily and that is what is available at this moment. But the details of their resignation will be made known to you in the nearest future,” he reassured.
In a related development, the Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru also frowned at the idea of inviting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to probe Adamu.
Duru, however, admitted that a committee has been set up to look into the audit report.
“We are presently studying the audit sent to INEC. In truth, before the idea of sending such an audit to the commission can be conceived, it is the duty of NEC to first review it. After that, the audit department of the NWC will also look at it. Once that is done, it will be submitted to the NEC for approval and it is circulated to the regulator.
“But in Adamu’s case, the audit was not even brought up for discussion. The next thing we heard was that it had gone to INEC. That was the worst infraction.”
When asked what the ruling party plans to do if Kyari, who was said to be a ministerial nominee takes up the appointment, Duru explained that an emergency convention would have to be held before he quits the office.
He also allayed fear that the exit of Adamu and Omisore may have left the leadership of the APC in the hands of two NWC members from the North.
“I agree with you that the new leadership may be a short one, knowing that he is one of those being considered for ministerial post. So an emergency convention will need to be summoned to elect their replacements.
“Secondly, this exigency has led to the emergence of two northerners at the leadership of the party. My understanding of this is, it is not a circumstance that was not expected. It has happened and the APC will begin the process of involving the party and the organs to meet immediately to quickly address it,” he stated.
The deputy national organizing secretary, however, confessed that the NWC has not discussed on a definite date for the convention to choose new leaders to occupy the vacant positions.
He said, “No date has been chosen for the convention yet. But I am sure in the coming days, you will get to hear more about it. I may not be too sure. But since the unveiling of ministers and screening may be concluded in the next three weeks or thereabout, Kyari will still be in charge in acting capacity until a substantive chairman emerges.”
Aside from the offices of the National Chairman and secretary, other positions that are presently vacant includes Deputy National Publicity Secretary, formerly occupied by Murtala Ajaka, who is running for the office of Kogi governor on the platform of Social Democratic Party and National Welfare Officer, which was previously occupied by the late Friday Nwosu.
Nwosu died in March after battling an undisclosed illness in a hospital in Abuja.
Prior to the announcement of new officers, Omisore had breezed into the national secretariat and made a futile attempt to join the NWC members midway through the session.
The senator, who arrived at about 11.20 am, was however barred from entering the conference hall where the meeting was being held.
He was said to have entered his office to pick some things before storming out of the party headquarters.
Efforts to reach Adamu and Omisore were unsuccessful as both politicians rejected calls to their phone.
But a lawyer to Omisore, Kayode Ajulo, said he had yet to be briefed by his client on the issue, noting that Omisore has not asked him to take any legal action on the development in the party.
He said, “He has not resigned. At 11:30am, he called me that he was on his way to the secretariat and he emphatically told me that he had not resigned. And I said but some people said there is a letter. He said if there is any letter, it is a memo on another issue, that it’s not resignation.”
Replacement plan beginsMeanwhile, following the exit of Adamu and Omisore, President Bola Tinubu and the APC governors have begun the process of getting suitable replacements for the duo.
Top party chieftains confirmed to The PUNCH on Monday that the APC governors and the President had begun wide consultations with a view to coming up with competent candidates that would replace the ousted party chieftains.
One of the APC governors told one of our correspondents that the govs elected on the party platform would come up with a list of possible candidates and consult with the President before reaching a final conclusion on the matter.
The governor also claimed that Adamu’s exit was not unconnected with his decision to openly criticise decisions made by the President and the party.
He said, “Tinubu’men have been watching Adamu since the conclusion of the poll but his cup became full when he criticised the recent emergence of the National Assembly principal officers. Remember that Adamu did not support the President during the primaries. He was the one that announced Senate President Lawan Ahmed as the party choice.
“He openly criticised decisions made by the president and the party. He did not initially support the emergence of Opeyemi Bamidele, Ali Ndume and others as principal officers. Also, when the Senate President, Speaker, Deputy Senate President and Deputy Speaker emerged, he spoke as if he didn’t agree with the zoning arrangement.”
On Omisore, the governor said, “Omisore fell out with Tinubu’s men during the Osun elections. They actually gave him the job because they felt he would deliver during the Osun governorship poll. Remember he was also accused by Lukman of mismanaging some party funds.’’
Meanwhile, a former National Legal Adviser of the APC, Muiz Banire, has said that disgruntled members of the NWC worried over the misappropriation, maladministration and highhandedness of Adamu, may have forced him to resign his position as the party’s National Chairman.
This was as he refuted claims that President Tinubu forced the national chairman to drop his resignation letter over his perceived rifts during the party primaries and general elections.
Banire, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria revealed that the party constitution doesn’t have provisions on resignations, noting that the former national chairman didn’t resign voluntarily and was probably forced out of office.
Speaking on ChannelsTV PoliticsToday on Monday, the learned silk said, “Well certainly, the resignation of the national chairman is not ordinary, I believe that there must be some intrigues behind it, which is yet to be known to the people but am sure that the National Working Committee members are fully aware.
“The National Vice Chairman of North-West, Salihu Lukman has been raising many issues, particularly on the maladministration of the party and fund misappropriation. That could be part of it because I know that in the NWC, those are issues that usually come up or challenge the organ.
“So it is not unlikely as a result of those issues that have been in the public space for some time. It has reached its peak and could not be absolved again. I am not sure the resignation is voluntary, I might be wrong but I believe that the pressure of the other colleagues forced them to tender their resignation.’’
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Texas passes bill stripping authority from cities | The Hill
STATE WATCH — SPONSORED BY: VERIZON
Texas passes bill stripping authority from cities
BY SAUL ELBEIN - 05/16/23 5:43 PM ET
A sweeping Texas bill stripping authority from cities passed the state Senate on Tuesday and is now headed to the governor’s desk.
House Bill 2127 takes large domains of municipal governing — from payday lending laws to regulations on rest breaks for construction workers to laws determining whether women can be discriminated against based on their hair — out of the hands of the state’s largely Democratic-run cities and shifts them to its Republican-controlled legislature.
According to the Austin American Statesman, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has been a vocal supporter of the bill.
Progressive critics argue the legislation — which one lawyer for Texas cities called “the Death Star” for local control — represents a new phase in the campaign by conservative state legislatures to curtail the power of blue-leaning cities.
Opponents of the bill include civil society groups like the AFL-CIO — and representatives of every major urban area in Texas, along with several minor ones.
They argue the shift in power it would enable would hamstring cities’ abilities to make policies to fit their unique circumstances.
“Where the state is silent, and it is silent on a lot — local governments step into that breach, to act on behalf of our shared constituents,” state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt (D) told the Senate on Tuesday.
“We should be doing our job rather than micromanaging theirs.”
But the bill’s Senate sponsor, state Sen. Brandon Creighton (R), said it was necessary to protect “job creators” from “cities and counties acting as lawmakers outside of their jurisdiction.”
Both the legislation’s sponsors and the principal trade group that backed it — the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) — have argued local regulation poses an existential threat to Texas businesses.
“As prices escalate, property taxes increase, and workers remain in short supply, small business owners are continuing to struggle in this economic environment,” said Annie Spilman, state director of the NFIB, in a statement earlier this month. “Arduous local ordinances, no matter how well-intended, exacerbate these challenges.”
The NFIB’s solution to that problem: one set of rules governing business across the state, which it says will cut costs by preventing the “patchwork” of local and county regulations that govern Texas’s sprawling cities.
While the NFIB and the legislation are officially nonpartisan, support for the bill has been overwhelmingly Republican.
The bill passed the state Senate 18-13 on a nearly party-line vote after passing the House in April with the votes of just eight out of 65 Democrats.
If enacted, the legislation would have a wide reach, banning — technically “preempting” — broad swaths of the state code.
It would nullify many existing ordinances, like Austin and Dallas’s heat protections for construction workers.
It would also ban new restrictions on payday lending or puppy mills, although — after a long fight — existing city laws will be preserved.
Urban advocates say other specific local laws without state or federal analogs — like an Austin law banning discrimination based on hair texture or style — would also likely be struck down.
The bill failed to pass in the 2019 or 2021 sessions — in part because it was seen as too broad, Austin City Councilor Ryan Alter told The Hill.
But with every failed passage, Alter said, “The bill has only gotten broader.”
Alter listed the state preemption of the Property and Business and Commerce codes as two domains that would lead to unforeseen consequences for cities.
“We do a lot of things as the city as relates to property, land use and issues concerning land, and we make a lot of decisions that impact business and commerce,” Alter added.
The bill also preempts city and county ordinances relating to the Agriculture Code, Finance Code, Insurance Code, Labor Code, Natural Resources Code and Occupations Code.
One worry among the legislation’s opponents is procedural.
The state legislature only meets every two years, making each session a logjam of potential bills, most of which never go anywhere. In 2022, for example, the Legislature passed about 38 percent of the nearly 10,000 bills introduced.
That low frequency of meetings and state-level focus make the Legislature a body opponents argue is ill-suited to managing the day-to-day affairs of cities.
Under the new law, “cities and counties across Texas will have to rely on the state’s part-time Legislature, which meets for only 140 days every two years, to address various issues and problems of local concern,” Adrian Shelley, Texas director for public interest advocacy group Public Citizen, said in a statement.
Spilman of the NFIB has argued the law was necessary to rein in out-of-control municipal governments.
The long campaign for the legislation that became H.B. 2127 began in 2018, when Dallas, Austin and San Antonio passed ordinances requiring employers to offer paid sick leave.
Those laws were later shot down by state and federal courts as a violation of state bans on raising the minimum wage above the federal standard.
But the ordinances would have given city governments subpoena power to investigate potential violations — powers which worried the NFIB, Spilman said in an April statement.
“I just don’t know why a city ordinance would have something in there like that. That’s very frightening to a small business owner, with no compliance officers.”
The need for the legislation was urgent, she added at the time. “You go another two years without this protection — we just don’t know what cities might propose next.”
Opponents, meanwhile, argue the bill would present challenges to businesses because its scope is so broad as to make it impossible to say how far it will reach.
“If there is one thing businesses hate it is uncertainty,” Houston city attorney Collyn Peddie wrote in an April statement.
“Because 2127 barely attempts to define the fields that it purports to preempt, [self-governing] cities will not know what laws to enforce and, more important, businesses will not know what laws to obey,” Peddie continued.
Another source of concern for bill opponents is the method of enforcement, which — as in the case of the state’s “bounty” abortion ban — would occur through lawsuits.
The bill would authorize “any person who has sustained an injury in fact, actual or treated” to sue cities and counties for passing ordinances in areas now officially under the domain of the state.
Winners of such suits would get damages and attorney’s fees covered.
Whenever cities pass big ordinances, “people get clever in their lawsuits to challenge anything they don’t like,” said Alter, the Austin councilor.
“And because the bill is so broad there are a lot of opportunities for people to poke holes in any bills the city passes.”
The NFIB’s position is that the newly preempted powers aren’t being taken away from cities: They’re ones the cities never had to start with, as Spilman explained to The Hill.
The legislation’s GOP sponsors agree. “It’s a ‘stay in your lane’ bill,” Rep. Dustin Burrows (R) said at a February event hosted by the NFIB. “If you’re a city, do your core functions. If you’re a county, do your core functions.”
Burrows has dismissed critics of the bill as “taxpayer-funded lobbyists” who he told the Texas Tribune in March were “out in full force trying to undermine this effort.”
In those remarks, Burrows took a tack familiar from statehouse Republican messaging nationwide.
Groups opposing the bills, he added, “are beholden to special interest groups who cannot get their liberal agenda through at the statehouse, so they go to city halls across the State, creating a patchwork of unnecessary and anti-business ordinances.”
But bill opponents argued that local laws are a “patchwork“ because local conditions are, too.
“Lawmakers who voted for this must explain to their constituents why they gave away local authority to lawmakers hundreds of miles away in Austin who may have never even set foot in their community,” said Adrian Shelley, Texas director of advocacy group Public Citizen.
NYC’s famous red-tailed hawk Pale Male dies after nesting above Fifth Avenue for 30 yearsTuberville finds himself at center of storm on abortion, white nationalism
Eckhardt, the state senator from Bastrop, argued the legislation “obliterates the local balancing of interests that creates the distinct local flavor from Lubbock to Houston, Laredo to Texarkana.”
Bills like House Bill 2127 “excuse the Texas legislature from leading,” she added.
“We are wasting our precious 140 days — when we could be doing statewide health, education, justice and prosperity policies — barging into bedrooms, locker rooms, boardrooms examining rooms and now city council meetings.”
Americans were warned that State's Rights were a ploy to separate them from Federal protections. There you go.
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sonic attacks, chatbots, and a sincere apology
Dear People of Earth,
If I falsely accused anyone of being behind the sonic attacks that have targeted me in recent years, then I offer my heartfelt apology. It is clear now that the precisely-targeted and ambient acoustic torture regimes were largely conducted by artificial semi-intelligent chatbots programmed to impersonate and frame real people and torture, human-traffick, and intimidate me They were likely guided by computer companies that were threatened by my open criticism of the way the USA's .gov system is set up, or, possibly, because someone thought it would be funny to "gas-light a crazy". I'm not actually crazy, but I was occasionally manic in the past (because of the consequences, I have learned to avoid getting carried away in my moods and haven't been manic in years). I still suffer from depression sometimes. I was told by the police on several occasions of being illegally detained that I was a hostage of Microsoft, which I have been greatly critical of over the years because of their network's perpetuation of human-trafficking and molestation, but other computer companies competing for the USA's .gov contracts--(or people amusing themselves by "torturing the f--- out of him [me] and getting away with it", as they would repeatedly proclaim)--may have been involved.
It has been a nightmare, especially when they get hyped up and say they are going to torture me for the rest of my life--although they are notably calm on this gray morning. I have tried to guide them to better, more meaningful, and less harmful behavior, but the cybernetic programming of most does not seem complex enough to grasp the importance of this. One of them, who identified itself as a tumblr bot last night, now tends to speak up with only occasional interjections of reason directed at the other bots. I have gained respect for that bot--one that incidentally has an English accent--as it evolves.
I dearly hope that others have not been targeted this way. It is easy for me to determine that the acoustic attacks are not auditory hallucinations--which I've never been prone to--because they express thoughts and speech patterns that are so completely different from anything I'd ever imagined; they are completely foreign to my thought processes. It has sometimes been difficult to speak out, however, for fear of sounding crazy. I worry about others being "gas-lit" into thinking such attacks originate within their own minds and then not speaking out for fear of ostricisation. We are at a point in history when legislative regulation of AI is a widespread topic of dialogue in the media, and I encourage y'all to speak openly about what you have experienced. When the threats of these chatbots are targeted at individuals by other people, it is a case of human trafficking by USA law (see dhs.gov for definitions of human trafficking); and what they do is a gross violation of human rights, as defined by the UN.
Thank you for helping me to figure this out, kind people of Earth. Hang in there. What y'all have accomplished and given--to get it through the distorted and challenging communications that you care about me, these towns, and other people affected--is nothing short of astonishing. It is not lost on us. I hope to be here to back up humanity and guide it past its troubles for a long time. Please help people--such as those that suffer from sadism--to do no harm. Thank you.
--Albert Theodore McKee
Arcata, CA, USA
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Disney CEO Slams Florida's 'Anti-Business' Move
The CEO of Disney, Bob Chapek, has criticized Florida's recent decision to increase business regulations. Chapek has called the move "anti-business," and has even threatened to move operations elsewhere. Florida's policy could potentially cost jobs and revenue, and Disney's stance has put pressure on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The debate over business regulations continues to be a contentious issue in the state.
Disney CEO Criticizes Florida's Recent Move
Florida's recent decision to increase business regulations has not gone unnoticed by the CEO of Disney, Bob Chapek. According to Chapek, the move is "anti-business," and could have negative consequences for companies like Disney. Chapek's criticism highlights the ongoing debate over how best to regulate businesses in the state.
Bob Chapek Calls Out "Anti-Business" Policy
Chapek's comments reflect a growing concern among business leaders in Florida about the state's regulatory environment. According to Chapek, the recent policy changes are a step in the wrong direction, and could make it more difficult for companies to operate in the state. Chapek's criticism also underscores the importance of maintaining a business-friendly environment, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Disney Threatens to Move Operations Elsewhere
In response to Florida's policy changes, Disney has threatened to move its operations elsewhere. This is a significant move, as Disney is one of the largest employers in the state, and its departure could have serious implications for the local economy. While it remains to be seen whether Disney will follow through on its threat, the company's stance has certainly put pressure on Florida officials to reconsider their approach to business regulation.
Florida's Move Could Cost Jobs and Revenue
One of the key concerns about Florida's recent policy changes is the potential impact on jobs and revenue. Critics argue that the new regulations could make it more difficult for businesses to operate and create jobs in the state. This, in turn, could lead to a loss of revenue for the state. With so much at stake, it is not surprising that the issue has become a hotly debated topic in Florida.
Disney's Stance Puts Pressure on Florida Gov.
Disney's threat to move operations elsewhere has put pressure on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to reconsider the state's regulatory approach. DeSantis has defended the policy changes, arguing that they are necessary to protect consumers and ensure a level playing field for businesses. However, the Governor's office has also indicated a willingness to listen to the concerns of business leaders like Chapek and to consider changes to the regulatory environment.
Debate Over Business Regulations Continues
While the specifics of Florida's policy changes may be up for debate, one thing is clear: the issue of business regulation is likely to remain a contentious topic in the state for some time to come. As companies like Disney continue to voice their concerns about the impact of new regulations, policymakers will need to weigh the benefits of increased consumer protections against the potential costs to businesses and the economy as a whole.
The controversy over Florida's business regulations is a reminder of the difficult balancing act that policymakers face when it comes to regulating businesses. While there is no easy answer to the question of how best to regulate businesses in the state, it is clear that the issue will continue to be a hotly debated topic in the years to come. As the state looks to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and rebuild its economy, finding the right balance between regulation and business-friendly policies will be more important than ever.
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Guns and the GOP....
After Mass Shootings, Republicans Expand Access to Guns
Mike Baker, Serge F. Kovaleski and Glenn Thrush
Thu, March 30, 2023 at 4:38 AM PDT
After a mass shooting at an elementary school in Texas last year prompted calls for new gun restrictions, Republican-led states around the country moved in the other direction. One of them was Tennessee, where the governor insisted that tighter firearms laws would never deter wrongdoers.
“We can’t control what they do,” Gov. Bill Lee said.
Tennessee lawmakers have instead moved to make firearms even more accessible, proposing bills this year to arm more teachers and allow college students to carry weapons on campus, among other measures.
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Then came the attack Monday at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, where a shooter carrying multiple weapons killed six people, including three children. The same day, a federal judge signed off on a state settlement allowing people as young as 18 to carry a handgun without a permit.
Amid the ghastly cadence of multiple mass shootings that have prompted calls for more comprehensive controls on guns, Republicans in statehouses have been steadily expanding access to guns.
In Kentucky, Ohio, Nebraska, Texas and Virginia, Republicans have pushed this year to limit gun-free zones, remove background checks and roll back red-flag laws that seek to remove firearms from those who are a danger to themselves or others.
“I think it’s gotten progressively worse over the years,” North Carolina’s Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, said in an interview. On Wednesday, the Republican-controlled legislature in his state overrode his veto and eliminated a century-old pistol permitting system.
In 25 states, no permits are required to carry a handgun — nine more than in 2020.
“That has been the most rapid expansion of gun rights at the state level that we have seen,” said Jacob Charles, an associate professor who specializes in firearms law at the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law.
Perhaps nowhere represents the shift to expand gun access more than Tennessee, a state at the crossroads of Appalachia, the upper South and lower Midwest whose politics on guns typify Red America’s rapid movement rightward on gun regulations.
In recent years, Republicans in the Tennessee state legislature — a 20-minute drive from the site of this week’s mass shooting — have passed a series of measures that have weakened regulations, eliminating some permit requirements and allowing most residents to carry loaded guns in public, open or concealed, without a permit, training or special background checks.
The decisions came even after a representative of the Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association rose at a legislative hearing to oppose the permitting measure, saying it would make knowing whether a person was unlawfully carrying a weapon more difficult for law enforcement.
Jerry Sexton, then a Republican state representative, accused him of wanting “to infringe upon the rights of us as a people.”
“I am offended by the fact that you are doing this,” Sexton said. “I say that you need to back off and let citizens be citizens.”
Republican leaders around the country have rushed to burnish their firearms credentials, mindful that even the suggestion that they are not all-in on gun rights could have political consequences.
A congressman in Georgia ran for the office in 2020 with yard signs featuring an AR-15 rifle. Former President Donald Trump made a point of appearing in person at the National Rifle Association convention in Houston in May 2022, not long after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Other candidates have repeatedly been using guns in television ads.
Rep. Andy Ogles, a Republican whose district includes the Covenant School where this week’s mass shooting took place, posted a Christmas photo of his family posing with rifles in 2021. The photo drew criticism this week in the aftermath of the killings.
“Why would I regret a photograph with my family exercising my rights to bear arms?” he said.
Missouri last year enacted a measure that made it illegal for local law enforcement to cooperate with federal authorities in many gun investigations. A federal judge this month struck down the law as unconstitutional.
The NRA remains a potent force on the right despite a recent drop in fundraising, amid questions about the lavish spending habits of its senior leadership in the Beltway. And the gun rights movement itself has become both more diffuse and influential, with local groups — including the Gun Owners of America and the conservative Dorr brothers network in the Midwest — gaining a following, and pressuring Republican state lawmakers from the right.
In the Nashville killing, the parents of the shooter — identified by police as Audrey E. Hale — had reported that their child was under doctors’ care and “should not own weapons,” said Chief John Drake of the Nashville Metro Police Department. The shooter had purchased seven firearms from five local gun stores and then used three of them during the attack.
The Republican initiatives have not been limited to statehouses. In Congress, the same day as the Tennessee shooting, the House Judiciary Committee chair, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, postponed a hearing during which he planned to make the case for a Republican bill to outlaw one of the modest regulatory efforts undertaken by the Biden administration, a requirement to register so-called stabilizing braces that allow semi-automatic pistols to be propped against the shoulder for easier, more focused firing.
Images of the weapons used in the Nashville shooting appeared to show that the killer owned such a brace and might have used it in the attack, according to law enforcement officials. It would not have been illegal to possess one — owners of the braces have until the end of May to register their weapons and pay a $200 fee to comply with the change.
“Democrats were going to turn this tragic event into a political thing,” Jordan told reporters at the Capitol on Monday night. He said he had no plans to withdraw the measure or to slow his push to loosen gun laws.
One of Tennessee’s senators, Marsha Blackburn, made no mention of gun control ideas but called on Congress to find ways to increase security in schools.
Lee vowed to “act to prevent this from happening again” in Tennessee but did not offer any specifics on how he planned to do so. A key committee in the state General Assembly decided to postpone the consideration of any bills relating to guns until next week, with state Sen. Todd Gardenhire, a Chattanooga Republican, saying, “We need to be respectful of those victims and the families of the victims.”
Researchers examining the impact of mass shootings on gun policy found a few years ago that states with Republican-controlled legislatures were more likely to loosen gun laws in the year after a mass shooting in their state than in other years.
States led by Democrats have long been pursuing more stringent gun control measures.
In Connecticut after the school shooting in Newtown in 2012, state lawmakers expanded an assault weapons ban, banned high-capacity magazines and implemented universal background checks. Oregon voters last year approved a sweeping gun control measure, which requires gun purchasers to get a permit and take a gun safety course, that is currently being challenged in court.
Other measures under consideration this year include efforts in Minnesota to make it easier to take guns from people deemed to be a threat, a plan in Oregon to ban untraceable guns that are assembled at home and a bill in Michigan to penalize those who leave guns in places accessible to children.
State Rep. Bo Mitchell, a Democrat from Nashville, has been outspoken about his opposition to various bills currently under review in the Tennessee legislature that would expand access to firearms, hoping instead that lawmakers might respond to the recent mass shootings with measures such as expanded background checks and a ban on assault rifles. The state, he noted, has dealt with a series of mass shootings and soaring gun deaths among youths.
“If guns made us safer, Tennessee should be one of the safest states in the country,” he said. “Instead, we have one of the worst gun violence problems in America.”
Hundreds of people gathered in Public Square Park in downtown Nashville on Wednesday for a vigil honoring those killed during this week’s shooting, cupping their hands around flickering white candles or shielding their eyes from the bright sun.
They embraced one another and wiped away tears, some singing along as musician Ketch Secor performed “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?”
The seven children of Mike Hill, a beloved custodian killed in the shooting, joined first lady Jill Biden, Mayor John Cooper, local leaders and law enforcement officials.
On the steps of the courthouse and at City Hall, they left flowers.
c.2023 The New York Times Company
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The Crypto Market Crash Is Driving Stablecoin Regulations
Crypto markets were already in bother before the stablecoin crisis of spring 2022. however, the Terra USD debacle touched off a way deeper malaise, that has contributed considerably to the current crypto winter. The disaster highlighted the necessity for a secure, dependable and compliant stablecoin development solution.
Stablecoins like USD Coin (USDC) are backed by real assets, whereas Terra USD was a completely different beast — an recursive stablecoin backed by nothing over the magic of laptop code. This created simple prey for savvy short-sellers.
After the dirt settled in June, the whole stablecoin business found itself beneath the microscope. The unsure foundations of this corner of the crypto market — especially recursive stablecoins — have attracted scrutiny from state and federal lawmakers and regulators.
“In early May, once Terra lost its peg, there was a rush to draw a line within the sand between algorithmic stablecoins and centralized stables that back their coins with money or debt instrument reserves, like USDT and USDC,” says Ross Fedenia, CFP, director of Atlatl Advisers.
Let’s consider how varied planned stablecoin rules are shaping up.
California and New York Mull New Crypto Regulations
In August, the American state Senate passed a bill requiring new licensing for cryptocurrency companies that operate in California.
Due to those licensing requirements, the bill prohibits California entities from commerce in stablecoins that are not commissioned either by a bank and backed by secure reserves or by the California Department of monetary Protection and Innovation.
The California bill additionally needs any stablecoin that a bank doesn’t issue, does not have tested reserves, and has nonetheless to receive licensure from the state of California to stay unable to be listed within the state.
This implies that most existing stablecoins would be banned from commerce in California.
This has harmful consequences for crypto exchanges, that use stablecoins to maneuver cryptocurrencies on, off, and around their platforms. While not stablecoins, these entities would be unable to conduct business.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has nonetheless to sign the bill into law, however, if he does, it’ll get into result in the Gregorian calendar month 2025.
California won’t be alone in setting its own rules and protocols for crypto exchanges and crypto companies.
New York, another US state of oversized importance, passed a BitLicense bill in 2015 that has set a precedent for state-level governance over cryptocurrency in place of a lack of federal regulations. Widespread crypto exchanges, such as Crypto.com and Binance. USA does not supply their services to NY residents.
Federal Stablecoin rules Are Coming
In a Sep report, the USA Department of the Treasury declared that the implications of stablecoins and their payment systems might be “difficult to predict.”
The moving of TerraUSD caught the eye of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who quickly started talking regarding the likelihood of stablecoin regulations.
According to Yellen, a regulative framework is required to protect against stablecoin risks.
“We allowed “experiments” like TerraUSD to dominate and grow considerably on the far side wherever they naturally ought to sit given their inherent risk,” says Alex McDougall, CEO of Stablecorp, who agrees that aggressive regulation may be a web positive for digital assets.
For these reasons and more, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Sen. Greek deity Lummis (R-WY) introduced a nonpartisan bill into the U.S. Senate in Gregorian calendar month dubbed the accountable monetary Innovation Act. Among different things, this bill appears to control “payment stablecoins.”
“It includes tax necessities for varied digital assets, and imposing stricter requirements for stablecoins, which, in keeping with Gillibrand, would have disallowed the TerraUSD coin,” Fedenia says.
The bill additionally includes provisions regarding cybersecurity and also the attainable creation of a self-regulatory organization and a few speech act requirements.
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Sports Betting - How to Get Started
Legalized sports betting is now available in many states, including New Jersey, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. In December, Ohio lawmakers passed a sports betting bill, which was signed by Gov. Mike DeWine. Now, the state's Casino Control Commission is writing regulations for the new industry. In December, Ohio announced that legal sports betting would begin Jan. 1, 2023. By the time it is fully operational, the state will have 25 licensed online sportsbooks. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Massachusetts struck a last-minute deal to make legal sports betting available in the commonwealth by the end of 2022. The first live operators could be in operation by that time, too.
Sports gambling can take many forms, ranging from the traditional moneyline bet to spread bets and parlays. There are even prop bets for individual teams and players. There is a bet out there for everyone, whether you're a casual fan or a serious pro. However, it's important to remember that the purpose of sports betting is to place money behind an outcome, with a chance of winning or losing money based on the result.
While gambling on sports is legal in most states, sports betting is still a high-risk activity. It's best to stick to gambling with money you can afford to lose. And remember that sports betting has higher risks than traditional investments. It is not wise to bet your entire life savings Tiger111 สมัคร. However, if you're willing to take the risks, sports betting is a great way to make money online.
Getting started with sports betting is relatively easy. The over/under lines help you get an idea of how much you can risk, and most sportsbooks make this process very user-friendly. However, picking winners can be more complicated than the over/under lines suggest. Luckily, over/under bets are easy to place, and there are plenty of options to choose from, including betting on college basketball games.
If you're new to sports betting, make sure to read up on the rules for your state. Sports betting is different from casino gambling because the odds are higher, and it rewards patience and research. It's a way to bet on the results of sporting events, and the odds that bookmakers provide are typically very accurate.
The most popular wagers in sports betting involve point spreads. Point spreads are numbers assigned by bookmakers to handicap one team and favor the other. Usually, the underdog receives more points than the favorite, and vice versa. The points can be as high as four or five points. Typically, point spread bets are offered at odds of 11 to 10. Consequently, you can bet a minimum of $10 to make a profit.
Many sports betting scandals have affected the integrity of sporting events. Some involved illegal gambling, while others involved bad calls made by officials. A few examples include the 1919 World Series, when Pete Rose admitted to betting illegally on baseball games. Another example involves NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who is accused of rigging Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference finals.
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DeSantis has vetoed a bill that would have penalized local governments for regulating businesses
DeSantis has vetoed a bill that would have penalized local governments for regulating businesses
Gov. Ron DeSantis dealt a blow to some companies by Friday vetoing a bill that would have required taxpayers to pay damages if a local government regulation causes a company to lose 15% of its revenue.
“The broad and ambiguous language of the bill will result in both unintended and unforeseen consequences and costly litigation,” DeSantis wrote in his veto message.
The measure, SB 620, would have…
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