Tag: News

Fisherman Reels In Cocaine

The fisherman found a bale of cocaine worth a reported $500,000.

A south Florida fisherman got a surprise catch when he spotted a bale of cocaine after returning from a day on the ocean.

According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, which covers the Florida Keys, a fisherman noticed something floating beneath the docks when he returned from a day out at sea. When he cut into the package and saw white powder, he alerted authorities.

Sheriff’s Office Deputy Martin Digrius and Coast Guard officials responded, and the US Border Patrol also arrived on the scene. Inside the plastic package, authorities found 25 smaller packages, which contained 40-60 pounds of cocaine, the sheriff’s department said. According to The Miami Herald, the cocaine was worth about $500,000.

Cocaine use has been rising, especially as the drug becomes more commonly used alongside opioids. The amount of cocaine seized by the Coast Guard has been increasing: In 2015, the agency seized 145 tons of the drug and detained 503 people; by 2017 those numbers had risen to 225 tons and 708 suspects, according to The Miami Herald.

Intercepting cocaine in the ocean — or even washed up on beaches — isn’t wholly unusual in Florida and on the West Coast, but it still makes headlines.

In December of 2017, Coast Guard sailors rescued a sea turtle that was floating amid 1,800 pounds of cocaine, worth about $53 million.

“After a period of lengthy questioning, it was determined the turtle did not have any useful information. We released him on his own recognizance after he agreed not to return to these waters again. #turtlesmuggler,” the agency posted on Twitter.

They followed up with a more somber note:

“In all seriousness, we love our sea creatures and do everything we can to help them when we see them in distressed situations. Additionally, during this patrol nearly seven tons of illicit narcotics with a street value over $135 million was confiscated.”

Intercepting cocaine in the ocean before it lands in the US can help save lives, Acting US Attorney Alana Robinson said in September 2017.

“The seizure of this cocaine means tens of thousands of pounds won’t make it to our communities and hundreds of millions of dollars won’t make it into cartel coffers,” she said.

“To drug traffickers who may think they are invisible in the middle of what seems to be a vast, empty ocean: You are not alone. We are doing everything we can to prevent you from using the high seas as your personal freeway.”

View the original article at thefix.com

4 January 2019
"Glee" Star Jesse Luken Arrested For DUI

The 35-year-old actor was released on $5,000 bail.

Jesse Luken, who played Bobby “Boom Boom” Surette on the TV musical Glee, allegedly crashed his car after driving drunk last month.

Police in Glendale, California. responded to a call about a single-car crash and found Luken in the driver’s seat of his Toyota, which was driven up onto the curb. The front tire was damaged and the airbag was deployed, according to TMZ.

Citing law enforcement sources, TMZ reported that Luken smelled strongly of alcohol, which prompted police to administer a field sobriety test. Luken failed that, and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Fox News reported that the actor, 35, posted a $5,000 bail and was released from jail.

Glee, which aired on Fox, was a hit between 2009 and 2015. However, since the show ended the former cast has had a series of legal entanglements and tragedies. In 2013, the show’s star, Cory Monteith, died of an overdose of heroin and alcohol shortly after completing a 30-day stint in rehab.

Prior to his death at age 31, Monteith had been open about his addiction, saying that he had been struggling with substance abuse since he was 13.

“I don’t want kids to think it’s OK to drop out of school and get high, and they’ll be famous actors, too,” he said. “But for those people who might give up: Get real about what you want and go after it. If I can, anyone can.”

In 2016, Glee actress Naya Rivera wrote in her memoir about Monteith’s death, and how it affected the cast.

“I doubt I’m alone in feeling a lot of regret about his death,” she wrote, according to E! News. “Since he died, a lot of us have spent time wondering and talking about what would have happened if someone had stepped in or confronted him about what was going on. Or what if he’d been trying to talk to someone about what was going on and just thought no one cared?”

Glee’s director, Adam Shankman, sought treatment for substance abuse disorder in 2013.

“His friends and family support him and wish him well on his journey to recovery,” a representative said at the time.

In January of 2018, another Glee actor, Mark Salling, was found dead by suicide. Salling pleaded guilty in October 2017 to possession of child pornography. He was facing four to seven years in prison, as well as fines and registration as a sex offender.

View the original article at thefix.com

3 January 2019
How Hard Is It To Quit Vaping?

A new report offers multiple firsthand accounts of the difficulties of quitting vaping.

Many people are concerned about young adults and vaping. Juul, the biggest e-cigarette company around, has come under fire for being popular with teens and for making their products attractive to young people with their ad campaigns.

Now a report in USA Today has revealed that withdrawing from vaping can be very difficult, and it can lead to symptoms of depression and anxiety.

A mortgage banker named Andrea “Nick” Tattanelli told USA Today that quitting vaping was “hell” and that he suffered from depression for three days. “It’s delicious. It’s too attractive,” Tattanelli explained. “You don’t make something you can vape in a watermelon flavor and think people aren’t going to do it all the time.”

Tattanelli is 39, and he turned to vaping to wean himself off cigarettes. Tattanelli had been a smoker since he was 17, and he did finally leave cigarettes behind, but the withdrawals he, and many others, have suffered, have made the FDA question if vaping is a good way to quit cigarettes.

As one rehab director, Dr. Malissa Barbosa, said, “The studies aren’t fully available around vaping and I’m very conservative. This is new, and I say, ‘Why aren’t we thinking of traditional means of quitting?’”

Another smoker, Kevin Kee, also tried vaping as a way to stop smoking, but he realized vaping was a harder habit to break. And yet another vaper, Elvijs Arnicans, wrote on Facebook that he had been off vaping for two weeks, and he wished he knew how tough it was going to be before he stopped.

He experienced “intense tiredness for the first three days, and then the cravings intensify as the brain fog clears.” He also felt “no enjoyment in pleasurable activities experienced until about day three.”

Barbosa told USA Today only one patient she treated has been able to stop vaping, and the patient suffered headaches, agitation and nausea.

In a first person account for The Fix, Amy Dresner recalled that her first two days after quitting vaping weren’t bad, “but on day 3 or 4 it got gnarly. Unlike quitting cigarettes, I didn’t feel so much agitated as I felt physically ill; nausea, mouth sores, sore throat, achy and incredible lethargy. And then a mild depression came over me. As somebody who has ferociously struggled with clinical depression for over 20 years, just the hint of it popping back up alarms me.”

On January 19, the FDA will be holding a hearing about teens and nicotine addiction. The FDA has good reason to be concerned, and regulators are now calling vaping an “epidemic.”

The current stats report that 3.6 million people in middle and high school are using e-cigarettes, and close to 21% of high school seniors have confessed they’ve vaped in the last 30 days, an 11% jump from 2017.

View the original article at thefix.com

3 January 2019
Can Tarot Cards Improve Mental Health?

One expert says tarot card reading for mental health can be helpful in ways similar to meditation.

Sometimes tools for managing mental health can be found in unlikely places — such as tarot cards.

According to Teen Vogue, some individuals are finding comfort and meaning in the cards, which contain pictures, words and symbols. Psychotherapist Jessica Dore is one such person. Each morning, Dore shares a card on her Twitter feed and discusses the implications and interpretations it may have in regards to topics like relationships, boundaries and guilt.

“The work that I do is really focused on trying to help people figure out what it is that they want, what is important to them, what are their values, and then also what is getting in the way of them moving in that direction,” Dore tells Teen Vogue. “There’s all these different ways of helping people see that for themselves through the tarot cards.”

Over past centuries, Teen Vogue reports, the way people utilize and read tarot cards has evolved. Some think they are a tool for divination, while others feel they can be used for understanding one’s world and circumstances.

Dr. Rachel O’Neill, a therapist with online therapy website Talkspace, says tarot card reading for mental health can be helpful in ways similar to meditation, such as being mindful and taking in the present moment.

“I think that there is so much space within tarot to find meaningful strategies that go beyond the card reading,” she says. “For example, looking at the card and just taking in what you are seeing, and even using it to practice acceptance without judgement. Be objective, instead of saying what does this mean, is this a bad card or a good card, just kind of accept the card and ask how is this personally meaningful to me?”

For Lisa Nwankwo, working the cards into her morning routine has helped her learn to reshape her thinking.

“To start the day I’ll pull a card to see how my day is going to go,” she tells Teen Vogue. “I use it for guidance. Based on the cards that come up, it might be something that is ‘negative’ like The Tower. Instead of thinking, OK, today is going to be a bad day, it just reframes how I am going to approach this day. It gives you a different perspective.”

Nwankwo adds that interpreting tarot cards can aid in self-confidence and ownership over circumstances.

“My advice is to really use tarot as a way of inquiry and not confirmation,” she says. “Ask a question like, where should I focus my energy for the day? Honestly the best ways to make an internal change towards your health and wellness is to feel like it is coming from you, with tarot you can have ownership over that because you are guiding yourself.”

View the original article at thefix.com

3 January 2019
Dry January Has Many Benefits, Research Reveals

A reduction in year-round drinking is one of the many benefits of going dry for the entire month of January, new research shows.

For some, saying no to alcohol for the first month of a new year is viewed as the ultimate way to reset — especially after the holidays.

Known as Dry January, this movement initially began as a public health campaign in the UK, Inverse reports. It has gained popularity in recent years, and new research from the University of Sussex indicates it holds a plethora of benefits for participants.

“The brilliant thing about Dry January is that it’s not really about January,” Dr. Richard Piper, CEO of Alcohol Change UK, tells Inverse. “Being alcohol-free for 31 days shows us that we don’t need alcohol to have fun, to relax, to socialise.”

The recent research involved three online surveys, Inverse reports. The first had 2,821 participants who agreed to take part in Dry January. The second survey involved 1,715 people in the first week of February. Then, the third involved 816 participants in August.

Of those, participants who completed Dry January and all three of the surveys were found to have something in common: They were drinking less in August. More specifically, Inverse states, their self-reported numbers indicated that their weekly days involving drinking decreased from 4.3 to 3.3. Their average consumption decreased from 8.6 units per day to 7.1, and they reported being drunk about 2.1 times monthly instead of 3.4 times.

But decreased drinking wasn’t the only benefit found among those who had completed Dry January. The research also revealed that 88% saved money, 71% experienced better sleep, 70% saw general health improvements, 67% claimed to have more energy and 58% saw a decrease in weight.

Organizations like Alcohol Change UK encourage people to participate in the month. Alcohol Change UK even offers free access to their Dry January app and continued support.

“The good news is that Dry January is the perfect training ground for helping you cut down from February onwards,” the website reads. “Cutting down permanently is, for many people, very hard, because habits are hard to break. Dry January is an excellent way of learning what your habits are and how to break them, enabling you to cut down longer-term. You can think of it as a bootcamp for drinking self-control.”

Despite the benefits, the research team raises the point that Dry January may be dangerous for some individuals. For heavy drinkers, quitting cold turkey can induce withdrawal, which involves symptoms like sweating, restlessness, insomnia, nausea, stomach cramps and hallucinations.

For such individuals, the team suggests speaking with a medical professional before taking part in Dry January.

View the original article at thefix.com

3 January 2019
"Bird Box" Raises Mental Health Concerns Among Some Viewers

The Netflix blockbuster has received some backlash for its portrayal of individuals with mental health issues.

If you read the news or take part in social media, you’ve likely heard of the new Netflix sensation Bird Box.

The film, starring Sandra Bullock, is classified as a psychological thriller and is based on a novel that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. The film is quite graphic at parts, and, according to Psychology Today, could have some underlying messages about mental health.

In a recent column, Shainna Ali, PhD, notes that some viewers have voiced that the movie should contain trigger warnings for certain parts. While Bird Box is rated R, implying there may be “adult themes, adult activity, hard language, intense or persistent violence, sexually-oriented nudity, drug abuse or other elements,” it’s not quite clear to viewers exactly what the film will entail.

“While this rating is a helpful, it’s rather broad and fails to include specific elements pertaining to mental health,” Ali writes. “A system designed to flag potential warnings for children is an excellent start, but adults are not immune to being affected by triggering themes as well. The current classification could benefit from specifiers pertaining to mental health trigger warnings for themes such as anxiety, trauma, self-harm, and suicidality.”

Some viewers, such as Twitter user @seraphfem, took to social media to voice their concerns.

“trigger warnings for bird box on netflix: suicide, self harm, gore. lots of blood, graphic depictions and sounds of death/suicide. suicide via oncoming traffic, building jump, self inflicted gunshot, self inflicted head bashing, and self inflicted stab wound to the neck,” seraphfem tweeted.

In addition to triggering scenes, Bird Box has also taken some flak for the way it portrays individuals struggling with their mental health.

“Bird Box has received criticism for perpetuating negative portrayals of individuals living with mental health concerns, specifically those who are hospitalized,” Ali writes. “Some hidden messages could be gathered as well, such as the inability for others to see the problem and the subsequent tendency to minimize the gravity of the problem.”

Additionally, Ali adds that the way the film is interpreted depends greatly on the life experiences of the viewer.  

“Some people may experience triggers pertaining to their lived experiences, while others may not,” she says. “Some people may view the film as negatively depicting health disparities, while some may point to scenes that highlight positive portrayals. Some people may see a statement on the state of society, while others may feel a poignant connection to their own life.”

View the original article at thefix.com

3 January 2019
Does Pot Use Really Affect Sperm Count?

A Duke University study explored the possible correlation between THC concentrations in urine and viable sperm count.

The research on whether marijuana can have a detrimental effect on sperm production in men has produced varying results, with some studies suggesting that usage may result in a lower sperm count and/or abnormal sperm genetics, while others claim no correlation exists.

New research from Duke University Medical Center supports the former position by showing that high concentrations of THC – the compound in marijuana that produces a euphoric response – in urine appeared to correspond to a lower sperm count as well as changes to the DNA structure of the sperm. Though the test subject group was limited to 24 participants, and additional research would be required to identify the specific risks of marijuana use to sperm, the study data did appear to correspond to results from previous studies.

According to Live Science, the Duke University study – published in the journal Epigenics – is the first to illustrate the correlation between THC concentrations in urine and viable sperm count.

Of the 24 participants – 12 of which were marijuana users and 12 of which were not – the sperm concentration in the latter group was twice as high as that of the former group. The study also noted epigenetic changes in sperm DNA among the former group – alterations to the “chemical tags,” as Live Science described them, that regulate gene expression.

The higher the concentration of THC in the test group’s urine, the more significant the changes to the sperm DNA, most notably in genes that help bodily organs reach their full size and for basic growth during development. A corresponding study on rats revealed a similar pattern in the same genes. However, such changes may not be permanent; sperm, damaged or not, are reabsorbed in the body if not ejaculated after 70 days.

As lead author Susan Murphy – chief of the Division of Reproductive Sciences in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Duke – noted, “The sperm DNA . . . is not mutated in the traditional sense” by marijuana, and “epigenic alterations can affect gene regulation without changing the DNA sequence.”

Ultimately, the study could not determine whether the changes to sperm count and DNA determined by their study had an actual effect on fertilization or offspring, but Susan Murphy suggested that damaged sperm could have an adverse effect if it resulted in a viable embryo. In that case, individuals who are trying to conceive should consider abstaining from marijuana use

“In the absence of a larger, definitive study, the best advice would be to assume these changes are going to be there [in sperm],” she noted. “I would say, as a precaution, stop using cannabis for at least six months before trying to conceive.”

View the original article at thefix.com

3 January 2019
KTLA News Anchor Chris Burrous Dies After A Suspected Overdose

Burrous had been a morning news anchor at KTLA since 2011.

Broadcaster Chris Burrous, who anchored the morning news on Los Angeles’ KTLA, was found unresponsive at a Days Inn motel in Glendale, California and died on December 27, 2018 at an area hospital.

Police in Glendale issued a statement which noted an individual who was with Burrous at the time of his death indicated that he had possibly suffered a drug overdose, and was administering aid when firefighters arrived at the motel. The 43-year-old who was a fixture at the CW affiliate since 2011, was a familiar face to Los Angeles television audiences, and colleagues expressed their condolences to his family via social media.

According to the Glendale Police report and a news briefing by Glendale Police Sgt. Dan Suttles, members of the city’s fire department responded to an afternoon call from the aforementioned male individual, who had contacted police to report that Burrous had passed out and was not breathing due to a possible overdose while both were at the Days Inn.

Suttles, who said that the individual “appeared to be a friend” of the news anchor, did a “good job of trying to render aid” when firefighters appeared at the scene. Burrous was given CPR and then transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The report noted that Glendale detectives are investigating the case, and while suicide appeared to be ruled out as a cause of death, they are currently awaiting a toxicology report from the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. No additional details of the police investigation were available.

Burrous, whose family hailed from California’s Central Valley, joined the KTLA news staff after serving as a reporter and anchor at various locations across the United States, including KGET in Bakersfield, where he met and married fellow journalist Mai Do-Burrous, with whom he had a nine-year-old daughter.

As an anchor at KTLA, Burrous helped to expand its morning news programming to seven days a week, while also serving as correspondent for other telecasts, including coverage of the recent California wildfires. Burrous also hosted a regular segment titled “Burrous Bites,” which focused on restaurants throughout the state.

In a statement issued in the evening of December 27, KTLA President and General Manager Don Corsini and News Director Jason Ball wrote, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Burrous family. Chris loved sharing the stories of Southern California and connecting with our viewers. He will be remembered as a great journalist and a wonderful friend to many.”

Their sentiments were echoed by numerous social media posts by fellow KTLA reporters like fellow weekend desk anchor Lynette Romero, who wrote, “My tears now are for your sweet little girl, your wife Mai and your dear parents. We will miss you so.”

View the original article at thefix.com

3 January 2019
Pennsylvania's Top Court Issues Ruling About Drug Use During Pregnancy

The mother at the center of the case was using opioid painkillers and cannabis when she became pregnant in 2016.

A Pennsylvania court last week ruled that using drugs during pregnancy doesn’t count as child abuse, siding with a mother whose baby was taken by the state in 2017.

At the heart of the case is the question of whether a fetus counts as a child under Child Protective Services Law – and the state’s Supreme Court answered with a clear no in Friday’s opinion.

“The fact that the actor, at a later date, becomes a person who meets one of the statutorily-defined categories of ‘perpetrator’ does not bring her earlier actions — even if committed within two years of the child’s bodily injury — under the CPSL,” wrote Justice Christine Donohue.

David S. Cohen, the attorney representing the mother in the case, celebrated the decision.

“There are many states that have decided by statute to label this type of behavior child abuse, but the majority do not,” Cohen told The Associated Press. “We think that’s the right way to approach this, because this is a health issue and the worst thing you can do with a health issue is punish people. It drives people from treatment and it results in worse outcomes for everyone.”

The mother at the center of it all, who is identified only by her initials in court filings, was using opioid painkillers and pot when she got pregnant in 2016. She turned to medication-assisted treatments but relapsed just before giving birth in 2017, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

When the newborn started showing signs of opioid withdrawal, a local court granted emergency custody to the state.

Later, the juvenile court decided it wasn’t abuse – but the Superior Court reversed that decision. Two justices there asked the state’s Supreme Court to take a look at the case, worrying about the effects of punishing pregnant women who use medication-assisted treatment.

In last week’s decision overturning the Superior Court ruling, two justices dissented, writing that what should matter is when the injury shows up – not when the behavior causing it occurs.

“The facts in this matter more closely resemble neglect cases where the injury manifests at some point in time after the neglect as in cases of malnourishment from lack of food,” wrote Justice Sallie Mundy, “or suffering from a severe diaper rash from failure to routinely change diapers.”

View the original article at thefix.com

2 January 2019
Ryan Adams Celebrates Sober Milestone

Rocker Ryan Adams took to Twitter to announce that he’s been sober for two months.

Singer Ryan Adams, who was once married to actress Mandy Moore, celebrated 60 days sober on December 27. In a tweet, he expressed his appreciation for his situation.

“2018: you brought me to my knees,” he wrote on his Twitter post. “It turns out that’s where I needed to be: in prayer for everyone here or lost. In these trying times, God bless everyone struggling or on the path to empathy, kindness and recovery.”

Adams also attached a photo showing off his 60-day sobriety token.

He topped off his post with well wishes: “Keep the Faith. & may the Faith keep you. XO.”

The good news comes a few months after some Twitter drama with Moore. The actress tweeted that she married the wrong person when she married Adams in 2009, staying with him for six years before divorcing in 2015. Things got ugly when Adams replied.

“She didn’t like the Melvins or BladeRunner. Doomed from the start … If only I could remember the start lol,” Adams wrote in a tweet on October 10th.

A few days later, Adams woke up to the fact that participating in the drama wasn’t cool and issued a public apology.

“I apologize for my remarks. I was trying to be funny. But I have and will always choose to remember the amazing moments. It isn’t classy or ok lessen what was,” he wrote apologetically. “I am happy for everyone and doing my best.”

Later, on Thanksgiving, the tone of Adams’ tweets were more supportive, full of words of encouragements for those who may be going through the same thing he was.

“Today I am thankful for my sobriety, my friends & for the program & all the Jedi passing along wisdom,” he wrote. “I know people are struggling & alone on the holidays. But you are NOT ALONE. Everyday is a new opportunity to grow, to reach for the light. Keep the faith. You are loved. XO.”

View the original article at thefix.com

2 January 2019