Sunshine Slate

The Florida Department of Corrections now bans people in prison from receiving traditional mail, such as greeting cards and handwritten letters, requiring that it be scanned and sent electronically, with few exceptions. The department says the change was made to reduce contraband from entering facilities, but Denise Rock, executive director of Florida Cares Charity Corp. , sees it as choosing to punish the estimated 80,000 people in prison for an offense that affects less than 1% of the prison population. Rock said the department is taking away important intangibles, such as being able to hold and smell the paper a loved one has written on, “or touch the colors of the crayons that your child wrote a card to you. What we have found from talking to people that are both incarcerated or formerly incarcerated is that this stuff provided an invaluable connection back home.” Rock is urging the Department of Corrections to consider punishing only those who violate mail rules. The new rule...

Dive into a dreamy setting with designer sofa specialists Darlings of Chelsea. Darlings have launched a brand new luxurious bed range that will have you feeling like you are on cloud nine. From statement headboards to a large range of soft fabrics, immerse yourself in their new bed range , just in time for 2022 . This Windsor Headboard transforms any room with its classic yet elegant design. The deep button detail adds charm throughout and the large range of luxurious velvets, chenille, linens and wool fabrics allows you to match the style of your individual home, whether this is a soft minimalist look or a dark scandi setting. Throw yourself into the Cottagecore trend for 2022 with the Lyndhurst Buttoned Bed. This luxe bed will have you feeling like you are at a cottage retreat. Pair with neutral hues and wood finishes to bring this bed to life. Create a tranquil space with the Avebury Bed. Transforming living spaces into calming abodes have been at the forefront of everyone’s m...

A need for a modern medical healthcare plan, and structure was needed. And so on May 11th, 1751, the first hospital was authorized to be built in the state of Pennsylvania. A medical system that has become the most advanced in the world. Is it hospitable for physicians to charge clients outrageous prices for care? In the year of 2006, a medical administrator of the Central Georgia Medical Center stated that operating costs were one million dollars a day. The practice of medicine in the United States began in the 1600s, but many modern advancements in medical practices started to emerge after the industrial revolution. The pollution developed by the industrial age caused major health hazards, disease, and conditions, and this started the upward trend of costs for medical treatments. A former United States Representative by the name of Jim Ryun spoke with concerned words saying,” many American citizens receive employee health care coverage, but as health care costs surge; smaller b...

Power Press Machines A power press machine is a machine that utilizes for cutting, trimming, mixing, and getting any metal sheet into the required shape. This is a multi-reason machine used to shape the metal sheet to utilize for getting the best state of the parts to utilize in electric and electronic mechanical social events, vehicle industry. And so on Prior, the undertaking of giving shape to the metal sheet was done genuinely with unfathomable exertion and power. The power press machine manages this cycle by adding power. And exactness in the headway of pounding. Explore the  What are Power Press Machines? The functioning standard of Power Press Machine The power press machine deals with the standard of changing the metal sheet by applying the fundamental power. The central parts are a bed, hammer, hold, flywheel. And driving bar. Upper and lower gives join to pound. And when workpiece put on the bed sort out some way to the machine. And improvement started. Because of the...

The internet and modern technology have significantly transformed how human beings do things. Gone are the days when you were required to walk into a brick-and-mortar shop to get the attire you had been drooling over for some time. Today, you can purchase your clothes from a sexy clothing store at the comfort of your home using your computer, smartphone, or tablet. However, did you know some of the benefits of buying clothes online? That is the information you will be getting from this article. It Is Cheaper One of the reasons that can make physical shopping expensive is because you have to commute from home, which adds up to the increasing cost of buying attire. With online shopping, things are different because you shop right from your home. Checking out AMI Clubwear and other online shops is convenient because you do not incur extra costs, such as transportation or parking. It Saves You Time If you are busy, you can understand why saving that second, minute, or hour is essenti...

A record number of manatees have died this year, more than a thousand , and conservation groups warn hundreds more will die from starvation and illness, the result of Florida’s toxic sewage and polluted waters. At a memorial service today in Port St. John, participants are encouraged to wear black as they kayak or paddleboard near a Florida Power and Light plant, where an experimental feeding site will be set up to help feed the slow-moving manatees that used to graze on seagrass. Katrina Shadix, executive director of the group Bear Warriors United, said after a massive loss of habitat, she wished officials had moved faster to approve a federal supplemental feeding program. “The starvation deaths never stopped for the manatees,” Shadix observed. “They decreased, and that’s because two-thirds of the population migrated out. But for the one-third that call the Northern Indian River Lagoon home all year round, they have had no food. So, they’ve continued to starve, they’ve continued t...

Divorce is never a fun thing to deal with, but it can be even worse when you have kids. Though there is no way to keep the divorce from affecting them, there are some things you can do to help. Get Representation Any time divorce is on the agenda, it’s imperative to find a divorce lawyer . They are there to help guide you through the process which can take some of the stress off – stress that can negatively impact your children. In addition to that, your divorce lawyer can ensure that your rights and your children’s rights are protected. Know What You Want – And Be Willing to Bend Divorce is always a little easier when both parties can agree to the terms. However, this doesn’t always happen, as each party typically has a different goal in mind. For example, when children are involved, both parties may want custody. This, of course, can cause a problem and often ends in a court dispute. Sometimes, though, it can be avoided if a reasonable custody and visitation plan can be devised...

Showjumping is an equestrian event where competitors are required to guide their horses through an obstacle course of barriers over which they must jump. Being an incredibly dangerous and difficult sport, showjumping requires a lot of confidence to learn and compete in. There are a lot of aspects that go into successful showjumping besides just confidence, though. Let’s take a look into some important things to keep in mind when training and competing as a showjumper. Practice Good Safety As aforementioned, showjumping is a dangerous subset of the already dangerous equestrian sport. An equestrian competes while sitting atop an autonomous animal that weighs around one thousand pounds, roughly five feet in the air, traveling at up to about thirty miles per hour. A good rider will take no chances when it comes to safety. Standard showjumping safety gear includes tendon boots, an SEI-certified helmet, gloves, a safety vest, and a safety stirrup. Start Small Horses and riders alike wil...

In a few weeks, Iowa lawmakers return for the 2022 legislative session . Disability advocates say there are ways to rise above the divisive nature of politics and successfully connect with policymakers. In Estherville, Brittney Funston is the mother of Joscelyn, a 10-year-old girl living with cerebral palsy, autism, and intellectual disabilities. In recent years, Brittney has become a family advocate for the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council and increasingly involved in that. She said researching topics is key for those wanting to be an advocate. And, she said, if you happen to secure face time with a lawmaker, sharing a brief personal story is effective. “Not necessarily asking for their yes or their no on something but letting them know that there’s people in Iowa that rely on them,” said Funston. She said sharing a photo can help, because it allows policymakers to put a face on the situation. Funston, a member of the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council, said through...

Whether or not a business is doomed to fail can now be predicted by a new model from academics at the University of Cologne, LMU Munich, and ETH Zurich. The model, presented by Professor Markus Weinmann and his co-authors Christof Naumzik and Professor Stefan Feuerriegel, uses restaurants’ online ratings to detect business failures with an accuracy of over 78 percent. Using over 64,000 ratings of restaurants, the model estimates their hidden states—‘well-running’, ‘bad ratings but running’, and ‘at risk’—and links it to their likelihood of failure. Restaurants from the ‘well-running’ state display mostly positive experiences, whereas those from the ‘bad ratings but running’ state highlights consisted issues regarding customer satisfaction, yet remain in business due to certain factors such as long opening hours, location, and drive-through service. Examples of this include McDonalds and Burger King. Those restaurants ending up in the ‘at risk’ state have highly dispersed ratings—r...

North Dakota ‘s Legislature soon will see turnover, as more lawmakers announce they won’t seek re-election. Various reasons are cited, but some mention the heated rhetoric in policy debates. That’s prompting concern from a nonpartisan political group. Sens. Nicole Poolman, R-Bismarck, and Erin Oban , D-Bismarck, separately announced last month they won’t try to reclaim their seats. Both suggested that the erosion of civility in public discourse factored into their decisions. Tammy Patrick, senior adviser for the elections team at the Democracy Fund , said this topic comes up frequently in her conversations with public officials around the United States. “We’re seeing people leave office based on threats to themselves, their families, their staff,” she said, “and also, they’re feeling that they have an inability to truly serve and do the work they were elected to do.” She said conspiracy theories and conjecture around issues such as election fraud are fueling the rhetoric. Poolman a...

Doctors are becoming increasingly concerned about the growing wall of mental health problems stemming from the pandemic , with some predicting dire consequences for employers and the economy. Whilst many have again returned to home working or have social distancing in place, many employers are not aware that the responsibility for managing work-related mental health issues amongst their employees rests firmly on their shoulders. “We’re seeing an increased number of individuals who are troubled with mental health issues arising from the pandemic” says Dr. Greg Irons MBChB MFOM, an occupational health specialist practising in London. “The ongoing situation the UK is not only impacting those with pre-existing mental health conditions, it is affecting people who may previously have felt they were quite resilient and this can manifest itself in the workplace” he said. Specialists across the country have also expressed concerns about the impacts on workers’ mental health. Dr. Beverley ...

The fourth year of the Womens Freedom Song Contest is accepting entries starting Dec. 19 to March 1, 2022! They are looking for the next “Female Anthem.” Do you have an inspiring song about women to share? The contest is open to everyone who writes songs, (all genders too!), If the song celebrates the power of a woman in one (or all) aspects of her glory, send it in. They are not looking for production and performance. Originality, melody and lyrics are the main judging criteria. There is also a Music Video category and Lyric/Poem category. You are welcome to submit an “ indie ” music video with a “female theme,” (if you are not signed to a major label).  Foreign music videos are accepted with English subtitles. Lyrics and poems again should deal with some type of female empowerment theme. There are some highly skilled judges this year, with some golden ears. Your music will be in front of Brent Backhus (recording engineer for The Whispers, John Lee Hooker, Solomon Burke),...

Make sure to choose an adventure holiday that matches your interests and abilities. Picking the wrong adventure can lead to frustration and a ruined trip. Do your research and learn as much about the  destination and the activities  involved before your trip. This will help you plan for what to expect and make sure you are physically and mentally prepared for the challenges ahead: Make a Checklist Adventure holidays can be unpredictable, so it is important to get prepared. Make a checklist of everything you will need, including items like sunscreen, water and snacks, a first-aid kit, and your passport and tickets. That way, you will not forget anything important and can focus on enjoying your holiday. Stay Safe While on your adventure holiday, it is  important to stay safe.  Make sure to follow the safety instructions of your guide or tour operator, and always be aware of your surroundings. Do not take unnecessary risks, and remember that safety should be your n...

The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress contains $65 billion to give every American affordable access to broadband internet service. The need is pronounced in Florida ‘s small, rural towns, where reliable internet can be hard to find, a situation which came into focus when the world was thrust into doing everyday business online instead of in-person. Julio Fuentes, president and CEO of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said the pandemic exposed problems with lack of access that have been around for many years. “Then COVID comes around and it kind of got multiplied times a thousand,” Fuentes recounted. “It was kind of a slap in the face to wake up; that this is a real, real problem, you know, because obviously everybody was — kids were doing school from home and doctor’s appointments from home.” According to research from the group Broadband Now, affordability is Florida’s most pressing problem, as fewer than six in 10 Floridians h...

The New Year is quickly approaching. Having survived a pandemic and dealing with the ‘new normal’ many people could use some good news right now. There are more reasons for needing some good news. According to the Federal Reserve: “American household debt hit a record $14.6 trillion in the spring of 2021…” But that number is a bit generic and unrelatable. Here’s one that might strike closer to home: “According to financial experts, the percentage of Americans in debt is around 80% . 8 in 10 Americans have some form of consumer debt, and the average debt in America is $38,000, not including mortgage debt.” These financial numbers were compiled by folks who provide loans, do taxes and track debt. And, no surprise, home mortgages and student loans account for most of this consumer debt. There’s no doubt the current holiday season will contribute more to this growing number. Buying lots of stuff is a big obsession in our culture . (And Jeff Bezos appreciates that). Many of...

As more than 200 organizations call on the Biden administration to extend the pause on student-loan repayments , some borrowers are finding success through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. The Biden administration’s approach to student-loan relief so far has been on improving or expanding a handful of programs that already were on the books, even as advocates press for the campaign promise of canceling $10,000 in student debt per person. Susan Garcia is a professor of the New World School of the Arts at Miami Dade College, who said she was able to see her loans forgiven in the modified program for educators, nurses and public employees who give 10 years of service. “It is $92,000 of payments that are being forgiven, that have been forgiven,” said Garcia. “And for me that is, like, incredible because I’m, like, 58 years old, headed toward retirement, I have a 17-year-old son who is looking to go to college and trying to figure out how he’s going to do that.” Garcia is ...

Quebec Wood Export Bureau works with Brainpool.ai to create CarbonFixer, a building design tool to show benefits of using sustainable materials Quebec Wood Export Bureau (QWEB), a Canadian non-profit organisation promoting the use and export of timber, has created a Machine Learning (ML) tool – CarbonFixer – to pre-calculate the CO2 impact of choices in early-phase building designs. The tool has been developed with Brainpool.ai, a global AI consultancy, with the objective of helping the building sector to decarbonise by showing the CO2 impact of traditional concrete and steel in comparative scenarios with wood and bio-sourced building materials. Many architects are now aware that making concrete and steel creates vast amounts of CO2, with cement alone causing 8% of global emissions . The building sector, when including emissions from the building construction industry, accounts for 38 per cent of total global energy-related CO2 emissions . To achieve industry goals of being carb...

Driving a car is not as easy as you might think until it breakdowns in the middle of the road, disturbing the traffic while you are blank about what to do to get it moving. A little know-how about the basic mechanical functions and parts can help you save your face and get going on your way; however, you might not be able to handle complex issues on your own. The riders of the modern era prioritize safe and sound mobility over everything else, which is why more people prefer renting cars and that too from the dealers who offer roadside assistance. Still, you will need to make a judgment of the issue in order to make a call for help. Moreover, you might be risking your life with car breakdown issues, so learn about them to stay safe. Give a detailed read to this article to learn about car breakdown issues that need instant action, and you should not dare ignore them for a safe driving experience. Top 7 Car Breakdown Issues You Should Take Seriously Vehicles are nothing less than the...

This December 11 th at the Nona Adventure Park in Lake Nona, a Christmas festival called the Family Holiday Charity Event will take place with entertainment for the whole family. Led by the team known for creating fun real estate meetup events under the name The Real Estate Fun Squad and with the collaboration of local companies and professionals, this festival promises to be one that families won’t forget. The event will have the visit of Santa Claus and other holiday characters as well as music and fun and games for everyone. Tickets are only $10 and include food and access to raffles like a 1-day luxury rental from HOW Motors or special tickets to a concert at the Amway Center courtesy of Orange County Government. The event will also include 9 holiday-themed backdrops from the sponsors to take pictures in. The non-profit receiving the donation of profits in this event is the Covenant House of Florida in Orlando . The Covenant House is in the USA and Canada and shelters about...

Healthcare reform advocates are asking U.S. senators to pass the Build Back Better Act, saying it would provide a federal fix for the more than 400,000 uninsured Floridians in the Medicaid coverage gap. Build Back Better would expand the tax credits lower-income people use to pay for insurance plans bought on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Florida ‘s Republican leaders have continuously blocked Medicaid expansion in the state, so Alison Yager – executive director of the Florida Health Justice Project – said the fix is crucial to getting coverage to those without equal access to health care. “And it would ensure that low-income families who live in Florida and can’t afford private health insurance will have the access to comprehensive healthcare,” said Yager. “So, a lot of those people are working parents. It will finally enable them to take care of themselves and their families.” Florida Republican leaders have been adamant about rejecting the federal funding to expand Medic...

Entrepreneurial teams perform better if able to choose their own team members or their own ideas, finds new research from ESMT Berlin . However, this benefit to performance disappears if given autonomy to choose both. Scholars suggest autonomy can lead to better entrepreneurial team performance, but there are different types of autonomy. Viktoria Boss and Christoph Ihl, both from Hamburg University of Technology , and Linus Dahlander and Rajshri Jayaraman, both from ESMT Berlin, investigated how two types of autonomy affect the performance of entrepreneurial teams: choosing project ideas to work on and choosing team members to work with. The researchers ran a field experiment involving 939 students on a startup entrepreneurship course in which students are organised into teams to develop and pitch business ideas. Individuals were assigned to one of four scenarios: 1) choosing their team members and idea, 2) choosing their team members, 3) choosing their idea, or 4) choosing neither ...

Fact.MR – A Market Research and Competitive Intelligence Provider: The global Medical Gloves market is forecast to expand impressively at over 10% CAGR through 2021-2031. A new report on the Medical Gloves market by Fact.MR provides in-depth analysis of the growth scope, demand-supply patterns, and new trends for the forecast period of 2021 to 2031. As stated in the report, high demand for nitrile gloves will favor manufacturers, while their focus will be on lucrative markets such as North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. How are Governmental Initiatives Regarding Safety & Hygiene Bolstering Demand for Medical Gloves? Medical Gloves are a crucial part of maintaining hygiene and facilitating precautionary measures against infectious diseases, and have gained further popularity due to the pandemic. In a report titled “Medical Gloves for COVID-19”, published on 3rd September 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided regular updates and other guidelines regarding...