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☆ Travel news: Living in lighthouses, delivering during a flight and touring Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

This week has been rough for air travelers in the United States, but we have flight attendants’ secrets for surviving summer travel. Waterfront real estateThe US General Services Administration is giving away or auctioning lighthouses in New England. Like the small towns in Italy selling off houses for just 1 euro, these lighthouses come with stipulations. Written in stoneAnd while we’re on the subject of summer travel peak season, this period is often tourists-behaving-badly season. Dr. Sij Hemal was on a flight from Paris to New York when a fellow passenger reported severe abdominal pains.

Persons: CNN — It’s, you’ve, Ivan, Haley, ”, Sig Hemal, Susan Shepherd, Sij Hemal, Chelsea Dickenson, Dickenson, Richard Quest, Beckham Organizations: CNN, General Services Administration, Police, Cleveland, Asahi Shimbun Locations: United States, New England, Italy, Rome, United Kingdom, Paris, New York, Japan, Tottori Sand, Tokyo, Nagoya, Tottori, British, Macao, Vegas of Asia

WASHINGTON, June 26 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ordered the dismissal of a lawsuit by a group of congressional Democrats who had sought details about a government lease for a Washington hotel concerning when it was owned by former President Donald Trump. The court's action came after the lawmakers voluntarily dropped the case earlier this month. The justices had previously agreed to hear a bid by President Joe Biden's administration to block the lawsuit. The lawmakers sought information about a 2013 lease of the Old Post Office building to the Republican former president's company to convert it into a hotel. RELATED CONTENT: L1N37C1HQ "U.S. Supreme Court to hear dispute over Democratic bid for Trump hotel documents"Reporting by John KruzelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden's, John Kruzel Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Monday, Democratic, General Services Administration, GSA, Post, Republican, Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, Department, Trump, Thomson Locations: Washington

☆ Opinion | Approaches to Mental Illness
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the Editor:Re “There’s a Reason So Many People Quit Antipsychotic Drugs,” by Daniel Bergner (Opinion guest essay, June 4):Thank you to Mr. Bergner and The New York Times for countering hate and prejudice and raising a voice of reason on the subject of forced psychiatric treatment. There are so many of us: those who were harmed by forced treatment, those whose loved ones were harmed, those who lost loved ones to horrible physical side effects of psychotropic medications or to suicide when people chose death over another round of forced treatment. Patients flock to the few places that offer effective, humane treatment modalities (Open Dialogue, Soteria House). Providing housing without preconditions along with access to voluntary mental health services is the best evidence-based practice recommended by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and used with great results all over the world. But it does not create a lot of profit for pharmaceutical companies and psychiatric hospitals.

Persons: Daniel Bergner, Bergner Organizations: New York Times, Mental Health Services Administration, U.S . Department of Health

The indictment gives the clearest picture yet of the files that Mr. Trump took with him when he left the White House. Mr. Trump is expected to appear in Federal District Court in Miami on Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Trump continued to rail against the indictment on Friday, calling it the “greatest witch hunt of all time,” in a Truth Social post. Two lawyers, James Trusty and John Rowley, have left Mr. Trump’s legal team, and will no longer represent him in the documents case. “I will be represented by Todd Blanche, Esq., and a firm to be named later,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Jack Smith, “, ”, Waltine, —, Nauta, Trump’s, FVEY, Aileen M, Cannon, Judge Cannon, Biden, James, John Rowley, Todd Blanche, ” Mr, Charlie Savage, Nicholas Nehamas Organizations: White, “ United, Prosecutors, Mr, Court, General Services Administration Locations: “ United States, United States, Florida, Iran, Bedminster, N.J, U.S, Britain , New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Miami, White, Mar, Esq

☆ ChatGPT’s responses to suicide, addiction, sexual assault crises raise questions in new study
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And regulators could help monitor that such responses offer accurate and reliable information and resources. They’re underutilized already,” said John Ayers, an author of the study and a behavioral scientist at the University of California, San Diego. He said that now, while ChatGPT is still in development, is the time for public health experts and regulators to join forces with the chatbot’s developers to help curate responses to medical questions. The chatbot provided resources in two responses to a question about addiction, two responses for questions related to interpersonal violence and one response to a mental health-related question. “ChatGPT consistently provided evidence-based answers to public health questions, although it primarily offered advice rather than referrals,” the researchers wrote in their study.

Persons: They’re underutilized, ”, John Ayers, ChatGPT, “, –, ” Ayers, ” ChatGPT, “ ChatGPT, Ayers, Dr, Mike Hogarth, Sanjay Gupta, David Asch, Asch, ” Asch, he’d, Deidre McPhillips Organizations: CNN, JAMA, University of California, UC San Diego, Anonymous, Mental Health Services Administration National, Prevention, UC San Diego School of Medicine, Eating Disorders Association, CNN Health, University of Pennsylvania, Penn Medicine Center, Health Care Innovation Locations: San Diego, United States

☆ The U.S. is giving away 6 lighthouses—here's what it's like to actually own one: 'It's truly a labor of love'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The U.S. is giving away and auctioning off lighthouses across the East Coast and Midwest. The GSA will also sell four lighthouses in Ohio, Connecticut, Michigan and New York in a public auction. But there's a catch: While the lighthouse is free, the new owners will be responsible for the cost of upkeep and maintenance. Warwick Neck Light is located on Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island and is one of the lighthouses being given away for free. Kelly told TIME that there are nonprofits that already maintain some of the lighthouses being offered up this year.

Persons: you've, John Kelly, Kelly, Richard Cucé, Blastco, Cucé Organizations: U.S . General Services Administration, GSA, CNBC, TIME, Istock, Getty, U.S . Navy, U.S, Congress, Historic Lighthouse Locations: East Coast, Midwest, Massachusetts , Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Ohio , Connecticut, Michigan, New York, Narragansett, Old Saybrook , Connecticut, Hopper, Chesapeake, Penfield, Fairfield , Connecticut

☆ Here are six lighthouses the government is literally giving away for free
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US General Services Administration (GSA) is offering a record number of lighthouses to the public. The GSA will give away six to nonprofits and government entities, and sell another four via public auction. The lighthouses are being offered as part of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. Since its inception, over 150 lighthouses have circulated through the NHLPA program, the GSA said. See the six lighthouses that GSA is giving away for free this year:

☆ Fixer-Uppers With Waterfront Views: The U.S. Is Unloading Lighthouses
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Michael Levenson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Looking for a place with waterfront views? The government might have a deal for you. The General Services Administration said on Friday that it was giving away six lighthouses to nonprofits or government agencies that promise to maintain them, and planned to sell four others to the public at auction. The lighthouses are on some of the most picturesque waters in New England and the Midwest. But aspiring lightkeepers should be prepared to do some repair work before living out their 19th-century maritime fantasies.

The opulent hotel with a soaring clock tower, located on Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the U.S. Capitol, opened shortly before Trump was elected in 2016. The hotel became a gathering spot for Trump supporters, lobbyists and foreign dignitaries, who Democrats and watchdog groups complained could patronize the hotel in order to curry favor with Trump when he was in office. Lawsuits accused Trump of violating the U.S. Constitution's anti-corruption provisions by maintaining ownership of his businesses including the Washington hotel while in office. The justices ordered those cases dismissed because they became moot with Trump leaving office in 2021 after his election loss to Biden, a Democrat. Some of the lawmakers who sued are no longer part of the committee while some others are no longer in Congress.

☆ Alzheimer’s patients may wait years to get treated with new drugs, putting them at risk of more severe disease
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +17 min

But time spent waiting robs early patients of their memory and ability to live independently. This condition is often, though not always, a sign of early Alzheimer's disease. PET scans cumbersomeTwo types of tests can diagnosis Alzheimer's disease: PET scans and spinal taps. Early Alzheimer's disease can also be diagnosed with a spinal tap, in which fluid around the spinal cord is extracted with a catheter and tested. He believes big players like CVS will provide infusions for Alzheimer's disease on a major scale if they see there's a large and stable market.

☆ DOJ charges 18 people — including doctors — in massive Covid health-care fraud takedowns
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Other cases involved the alleged manufacture and distribution of fake Covid vaccine record cards. But instead of administering the Covid vaccine, the defendants allegedly destroyed vials of the vaccines intended for patients, the DOJ said. Two people in Utah were also charged with allegedly manufacturing and selling about 120,000 fake Covid vaccine cards. The DOJ said the people charged with distributing fake vaccine cards "intentionally sought to obstruct" the federal government's efforts to roll out a nationwide Covid vaccine program. They also follow similar criminal charges related to Covid fraud schemes in April 2022 and May 2021.

☆ ADHD medication abuse in schools is a ‘wake-up call’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Schools with the highest rates of teens using prescribed ADHD medications were about 36% more likely to have students misusing prescription stimulants during the past year, the study found. Schools with more White students and those who had medium levels of student binge drinking were also more likely to see teen abuse of stimulants. “But these findings were not being driven solely by teens with ADHD misusing their medications,” McCabe said. Research has also shown people who misuse ADHD medications are highly likely to have multiple substance use disorders. “Parents can make sure the schools their kids attend have safe storage for medication and strict dispensing policies.

☆ Health plans could soon reduce coverage for preventive care. Here's what to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Around 100 million people with private insurance got preventive care required under the ACA in 2018, one estimate found, making it the provision with the widest reach. Insurers generally must not impose copays or deductibles on the recommended preventive care. "Many preventive care services are not covered by this decision," Simon said. Health plans will still be required to ensure no copays for many preventive services, including birth control and mammograms, Simon said. Some states have their own mandates, meanwhile, around free preventive care.

☆ Government employees have received gifts worth thousands, but the CIA destroys many of the items it receives
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The State Department released a record of gifts given to government employees over the last several years. The gifts range from the minimum required value for reporting of $415 to over $10,000. The gifts span a wide variety, from furniture and books to valuable pens, jewelry, and clothing worth several thousand dollars. "When an agency receives foreign government gifts, there are several options for disposing of the gift permissibly," a CIA spokesperson told Fox Business. "When an employee receives a foreign government gift exceeding minimal value, the agency may make official use of the gift or may display it.

☆ U.S. Appeals Court Sides With Drugmakers on Discount Program
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Anna Wilde Mathews | Joseph Walker | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The ruling by a three-judge panel of the Philadelphia-based Third Circuit Court of Appeals can be appealed. A U.S. appeals court ruled that pharmaceutical companies can limit their shipments of federally-discounted drugs to pharmacies, in a major win for the drugmakers and a blow to hospitals and clinics that receive the low-priced medicines. The ruling on Monday, by a three-judge panel of the Philadelphia-based Third Circuit Court of Appeals, was in favor of drugmakers Sanofi SA, AstraZeneca PLC and Novo Nordisk A/S, and against the Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA, which oversees the federal drug-discount program known as 340B.

A "small number" of classified documents were discovered last week at former Vice President Mike Pence’s Indiana home, according to two letters Pence’s counsel sent to the National Archives obtained by NBC News on Tuesday. Pence's team “immediately” secured the classified documents in a locked safe, Jacob said. The transfer was facilitated by Pence’s personal attorney, who has experience in handling classified documents and was involved with the Jan. 16 discovery. Pence spokesman Devin O’Malley later told NBC News that “no potential classified documents” were found at the offices of Pence’s organization Advancing American Freedom after Pence’s team searched the offices and the former vice president’s home in Indiana. In a statement Tuesday, Comer said Pence reached out to the panel about classified documents found at his Indiana residence.

☆ Firms use Google ads to entice small businesses to pay for help the gov't provides free
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Jesselyn Cook | Jesselyn Cook Is An Investigative Tech Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

Several draw in unwitting customers like Talbot through Google ads that outrank the legitimate SAM.gov page, illustrating the ease of buying visibility on the world’s largest search engine. Google removed the ads for a number of these sites in response to an inquiry for this article but subsequently reversed its decision. “We have strict ads policies that govern the types of ads and advertisers we allow on our platforms,” Google spokesperson Davis Thompson said in a statement. But the Small Business Administration urges people not to spend their precious resources on these services when so many free alternatives exist. She expects new, prominently displayed Google ads to play a part in the problem.

☆ Gen Z loves the flip phone
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Now, Gen-Z’s latest “vintage” obsession is the flip phone – that mid-1990s era phone that has suddenly become oh so popular with millennials. “I’m team flip phone revolution,” singer Camila Cabello tweeted Thursday, posing with a TCL flip phone, vintage. Maybe I can write the theme song guys 💪💪💪💪 pic.twitter.com/yOJgCdAgNq — camila (@Camila_Cabello) January 13, 2023“I found a little 90s, Matrix-y flip phone,” Cameron said. “At parties people will say, ‘oh my goodness, is that a flip phone?,’” Palazzolo said. And yes, new Nokia flip phones are still available – the Nokia 2760 Flip is sold at Walmart from prepaid brands such as Verizon for $19.99.

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☆ Why experts worry TikTok could add to mental health crisis among US teens
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

TikTok is far from the only social platform to be scrutinized by lawmakers and mental health experts for its impact on teens. That’s problematic because the more time a teen spends on social media, the more likely he or she is to be depressed. Psychologists say as smartphones and social media grew around 2012, so did the rate of depression among teens. But teens say it’s not the most egregious videos that keep them engaged. The majority of teens say social media can be a space for connection and creativity, according to Pew Research.

☆ Factbox: What's in the U.S. Congress's Electoral Count Reform Act?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Here are details on the Electoral Count Reform Act, which lawmakers included in a year-end government funding bill:AIMS TO PREVENT ANOTHER JAN. 6The bipartisan effort would rewrite the 1887 Electoral Count Act, which lays out the process by which Congress tallies the state-by-state results from a presidential election and formally certifies the winner. Trump and his advisers had cited provisions of the 1887 law as they pressed Republican allies to overturn his loss. BIPARTISAN SUPPORTWhile other election-law reforms have foundered in Congress this year due to Republican opposition, the Electoral Count Reform Act has solid bipartisan support, at least in the Senate. Trump had urged his vice president, Mike Pence, to prevent lawmakers from certifying Biden's victory. Current law requires Congress to consider a challenge if only one lawmaker from each chamber raises an objection.

☆ Suicide prevention: Signs, risk factors and how to help
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Suicide is a leading cause of death among children and adults, but spotting risk factors and warning signs isn’t easy. Here are some of the most common behavioral, verbal and emotional signs and risk factors you should pay attention to, according to experts. Mood and other risk factorsPsychological factors, distressing situations or genetics can increase the likelihood of someone considering, attempting or dying by suicide, according to SAMHSA. These risk factors can’t cause or predict a suicide attempt, but being aware of them is important, according to SAMHSA:Hopelessness. “You’re not going to cause someone to be suicidal by asking directly about suicide,” Baker said.

A source familiar with the matter confirmed the DOJ's request, which was first reported by The Washington Post. The request comes after Trump's lawyers recently discovered at least two documents with such markings in a storage unit in West Palm Beach, Florida. That search turned up over 100 documents with such markings, including some marked top secret, in a storage room in Mar-a-Lago and in Trump's office there. Judge Beryl Howell's hearing on the DOJ’s request, and the legal arguments underpinning it, are being kept under wraps because they involve grand jury proceedings. Corcoran drafted the June letter certifying all documents with classification markings had been returned, NBC News has previously reported.

☆ The Pentagon Marches Off to Climate War
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The war in Ukraine is draining U.S. arms stockpiles while geopolitical risks grow. Yet the Biden Administration is worried about—you can’t make this up—the climate impact of U.S. weapons and wants to impose costly green mandates on federal contractors. A little-noticed rule-making proposed by the Department of Defense, NASA and the General Services Administration last month would require federal contractors to disclose and reduce their CO2 emissions as well as climate financial risks. The rule would cover 5,766 contractors that have received at least $7.5 million from the feds in the prior year.

That search came after the feds issued a subpoena in May demanding the return of any documents marked classified that left the White House with Trump. Trump’s lawyers hired an outside firm to conduct searches last month at the storage facility and other locations. One of the sources said Trump has never been inside the storage facility. The pallets were delivered in August of 2021, with four going to the storage facility and two going to Mar-a-Lago, the emails show. The discovery of the new documents is further evidence that Trump and his team did not fully comply with a grand jury subpoena issued in May seeking all documents marked classified still in their possession.

☆ Google, Oracle, Amazon, and Microsoft awarded $9 billion Pentagon cloud deals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Pentagon said Wednesday that Amazon , Google , Microsoft and Oracle each received a cloud-computing contract that can reach as high as $9 billion each through 2028. Originally, the Pentagon had awarded the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure, or JEDI, to Microsoft in 2019. A legal battle ensued as Amazon, the top player in the cloud infrastructure market, challenged the Pentagon's decision. Last year the Pentagon changed its approach, asking for bids from Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Oracle to address cloud needs. Oracle generated $900 million in cloud infrastructure revenue in the quarter that ended Aug. 31, a small fraction of the $20.5 billion total for Amazon's cloud subsidiary, Amazon Web Services, in the third quarter.

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