Respect After Death Act Passes, Awaits Governor’s Signature

(Sacramento) Today, California's Respect After Death Act (AB 1577) was sent to Governor Brown for his signature, having now passed in both the Assembly and Senate. The bill will provide guidance to help ensure that transgender people have their gender identity reflected on their death certificates. It was authored by Speaker of the Assembly Toni Atkins and sponsored by Equality California and Transgender Law Center.

"Once we are deceased, we are often at the mercy of others to treat us with dignity," said Speaker Atkins (D-San Diego). "The very least we can do is ensure individuals are given basic human dignity by honoring their authentic selves when they pass so that more pain is not inflicted upon grieving loved ones or the community."

"We are grateful for the support of California's Legislature, and the leadership of Assembly Speaker Atkins, in passing this common-sense bill that will help protect the dignity of our loved ones upon their passing," said Masen Davis, Executive Director of Transgender Law Center. "This brings us a significant step closer to making sure that all transgender people are able to live—and die—authentically in accordance with who they really are."

"Everyone deserves to have their identity respected in death, and this law cleans up a confusing process to ensure transgender Californians get the same respect that anyone else gets," said Rick Zbur, executive director-elect of EQCA. "We thank Speaker Atkins for her leadership on this issue."

AB 1577 will require the official responsible for completing a transgender person's death certificate to do so in a manner that reflects the person's gender identity if they are presented appropriate documentation, such as written instructions from the deceased person confirming their wishes, an updated birth certificate or driver's license, or evidence of medical treatment for gender transition. In the absence of these documents, the gender reported by the person's legal next of kin would be used.

Current law requires death certificates to list personal data such as name, sex and race, but there is no legal guidance about how the official filling out the death certificate should determine a transgender person's sex. This means sometimes the information on the death certificate is not consistent with the deceased's lived gender, and can put funeral directors and coroners at risk of liability if the friends and family of the deceased believe that they listed the incorrect sex. Additionally, when a transgender person is wrongly gendered upon their passing, whether on official documents or in the media, it is not only disrespectful to the deceased person but also to fellow transgender community members, for whom witnessing that kind of mis-gendering can be tremendously painful and stigmatizing.

The bill drew inspiration from the passing of Christopher Lee, a San Francisco artist and transgender advocate who was mis-gendered after his death in 2012. Lee was assigned female at birth, which did not match who he knew he was on the inside and he had long identified and expressed himself as a man. Unfortunately, the coroner wrongly identified Lee as female on his death certificate, despite his driver's license correctly showing his sex as male.

"I look forward to seeing the Governor sign this important law. At a time when we were mourning the loss of our dear family friend, we had to endure the pain of seeing him and his legacy be disrespected," said Lee's close friend Chino Scott-Chung. "We don't want this to happen to anyone else's family or friends."

Transgender Law Center works to change law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression. www.transgenderlawcenter.org

Equality California (EQCA) is the largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender advocacy organization in California. For more than a decade, Equality California has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to a state with some of the most comprehensive human rights protections in the nation. Equality California has partnered with legislators to successfully sponsor more than 100 pieces of pro-equality legislation. EQCA continues to advance equality through legislative advocacy, electoral work, public education and community empowerment. www.eqca.org

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U.S. Department of Education Strengthens Federal Student Loan Servicing

Renegotiated contracts incentivize better support for student borrowers; new initiative led by Under Secretary Mitchell will continue to improve service

AUGUST 29, 2014

Contact:  

 Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov 

As a result of President Obama's executive actions to help make student loans more affordable, the U.S. Department of Education has announced several new steps to help federal student loan borrowers better manage their student debt. Following up on the commitments outlined by President Obama in June, the Department has renegotiated the terms of its contracts with federal student loan servicers in order to strengthen incentives for them to provide excellent customer service and help borrowers stay up-to-date on their payments. This action will help ensure that borrowers receive the highest quality support as they repay their federal student loans and help the Department better monitor the performance of loan servicers to help them continue to improve.

In addition to these important steps, today Secretary Duncan has directed Under Secretary Ted Mitchell to explore additional action the Department can take that will further strengthen the federal direct loan program to be even more responsive to the needs of borrowers both now and in the future. In the coming weeks, Mitchell and the Department's Office of Federal Student Aid will announce a series of opportunities to hear directly from student loan borrowers and stakeholders about their ideas for improving the federal student loan program. By the end of the year, he will use this feedback to make key recommendations that will focus on solutions that can help struggling borrowers.

In the coming weeks, the Department will also begin the process to amend its regulations and allow more borrowers to cap their payments at 10 percent of their monthly incomes under an expanded Pay As You Earn repayment plan option, ensuring that students can repay their debt.

"All hard-working students and families deserve high-quality support from their federal loan servicer, and we are continuing to take steps to make sure that is the case," Secretary Duncan said.

In administering the federal student loan programs, the Department's top priority is to help students pursue and complete quality higher education programs. The performance-based contract renegotiations emphasize the importance of helping borrowers stay current on their loans and avoid default, while also incentivizing customer satisfaction. Loans will be assigned to servicers based on how well they perform on these and other metrics. This competitive structure to the contracts will ensure that borrowers receive high quality service while maximizing value for the taxpayer.

The renegotiated terms of the federal student loan servicer contracts are structured to create additional incentives for servicers to focus on the Department's priorities: effective counseling and outreach to ensure borrowers select the best repayment option for them, and enhanced customer satisfaction for student and parent borrowers at all stages of the student loan life cycle. These incentives include:

• Revised performance metrics that increase the weight of the existing borrower customer satisfaction survey from 20 percent of the overall score to 35 percent.
• A payment structure that focuses on servicers' success in keeping borrowers in on-time repayment status and helping borrowers avoid default.
• Additional incentives tied to each servicer's success in reducing delinquency in payments across their portfolio.

In addition, the Department is doubling down on efforts to make sure America's active duty service members are served well, requiring loan servicers to focus dedicated resources and enhance outreach and information efforts for this important population.

The revised metrics will replace the federal student loan servicers' quarterly and annual customer satisfaction survey scores and the default prevention statistics used to determine each servicer's allocation of new loan volume. The most recent scores are published here. Additionally, in an effort to promote transparency and provide easily accessible data for customers and stakeholders, the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) recently shared updated information on its website about student loan servicers, repayment plans status and student loan delinquency rates.

The Department also has contracts with seven not-for-profit entities to service student loans. These entities have operated under separate pricing and performance metrics, but beginning October 1, most of the changes discussed above also will be extended to the not-for-profit entities so that all Department servicers will operate under common pricing and performance metrics. While previously these entities have only serviced existing loans, they will also begin to receive new borrower accounts in early 2015.

Current federal Title IV Loan Servicers (TIVAS) include: Great Lakes Educational Loan Services, Inc. (Great Lakes); Nelnet Servicing, LLC (Nelnet); Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA); and Navient, LLC. These companies were first awarded performance-based contracts in 2009. Current not-for-profit servicers include: Aspire Resources Inc, Utah Higher Education Assistance Corporation (UHEAC), Educational Servicers of America, Inc. (ESA), New Hampshire Higher Education Loan Corporation (NHHELC), Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA), Oklahoma Student Loan Authority (OSLA), and Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC).These entities received contracts between October 2011 and October 2012.

More information about the performance of federal student loan servicers can be found on the Department's website at studentaid.ed.gov.

The Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) administers and oversees the federal student financial assistance programs, authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA). These programs represent the largest source of student aid for postsecondary education in the United States. The Office of the Under Secretary manages policies, programs, and activities related to postsecondary education.

Tags:    

• Press Releases
 
• Student Financial Aid
 
• Student Loan Programs

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If I can come back from near death so can America

 

This week I took time to remember just how close to death I came on August 25th, 2005.  It was apparently my 'drama queen' year because everything shattered and I was national news.  So much for looks, career, health, walking, seeing, thinking or speaking…

 

I did a 3 hour special on August 25th, co hosted by commentator and friend, Sher Zieve. We forged through all the details, interviewed witnesses and walked through the reality of the wreck and long comeback.  You can listen to the show for free at www.therothshow.com.  Hit the archives and scroll down to August 25th.

 

It was a hot day and I was taking a ride on my motorcycle to relax before my show.   I headed up to Mount Spokane to check out a potential date and dinner spot for my Husband and I, Rich.  My friend, Karen Nelli road her bike with me and it was a great day.

 

Mile marker 14 – Death came to collect and I said "I'm not giving"

 

I have no memory of the crash because it happened so fast, but according to Karen at the scene and other witnesses and first responders who showed up, it was life or death – mostly death and ugly.  As I turned a corner, a deer in mid jump landed on me causing me to crash on my face on the road.  When Karen didn't see me behind her in the rearview mirror she pulled over to the side of the road, then turned back to find out why I wasn't following her.  

 

Karen was horrified to find my mangled and twisted form lying in the middle of the road, unconscious, blood flowing out all over my head and mouth.  My left eye was horribly mangled and swollen, protruding out of the socket. I was gasping and struggling for any air at all.  Thankfully, Karen pulled out road rash and debris from my mouth with hopes I could get some air.  That simple move saved my life as death circled its wagons around me.  

 

Blood was flowing down the road according to Karen.  I was gurgling and gasping desperately and was drowning in my own blood. An artery in the back of my throat had been severed along with other blood vessel tears all through my mouth.  My lungs were rapidly filling with blood and I was dying.  It was the 'Golden Hour' and the clock was ticking.

 

Karen started screaming for help when she found her cell phone didn't work in the mountains. Miraculously, there were some construction workers building a house a few miles down the road who heard Karen's screams for help.  They also had trouble with phone reception up there so had just put in a landline the day before.  They drove up and saw the worst, quickly calling Med Star -- the Helicopter emergency response crew.  

 

By the time 1st responders got to me all hell had broken lose…but Heaven had a plan

 

Peggy Hensley, the key first responder who arrived at the seen 45 minutes after the wreck told me later that if they had arrived even 2 minutes later I would have died.  I was desperately gasping for any air and had nearly drowned in my blood.  Peggy and her associate quickly starting suctioning blood out of my mouth, trying to intubate me but blood would fill back up immediately, making it almost impossible to get anything down my throat.  Peggy said working with my face, jaw and mouth was like working with 'rice crispies.'  Everything was shattered and broken.  There was at least one artery that had burst in the back of my mouth and the roof of my mouth was also severed.  My blood oxygen level was down to 80 and it should have been up in the middle to high 90s.  By the time they were finally able to get a tube down my throat to stop the bleeding and get me air, my blood-oxygen level was down to 60, which is moments from death.

 

Barely hanging on I made it from the Helicopter to the hospital

 

Many at the hospital waited for me to die.  Few expected me to get through the night but I did.  I was in a coma for 2 weeks and in the hospital for 2 months and only have any real recall of my time in the second, recovery hospital.  I came home having lost 25 pounds, drinking only fluid with thickener, no water or real food the whole time I was in the hospital.  I was not allowed to eat anything or drink water the 2 months after I was home recovering.  Doctors were desperately afraid I would aspirate.

 

So, what did I have to deal with

 

I had been a pretty and athletic woman who now drooled, couldn't put my lips together, walked and talked like a drunk and saw double vision. I had a left eye completely closed and repeated myself all the time.  We had a 2 and a 9 year old we had adopted who both had needs, were they going to be met? I started endless physical therapy and work on my very damaged eye.

 

My husband was forced to work on a construction crew for minimum wage, no more or Medicaid wouldn't pay the hospital bills.  Money was a huge challenge. There were $500,000 in medical bills exploding around us like Hurricane Katrina that was constantly on the news then.  Would God take care of us and would we survive?

 

I had to decide

 

Was I going to live or die?  Was I going to be a needy victim with a big and dramatic story?  Was I going to give up on my goals and dreams to do both my TV shows I had been working so hard on and trying to find funding for?  Did God really love me and have a plan for me now…in this mess?

 

The key to the treasure

 

It was really up to me how much I would and could recover.  If I wanted to ever even imagine radio, TV and recording records again, I would have to practice hours a day forming consonants and talking normally with no feeling in my lower mouth.   I would have to do this with no show, fanfare, money, looks or popularity.  I would quickly become yesterday's news and I knew it.  So, what was my decision…to slowly disappear and be half of what I was or try and make a difference and dream again no matter how hard the road now was?  I chose to believe, work my brains out without fanfare and to dream even bigger than before.  I was insecure at times, needy and didn't talk or look right.  I was redundant, processed a lot but kept walking forward.

 

Laurie, you have to face the facts

 

Naturally, with the huge financial struggles and endless phsycal challenges presented each day, I heard the speeches permitting and inspiring me to give up…make due…deal with reality and do something smaller and more reachable Laurie.

 

As I look back, 9 years ago, the road has been very hard financially for my radio show and family. There were major changes in my network, the economy struggled in huge ways and advertisers have been hard to find.  There has been no overnight success in any regard.  However, I have stayed the course and have dreamed dreams for national Television again and am making albums…even at my age.  I have been prayed up, am making plans and putting things in place that are getting real exciting. God will sort out the details. I will show up and do the best I can while trusting Him.

 

After all these years I am still me, though slightly altered and I think even more aware, humbled and visionary.  I am so thankful for my life, for God and His love, for my family, talents and vision to achieve.  I am also thankful for what I am not and cannot do well because God fills the gap.

 

One verse I believe and draw strength from is Phil: 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  I also believe what Henry Ford said. "If you believe you can or believe you can't, you are right."

 

Never give up no matter what.

 

 

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RICE REGIME

08/29/2014 02:07 PM CDT

U.S. Marine Sgt. Omar Forrester puts a pot of rice on the grill during the retrograde of Patrol Base Boldak in Afghanistan's Helmand Province, Aug. 15, 2014. Forrester is a food service specialist assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment.

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NASA Probes Studying Earth’s Radiation Belts to Celebrate Two Year Anniversary

This image was created using data from the Relativistic Electron-Proton Telescopes on NASA's twin Van Allen Probes. It shows the emergence of a new third transient radiation belt. The new belt is seen as the middle orange and red arc of the three seen on each side of the Earth.

Image Credit: 

APL, NASA

NASA's twin Van Allen Probes will celebrate on Saturday two years of studying the sun's influence on our planet and near-Earth space. The probes, shortly after launch in August 2012, discovered a third radiation belt around Earth when only two had previously been detected.

The radiation belts are layers of energetic charged particles held in place by the magnetic field surrounding our planet. The new third belt occurred only occasionally but persisted for as long as a month. This revealed to scientists the dynamic and variable nature of the radiation belts and provided new insight into how they respond to solar activity.

"The primary science objective of the Van Allen Probes is to provide understanding of how particles in the radiation belts form and change in response to energy input from the sun," said Mona Kessel, the mission's program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington.  "The discoveries and understanding gained have far exceeded expectations."

The probes, each weighing just less than 1,500 pounds, were specifically designed to withstand and study the harsh radiation belt region around Earth. The belts are critical regions that have a connection to Earth's atmosphere and space-based technologies. The belts are affected by solar storms and space weather events and as a result, can swell dramatically. When this occurs, they can pose dangers to communications and GPS satellites, as well as humans in low-Earth orbit.

Formerly known as the Radiation Belt Storm Probes, the mission was renamed Van Allen Probes in November 2012 in honor of Dr. James Van Allen, who discovered the two radiation belts in 1958.
 
The twin spacecraft have also revealed how particles in the heart of the belts can be accelerated to nearly the speed of light; proven that electrons in the belts are undergoing acceleration from very low frequency plasma waves; and shown persistent stripe-like structures are a common feature of the inner belt, and are caused by Earth's rotation, a mechanism previously thought to be incapable of such an effect.

"The Van Allen Probes mission has given us the means to validate theories about plasma physics and the acceleration processes going on inside the belts," said Barry Mauk, Van Allen Probes project scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland. "They also have shown us new structures and features in this region of space, the existence of which we had never suspected. It has been a very illuminating two years, and we look forward to many more with these remarkable spacecraft."

The Van Allen Probes are the second mission in NASA's Living With a Star (LWS) Program to explore aspects of the connected sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society. LWS is managed by the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. APL built the spacecraft and manages the mission for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

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Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine

What is quadrivalent flu vaccine?

The quadrivalent flu vaccine is designed to protect against four different flu viruses; two influenza A viruses and two influenza B viruses.

Why was the quadrivalent flu vaccine developed?

For years, flu vaccines were designed to protect against three different flu viruses (trivalent). This included an influenza A H1N1 virus, an influenza A H3N2 virus and one B virus. Experts had to choose one B virus, even though there are two very different lineages of B viruses that both circulate during most seasons. This meant the vaccine did not protect against the group of B viruses not included in the vaccine. Adding another B virus to the vaccine aims to give broader protection against circulating flu viruses.

Who can get the quadrivalent flu vaccine?

Different vaccines are approved for different age groups. There is a quadrivalent flu shot that can be given to children as young as 6 months of age. Other quadrivalent flu shots are approved for people 3 years and older. The quadrivalent nasal spray vaccine is approved for people 2 through 49 years of age who do not have contraindications to the nasal spray vaccine. Refer to the table of 2014-15 approved influenza vaccines in the U.S.for more information.

Who shouldn't get the quadrivalent flu vaccine?

Influenza vaccine is not approved for children younger than 6 months of age.

People who have had a severe allergic reaction to influenza vaccine or any of its components should generally not be vaccinated.

There are some people who should not get a flu vaccine without first consulting a physician.

These include:

• People who have a moderate-to-severe illness with or without a fever (they should wait until they recover to get vaccinated), and
• People with a history of Guillain–Barré Syndrome (a severe paralytic illness, also called GBS) that occurred after receiving influenza vaccine and who are not at risk for severe illness from influenza should generally not receive vaccine. Tell your doctor if you ever had Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Your doctor will help you decide whether the vaccine is recommended for you.

Are any of the available flu vaccines recommended over the others?

CDC has not expressed a preference for which flu vaccine people should get this season except for one: Starting in 2014-2015, CDC recommends use of the nasal spray vaccine for  healthy* children 2 through 8 years of age when it is immediately available and if the child has no contraindications or precautions to that vaccine. If the nasal spray vaccine is not immediately available and the flu shot is, vaccination should not be delayed and a flu shot should be given. For more information about the new CDC recommendation, see Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine in Children 2 through 8 Years Old or the 2014-2015 MMWR Influenza Vaccine Recommendations.

While there will be more than one vaccine optionfor many people to choose from, including high-dose vaccine, intradermal vaccine and the regular flu shot, the only preferential recommendation is for the nasal spray vaccine in children 2 through 8 years of age. The most important thing is for all people 6 months and older to get a flu vaccine every year. If you have questions about which vaccine is best for you, talk to your health care professional.

Is the quadrivalent flu vaccine safe?

Yes. Flu vaccines that protect against four flu viruses are made in the same way as the flu vaccines that have been around for years that protect against three flu viruses. The difference is the addition of another vaccine virus. Studies have shown that vaccines made to protect against four flu viruses have a safety profile similar to seasonal flu vaccines made to protect against three viruses, with similar—mostly mild—side effects. Hundreds of millions of people have safely gotten flu vaccines that protect against three flu viruses. Like all seasonal flu vaccines, vaccines that protect against four flu viruses will be monitored for their safety and effectiveness.

Quadrivalent vaccine cannot cause influenza illness, because the vaccine viruses used to make it are 'inactivated' (killed) or attenuated (weakened). See "Can the flu vaccine give me the flu?" for information about flu vaccine side effects.

How much quadrivalent flu vaccine will be available during the 2014-2015 season?

Of the 154 million to 160 million doses of influenza vaccine projected to be available for the 2014-2015 season, manufacturers estimate that 78 million doses will be quadrivalent flu vaccines.

What should people do if they can't find available quadrivalent vaccine?

Don't delay getting a flu vaccine if you cannot locate a quadrivalent vaccine. The important thing is to get vaccinated against influenza. Find flu vaccine near you using the vaccine finder athttp://vaccine.healthmap.org/. Call ahead to ask about availability if you are interested in a specific type of vaccine.

Will the quadrivalent flu vaccine be more expensive than the trivalent flu vaccine?

Quadrivalent flu vaccines may cost more than trivalent vaccines. Ask your insurance provider or doctor to find out how much you may need to pay and how much of the cost is covered by insurance.

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U.S. Airstrikes Hit ISIL Near Mosul Dam

From a U.S. Central Command News Release TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 29, 2014 - U.S. military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in support of Iraqi security force operations, using fighter and attack aircraft to conduct four airstrikes in the vicinity of the Mosul Dam. The strikes destroyed four ISIL armed vehicles, severely damaged another armed vehicle, and destroyed three ISIL support vehicles. All aircraft exited the strike areas safely. The strikes were conducted under the authority to support Iraqi security force and Kurdish defense force operations, as well as to protect critical infrastructure, U.S. personnel and facilities, and support humanitarian efforts. Since Aug. 8, U.S. Central Command has conducted a total of 110 airstrikes across Iraq.

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DISMANTLING DISCUSSION

08/29/2014 01:38 PM CDT

U.S. Marine Cpls. Armondo Cortez, left, and Estevan D. Hernandeza discuss their plan for dismantling the command operation center during the retrograde of Patrol Base Boldak in Afghanistan's Helmand Province, Aug. 15, 2014. Cortez, a data network specialist, and Hernandez, a telephone switchboard and personal computer intermediate repairer, are assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment.

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5 Brain-Health Tips from Bodybuilding Neurosurgeon

During World Alzheimer's Month, Take Steps 

to Care for Your Most Vital Organ

As a fitness expert and neurosurgeon, Dr. Brett Osborn says he appreciates the growing public interest in general health and fitness. Now, he says, that attention needs to extend to arguably our most essential organ – the brain.

"There are several, multi-billion dollar industries out there dedicated to burning fat and building muscle; cognitive health, on the other hand, has been largely overlooked," says Osborn, author of "Get Serious, A Neurosurgeon's Guide to Optimal Health and Fitness,"www.drbrettosborn.com.

"Of course, any good health expert is quick to remind readers that it's all connected. For example, what's good for the heart will be, directly or indirectly, good for the brain."

September's an appropriate time to talk brain health: its World Alzheimer's Month, and it's the beginning of football season. By now, we know that football players in the NFL, college and even high school suffer considerable head trauma, whether through big hits resulting in concussions or moderate, repeated blows, he says.

It's also soccer season in other parts of the world. Concern continues to mount about the neurological damage done to players from repeated headers, where the ball is hit by the head. The long-term effects, including depression and other mental-health problems, are similar to those suffered by American football players, he says.

"Sports can impart great habits to kids, including discipline, fellowship and an emphasis on strength and endurance," says Osborn, a bodybuilder and father. "As our children return to school and sports, health-care providers, coaches and parents need to make it a top priority to protect our student-athletes' brains."

Osborn offers five tips to help everyone maintain brain health:

•  Learn new skills. "Just as with other health concerns, brain health should be rooted in the prevention of disease," he says. Alzheimer's is a neurodegenerative disease, the causes of which, and the cure, are unknown. However, it's widely thought that brain stimulation and activity can delay the onset of the disease. The acquisition of a new skill – whether it's learning to play an instrument or taking up waterskiing – exercises the brain "muscle."

•  Commit to actual exercise.Everyone knows that exercise helps protect the heart, but not everyone knows that physical activity is also good for the brain. The brain is not a muscle, but it can be worked as muscle is worked during exercise, which forges new neuron pathways.

"Let's face it, there is a component of learning in exercise," Osborn says. "You cannot master the squat overnight; the brain has to change. Neuronal connections, or 'synapses,' are formed through very complex biophysical mechanisms. That takes time."

•  Don't sweat stress. There is such a thing as good stress, including the acute bodily stress involved in strength training. Of course, there's the bad stress, such as psychological stress associated with work or interpersonal relationships, and environmental stress, derived from pesticide-laden food – toxins. As always, you have a choice. You don't have to accept mental stress in your life. Reconsider toxic relationships. Rethink how you handle pressure at work. Perhaps adopt a lunchtime exercise routine. 

•  Fuel a better body and brain. "I don't believe in 'diets,' " Osborn says. "Fit individuals were around for eons before the term existed, and I associate the term with temporary and, often, self-destructive behaviors."

Again, it's all connected. A healthy balance of food and activity will inevitably be good for the entire body: the heart, skeleton, muscles, brain, etc. Proper nutrition is a natural mood enhancer, and good health will inevitably improve self-esteem.

•  Feed your head with smart drugs. Some pharmaceuticals may help enhance cerebral blood flow and increase concentration, including Hydergine, Deprenyl and Prozac, to name a few. Ask your doctor about these. There are also over-the-counter smart drugs to consider. Piracetam is one of the oldest and has been shown to have a variety of positive effects in patients with cognitive disorders like dementia and epilepsy. Vinpocetine has potent anti-inflammatory effects, and inflammation is a key component in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, and others. You may also want to check out gingko biloba and pregnenolone.

About Dr. Brett Osborn

Brett Osborn is a New York University-trained, Board-Certified neurological surgeon with a secondary certification in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Neurological Surgery and of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. He holds a CSCS honorarium from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Dr. Osborn specializes in scientifically based nutrition and exercise as a means to achieve optimal health and preventing disease. He is the author "Get Serious, A Neurosurgeon's Guide to Optimal Health and Fitness,"www.drbrettosborn.com.

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News Release: Arkansas Reduces Air Toxics with EPA Grant

DALLAS – (Aug. 29, 2014) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $501,837 to the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to administer the state's pollution prevention and control program. The program includes ambient monitoring, planning, permitting and compliance activities.



ADEQ will also monitor for major pollutants, identifying major and minor sources of air pollution that may be impacting Arkansas. This will help Arkansas residents live healthier and breathe more easily.



For more than forty years, the Clean Air Act has cut pollution as the U.S. economy has grown. It has also lowered levels of six common pollutants -- particles, ozone, lead, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide -- as well as numerous toxic pollutants. The progress of the Act reflects efforts by state, local and tribal governments; EPA; private sector companies; environmental groups and others.


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