Latest news with #Alcohol
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zachary pastor reflects on Louisiana history following Nottoway Plantation fire
ZACHARY, La. (Louisiana First) — The Redwood Baptist Church was first organized in 1857 by slaves, according to the church's pastor. Following the Nottoway fire this month, he reflected on the way slaves are contextualized in Louisiana's history. Pastor Dale Flowers said he never visited Nottoway, which was finished in 1859 in White Castle. He said following the May 15 fire, he noticed online debates on social media about the plantation's legacy. 'Some people were like, 'Hey, pass the marshmallows,'' Flowers said. 'Others were extremely upset.' Support for the plantation began before the embers completely cooled. Iberville Parish President Chris Daigle called the fire a tragedy considering its history in the area. 'The preservation of history is so important,' Daigle said in the fire's aftermath. Nottoway constituted the South's largest existing antebellum mansion, according to its website. The location has been popular for portraits, weddings, fine dining, and tours. 'The event is going to take a toll on Louisiana tourism,' Daigle said. Daigle said at the time recent renovations did not include installing a sprinkler system. 'It's a day we were always afraid of,' Daigle said. The state fire marshal ended its investigation into the fire Tuesday without any conclusions on what caused it. Evidence was sent to the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Crime Lab in Georgia to be analyzed. Daigle discussed the controversy already beginning to take shape online, which included whether the fire burning down the structure was a blessing or a curse. 'There's so much controversy with the past,' Daigle said. 'We didn't live in that generation, but the preservation of history, even the uncomfortable parts, is important.' The plantation's owner shared that sentiment in a statement published soon after the fire. William Daniel Dyess, an attorney and preservationist from Natchitoches, did not respond to a Louisiana First News request placed through his law office by publication. In a statement to the New York Post, he dismissed much of the criticism while calling for people to 'move forward.' 'I take this position — we are non-racist people,' Dyess said in the article. 'I am a lawyer and my wife is a judge. We believe in equal opportunity rights for everyone, total equality and fairness. My wife and I had nothing to do with slavery, but we recognize the wrongness of it. We are trying to make this a better place. We don't have any interest in left wing radical stuff. We need to move forward on a positive note here and we are not going to dwell on past racial injustice.' Dyess said he plans to rebuild the mansion. A couple of signs are posted outside the property, including one that suggests construction is already happening. 'Rebuild it,' Flowers said. 'Slaves built that building. Slaves aren't going to build this one.' Flowers said there is a sentiment from many in America to romanticize the Antebellum period. 'Some people are nostalgic about that time,' Flowers said. Flowers said the prioritization of weddings and the positive elements of history are part of the reason so many people have the opposite opinion: that Nottoway displayed a largely incorrect version of its history. People who view the website and click the 'History' tab will be met with a list of named trees on the property. 'I honestly thought, 'I wonder how many people hung from those trees,'' Flowers said. Flowers said a better representation of history can be found at Whitney Plantation. Located in Edgard, Whitney operated from 1752 to 1975, according to its website. Whitney has been open about its purpose, posting in 2020 that it would not hold weddings because of slavery's impact on the property. 'Plantations are sites of immense cruelty and violence,' the Instagram post read. 'We do not allow any event that would overshadow this reality and disrespect the memory of all those who suffered, labored and died here.' A recent trip to Whitney was emotional, Flowers said, but he said his children began to learn about the reality their ancestors experienced. 'It's honestly a hard place to visit,' Flowers said. 'They present it as it is.' Flowers said those slaves who directly ramped up Louisiana's economy in the late 1800s also founded the church he now serves. He said the record is unclear on whether they got permission from their master to organize or secretly did so in a wooded area. 'It was actually organized by slaves,' Flowers said. Flowers said he thinks the original congregation would be proud that the church carries on their legacy. 'The work they started in 1857 is still going on today,' Flowers said. 11-year-old finds message in a bottle from Hawaii on Florida beach Livingston Parish woman arrested, accused of child sex crimes Zachary pastor reflects on Louisiana history following Nottoway Plantation fire New Orleans Saints starting offensive line taking shape during OTAs Haribo recalls sweets in the Netherlands after cannabis detected Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Mae Muller joins the bill for Scotland's biggest free music festival in Dumfries
The Better Days singer will appear at Youth Beatz along with Jax Jones, Liberty X and DJ Sammy. The final act has been announced for Scotland's biggest free music festival. Mae Muller has joined Jax Jones, Liberty X and DJ Sammy on the bill for this year's Youth Beatz festival in Dumfries. The English singer came to prominence with the sing Better Days with NEIKED and Polo G and represented Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023. Youth Beatz will take place at Park Farm in Dumfries on June 28 and 29, with 20,000 people expected to attend each day. The final bill was announced at a special event at Stranraer Academy on Monday. Chair of Dumfries and Galloway Council's education, skills and community wellbeing committee, Councillor Maureen Johnstone, said: 'Our council is delighted to continue to support for this fantastic community event. 'Youth Beatz provides young people from across Dumfries and Galloway with a fantastic festival experience in their local area.' The festival – which receives financial support from The National Lottery Young Start Fund, Alcohol and Drug Partnership Awards for All Scotland and the council – also features a hard-hitting drama production looking at real life issues called The Toon. It gives young people information and advice and this year will feature a scene on cardiac health and using a defibrillator in an emergency situation. The group have been working with the DH9 Foundation to learn about cardiac health and develop the scene. Volunteers have also been busy working behind the scenes to write their scripts, design sets and collectively volunteer more than 1,000 hours a week. The Toon is led by the Youth Enquiry Service and aims to provide information to young people aged 14 to 25. The young performers and stage crew recently completed an intensive two-week Toon Camp to plan the production during the Easter holidays. Eighteen-year-old peer educator in The Toon, Dayle Smith, said: 'Being part of The Toon has helped me to build on my confidence and supported me to learn new skills in terms of drama, script writing and set design. 'The issue-based workshops delivered by partner services, helped all of us involved learn about situations that happen within our local community and what support is available for young people. The Toon is a great way to raise awareness to other young people, giving them information through real-life examples.'
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's Plan to 'Unleash' Police Risks More Abuses of Everyone's Rights
It wasn't a surprise when President Donald Trump penned his recent executive order that calls "for cities to unleash high-impact local police forces." In 2017, the president told a police audience about handling crime suspects: "When you see these thugs being thrown into the back of a paddy wagon. You just see them thrown in—rough. I said, 'Please don't be too nice.'" The official line was that he was just joking, but even some police officials were uncomfortable with making light of police brutality. In the ensuing years, Trump's rhetoric has only gotten worse. His recent use of the word unleashing wasn't by accident. Unleash means "to let happen or begin something powerful that, once begun, cannot be controlled." The purpose of the Constitution is to put the leash on the government and its agents. In the Declaration of Independence, colonists complained that the British king "sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance." Police officers are the front line between the government and the people—and few others have such power to deprive us of our liberties and lives. Many conservatives applauded the order, arguing that he's merely empowering police to do their jobs. But police and prosecutors have plenty of tools. Similarly, this administration has mocked the constitutional process of due process, whereby the accused get their day in court. That protects the innocent more than the guilty by simply requiring the government to prove its case. As someone who has covered police-abuse cases, I can guarantee that officers make mistakes, can be overly aggressive, and on occasion are corrupt. After the 1980s-era War on Drugs, police often have used tactics more appropriate to an occupying military force rather than to civilian police officers. If you think police should be unrestrained, get back to me after a SWAT team gets the wrong address and invades your house instead. This is not about letting police do their jobs. Let's say a President Kamala Harris or Gavin Newsom—or whichever potential Democratic politician keeps you awake at night—issued an executive order calling for the feds to "unleash high-impact" Internal Revenue Service, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, or Environmental Protection Agency officers. Would you say, "That's great, they're just cracking down on tax cheats, illegal guns, and environmental scofflaws"? Of course not. You'd instead fear they are going to tread on the rights of honest taxpayers, legitimate gun owners, and law-abiding business owners. You'd believe the purpose of the executive order would be political. In 2023, for instance, a Republican-controlled House subcommittee called on the IRS to end "unannounced field visits" because they believed the agency was targeting conservative groups, abusing its power, and harassing ordinary citizens. I expect this argument to fall on deaf ears, given the inconsistent positions taken by members of each political tribe. As an aside, I saw a pickup truck with a "don't tread on me" flag bumper sticker and one of those blue-striped flags symbolizing support for police. Who, exactly, does the driver think will tread on his rights? We're all supportive of police who honestly and legally use their authority to battle crime, but only the most naïve person would believe that unleashing them from legal constraints will only hobble gang-bangers and felons. In many ways, police have already been unleashed from reasonable limits. Consider the issue of civil asset forfeiture, whereby police officers, FBI agents, and other law enforcement officials take the homes, cars, and cash of people who have never been accused of a crime. That also started with the War on Drugs. Federal officials argued that the best way to stifle criminal gangs was to take their assets. That's a fair point, provided it's bound by normal, legal standards—i.e., forcing the government to prove an underlying crime before engaging in a taking. Unfortunately, police take what they want based on their own claims—and then force the owners to prove their innocence to reclaim their life's savings. This is what unleashing looks like in the real world. As one of the founders of that program has argued, it "has turned into an evil itself, with the corruption it engendered among government and law enforcement coming to clearly outweigh any benefits." And that abuse only involves our property. Imagine the abuses that will result when police are free to use whatever violence they deem necessary—and when those who abuse their powers are given even more protections from accountability. Sure, most police officers are honorable, which makes it all the more appalling to incentivize bad ones. "Bad cops are the product of bad policy," wrote Radley Balko, author of Rise of the Warrior Cop. "And policy is ultimately made by politicians. A bad system loaded with bad incentives will unfailingly produce bad cops." These Trump actions provide all the wrong incentives—and law-abiding citizens have much more to fear from them than criminals. This column was first published in The Orange County Register. The post Trump's Plan to 'Unleash' Police Risks More Abuses of Everyone's Rights appeared first on
Medscape
15-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
1 in 4 US Children Live With Addicted Parents
Nearly 19 million US children live with at least one parent meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition; DSM-5) criteria for substance use disorder (SUD), representing one quarter of all US children in 2023. Over 6.1 million of these children have parents with comorbid SUD and mental illness, making them particularly at risk for adverse childhood experiences. METHODOLOGY: Analysis included nationally representative data from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health of the civilian, noninstitutionalized US population aged ≥ 12 years. Researchers followed the STROBE reporting guideline, with institutional review boards deeming the study exempt from review due to the use of deidentified data. Data collection involved interviewing one adult per selected household, who reported relationships to other household members, including biological, step, foster, or adoptive children aged < 18 years. Statistical analysis estimated weighted counts and 95% CIs of youth exposed to parental DSM-5–defined SUD, including disorders related to alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin, inhalants, methamphetamine, and prescription medications. TAKEAWAY: Based on the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health total weighted number of 62,637,851 parents, researchers estimated 18,968,894 (95% CI, 16,806,368-21,261,446) children lived with at least one parent meeting DSM-5 SUD criteria. Among affected children, 7,643,244 (95% CI, 6,468,786-8,911,360) lived with a parent having moderate or severe SUD, while 3,409,675 (95% CI, 2,568,782-4,358,248) had parents with multiple SUDs. Researchers found that 6,148,289 (95% CI, 5,012,046-7,389,039) children lived with a parent having comorbid SUD and mental illness, defined as major depressive disorder and/or serious psychological distress. Parental SUDs predominantly consisted of alcohol use disorder, followed by cannabis use disorder, prescription-related use disorder, and noncannabis drug use disorder. IN PRACTICE: 'Children exposed to parental SUD are more likely to develop adverse health outcomes than their peers without parental SUD exposure, including early substance use initiation, substance-related problems, and mental health findings signal the need for more attention at the federal, state, and local levels on the children and families affected by addiction. Evidence-based, family-based treatments for SUD and mental illness can prevent adverse health consequences in this population,' the authors of the study wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by Sean Esteban McCabe, PhD, Center for the Study of Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking, and Health, University of Michigan School of Nursing in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was published online in JAMA Pediatrics . LIMITATIONS: According to the authors, the study faced limitations common to large-scale national surveys, including potential sampling bias, selection bias, and self-report bias. Additionally, the number of offsprings in households was truncated at three or more, suggesting that the estimates represented the lower bound of youths exposed to parental SUD. DISCLOSURES: This study was supported by grants RO1DA031160 and RO1DA043691 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health. McCabe reported receiving grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse during the conduct of the study. Additional disclosures are noted in the original article.
Medscape
15-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Six Patterns Define Young Adult Substance Use in the US
Among six distinct patterns of substance use identified in young adults in the United States in 2019, nicotine vaping and cannabis smoking were the most common, new research showed. Additionally, stress, boredom, and loneliness were linked to specific substance use patterns. METHODOLOGY: To identify patterns of substance use at the day level and potential associations with mood, researchers analyzed data of nearly 600 young adults (mean age, 19.3 years; 66% women; 70% White) who reported alcohol use in the previous 30 days as 12th grade participants in the Monitoring the Future study (2018) and completed daily surveys for 14 days in a 2019 follow-up study. Individuals reported alcohol, cannabis, and/or nicotine/tobacco use across 3086 days (mean, 4 substance use days contributed). Stress, boredom, loneliness, and type of day (special occasion or difficult day) were included as covariates. TAKEAWAY: Six distinct patterns were identified: Nicotine vaping (34% of substance use days), cannabis smoking (24%), alcohol only (17%), cannabis vaping (12%), multiple tobacco combustibles (7%), and multimodal cannabis use (cannabis smoking plus cannabis vaping, 7%). In all, 52% of participants experienced more than one type of substance use day. Mean stress, boredom, and loneliness levels were higher on days of multimodal cannabis use than on most other days of substance use. Days of alcohol use showed lower levels of stress, boredom, and loneliness, with these days more likely than other substance use days to be a special occasion or weekend. Days characterized by multimodal cannabis use had higher probabilities of nicotine vaping and alcohol use, suggesting an increased risk for acute harms and increased risk for cannabis use disorder, the researchers noted. IN PRACTICE: 'Understanding these patterns is important for developing intervention strategies that are responsive to specific substance use on a given day,' the investigators wrote. 'Just-in-time or adaptive interventions that aim to be delivered during moments of stress, boredom, or loneliness, and help individuals to identify and develop alternative coping strategies in that moment may be particularly salient for reducing high-risk patterns of cannabis use,' they added. SOURCE: This study was led by Rebecca J. Evans-Polce, PhD, Center for the Study of Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking and Health, School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was published online on April 29 in Addictive Behaviors . LIMITATIONS: This study relied on self-reported substance use data, which may be affected by social desirability bias or memory recall issues. Additionally, it focused on individuals with a mean age of 19 years and was conducted in 2019, potentially limiting the generalizability of the study to young adults of other ages or to different time periods. Low prevalence hindered the inclusion of substance use beyond alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine/tobacco. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by research grants from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the National Cancer Institute. The investigators reported having no relevant conflicts of interest.
