October 8, 2015


News Clips For The Day


http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-schools-settle-parents-three-teens-who-died-after-hypnosis-n440556

Florida Schools Settle With Parents of Teens Who Died After Hypnosis
by M. ALEX JOHNSON
OCT 8 2015

IMAGE: George Kenney

A Florida school board will pay $200,000 apiece to the families of three students who died after they were hypnotized by former North Port High School Principal George Kenney, according to court documents obtained by NBC News.

The 14-page agreement, approved Tuesday night by the Sarasota County School Board, settles a lawsuit filed by the families of Brittany Palumbo, 17, and Wesley McKinley, 16, who committed suicide in 2011, and Marcus Freeman, 16, who died in a car crash the same year.

George Kenney pleaded no contest in 2012 to practicing therapeutic hypnosis without a license and served a year's probation. Sarasota County, Florida, Public Schools.

Kenney was placed on administrative leave after he admitted that he'd hypnotized Wesley on the day he killed himself. Brittany was found hanging in her closet about five months after Kenney had hypnotized her. Marcus crashed his car after he was taught self-hypnosis by Kenney, investigators said.

Kenney pleaded no contest to practicing therapeutic hypnosis without a license and resigned in June 2012. He served a year's probation, and his current whereabouts aren't known.

"The School Board has concluded that a mutually acceptable settlement is in the best interests of all parties involved," Scott Ferguson, a spokesman for Sarasota County Schools, said in a statement to NBC News.

A 134-page independent investigative report released by the school board in 2011 revealed that Kenney had trained at a hypnosis center in Florida and was a member of multiple national hypnotists' group. He told investigators that he'd used hypnotherapy techniques on more than 35 students at the school, primarily to help them overcome test anxiety and improve their athletic performances.

Related: Hypnotist Florida Principal Faces Questions After Suicides

It eventually emerged that Kenney had hypnotized more than 70 students, faculty and staff over five years, all without a state license, and in the 2011 school board report, he admitted having disregarded at least three warnings to stop the sessions.

"I'm not saying I used great judgment all the time here," he said, according to the report. "I think I used poor judgment several times."

In statements Wednesday to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune (PDF), the three students' parents faulted the school board for not having stopped Kenney.

"There's nothing that can bring Marcus back, but the Freemans hope this will give them some closure," said Marcus' mother, Dana Freeman, who called Kenney "a rogue principal."

Michael and Patricia Ann Palumbo, Brittany's parents, said they are "satisfied with the overall outcome, although this is a very hollow victory."

Wesley's parents, Charles McKinley and Margaret Jacobson, had a message specifically for Wesley's friends: that Wesley's death was solely the fault of Kenney and that "they did not let him down in any way."



http://www.wikihow.com/Perform-Self-Hypnosis

How to Perform Self Hypnosis

Three Parts:Preparing for HypnosisEntering HypnosisEnhancing Your Experience
Self-hypnosis is a naturally occurring state of mind which can be defined as a heightened state of focused concentration. With it, you can change your thinking, kick bad habits, and take control of the person you are—along with relaxation and destressing from everyday life. It's similar to meditation and results in a better you.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/parents-of-north-port-high-school-student-who-died-after-hypnosis-by-principal-speak-out/

Parents of student killed in hypnosis scandal speak out
CBS NEWS
October 8, 2015

Photograph -- brittany-palumbo.png, Brittany Palumbo FAMILY


The families of three Florida high school students who died after their principal hypnotized them have prevailed in a civil wrongful death suit against the school board.

Each family will each receive $200,000 in a legal settlement with the Sarasota County School Board. But the parents of one of the victims say the case is about raising awareness, not money, reports Vladimir Duthier of CBS News' digital network, CBSN.

Patricia and Michael Palumbo say their daughter, Brittany, was driven to succeed, giving up her weekends and time with friends to study. In her senior year at North Port High School, she went to her principal for guidance about college.

"George Kenney told her at the time he believed she had test anxiety and he could help her with that anxiety," said Patricia Palumbo.

A few months later, the teen took her own life.

"What I believe happened is my daughter went into her room that night and she blinked her eyes and she entered a calm and relaxed state that allowed her to go through what she went through," said the grieving mother.

Palumbo was one of three students who died in 2011 after they were hypnotized by Kenney. Sixteen-year-old Marcus Freeman was killed when he drove his car off a highway after he apparently hypnotized himself. Wesley Mckinley, also 16, committed suicide a month later.

An investigation found that despite repeated warnings from school board officials, Kenney hypnotized roughly 70 students and staff members from 2006 to 2011. One basketball player reported he was hypnotized up to 40 times to improve his concentration.

While it's unclear whether the hypnotism and deaths were linked, Kenney was placed on administrative leave in May 2011 and resigned the following year. He pleaded no contest to two counts of practicing hypnosis without a license. He received no jail time and served one year on probation.

The Sarasota County School Board said Tuesday's settlement was "in the best interests of all parties involved."

But the Palumbos told CBS News the school board failed them and this was about more than just money.

"The school board is as negligent as Dr. Kenney is, or Mr. Kenney, I should say," said Patricia Palumbo. "I need those other families to know that I'm trying to help their kids and their families so that they don't end up like my daughter and my family."

George Kenney gave up his teaching license in 2013 and was banned from reapplying. CBS News reached out for comment but received no response.



http://www.hypnotherapistsunion.org/statelaws

Hypnotherapists’ Union Local 472

Summary of State Laws Regarding Hypnosis

The majority of the United States exert little or no direct regulation over the practice of Hypnosis or Hypnotherapy, although other laws generally affecting the operation of any business will usually apply (e.g. truth in advertising, unfair business practices, etc.).

Colorado, Connecticut, and Washington are states that require mandatory licensure or registration.

California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Texas and Utah do not have mandatory registration, but do lay out specific regulations for the practice of hypnotism and guidelines for licensure exemption.

There are also a number of states with laws defining the practice of psychology or practice of counseling (which may require a license) that refer to terms such as “hypnosis” or “hypnotherapy.” It is unclear what the intent of such references are (for example, if hypnosis is listed as just one of many things that a psychologist may do – but that others may do as well – similar to coaching, research, interviewing, evaluating aptitudes and interests, consulting in legal decision making, vocational counseling, creative arts, and stress management). The states that we believe may fall in this category are marked with an asterisk (*). There may be additional states as well that fall in this category, in part, because laws sometimes change in between website updates and also because some states do not have online copies of their laws that we can research.

The following United States have no hypnosis laws that require mandatory registration or special certification for hypnotists or hypnotherapists. Instead, these states lay out guidelines to lawfully practice hypnosis or hypnotherapy without a license. These laws generally require that a hypnotist not advertise or perform medical services (such as diagnosing or treating medical conditions

Florida
In Florida, therapeutic hypnosis is regulated. It is unlawful for any person to engage in the practice of “Hypnosis” for therapeutic purposes unless such person is a “Practitioner of the Healing Arts” or a “Qualified Person.”

“Hypnosis,” as defined by statute, only applies to hypnosis “used in the treatment of any human ill, disease, injury, or for any other therapeutic purpose.” A “Practitioner of the Healing Arts” means a person licensed to practice medicine, surgery, psychology, etc.

A “Qualified Person” means a person deemed by the referring practitioner to be qualified by both professional training and experience to be competent to employ hypnotic technique for therapeutic purposes, under supervision, direction or prescription.

It is not clear how the law applies to hypnotists who expressly disclaim the practice of therapeutic hypnosis.

Because Florida’s statutes do not include a definition of the term “therapeutic hypnosis”, some cities and counties in Florida have taken different positions regarding the conditions under which hypnotherapists will be issued business licenses or tax receipts. For example, the city of Melbourne, Florida recently denied a hypnotherapist’s request for a tax receipt (formerly known as an occupational license); however, the city reversed its decision the same day and issued the tax receipt after the city received a letter from Matthew Brownstein (our union’s Florida “representative” and the Director of the Florida Institute of Hypnotherapy, in support of the hypnotherapist. Our union continues to monitor developments in Florida and work with Matthew Brownstein and the Florida Institute of Hypnotherapy in an effort to protect our profession from unnecessary restrictions in that state.

Reference: 32 Florida Statutes §485.000 et. seq.



http://www.healthline.com/health/depression/hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy
Written by Anthony Watt | Published on December 10, 2013
Medically Reviewed by George Krucik, MD, MBA on December 10, 2013

How Hypnotherapy Works

A hypnotherapy session usually lasts about an hour. A trained therapist uses various relaxation techniques to guide the patient into a hypnotic state. In this state, the patient is still conscious and aware. But the body becomes more relaxed and the mind more responsive to suggestions from the therapist.

The therapist’s suggestions will depend on the condition or behavior being treated. Hypnotherapy can be used to help target unwanted or unhealthy habits and possibly replace them with healthier behavior. This can include being able to better control pain or anxiety or adjusting negative thought patterns that are causing depression.

Pros of Hypnotherapy

Hypnosis can be applied to improve a variety of conditions, from depression to anxiety and fear. Hypnotherapy is generally considered a safe method of treatment.

Cons of Hypnotherapy

The method does have some risks. The most dangerous is the potential for false memories (called confabulations) to be created in the patient. Some other potential side effects are headache, dizziness, and anxiety. However, these usually fade shortly after the hypnotherapy session.

Patients considering hypnotherapy should consult their physicians or psychiatrists to more accurately define their problems. It is possible that hypnotherapy could worsen conditions. People suffering from delusions, hallucinations, or other psychotic symptoms might not be the best candidates for hypnotherapy.

What the Expert Says

Hypnotherapy appears to work best when used with other forms of treatment, says Steve G. Kopp, a licensed mental health counselor and marriage and family therapist. The method can be used to help erode a patient’s resistance to other more traditional treatments.

“It seems most effective complementing cognitive behavioral therapy or interpersonal psychotherapy,” Kopp says.

Alone, hypnosis is not as effective as a depression treatment, Kopp says. For patients suffering from moderate depression, the technique has been about 15 percent effective when used on its own.

Kopp also warns that hypnotherapist quality varies widely. Therapists might be trained psychologists or people who got their training on the Internet. He suggests that anyone considering hypnotherapy should make sure the therapist is not only certified to perform hypnosis, but is also a trained mental health professional.



“Kopp also warns that hypnotherapist quality varies widely. Therapists might be trained psychologists or people who got their training on the Internet. He suggests that anyone considering hypnotherapy should make sure the therapist is not only certified to perform hypnosis, but is also a trained mental health professional.”

I have had a number of years of cognitive therapy and I approve of it, but I have never trusted hypnosis for any reason, including therapy. Good mental health counseling is a conscious and logical process. Drugs under psychiatric supervision are usually effective and safe if taken as prescribed and accompanied by talk therapy and/or group therapy, whereas hypnosis is a sort of “short cut” to a psychiatric goal. Psychiatric issues are rarely that shallowly based and simple. “Just don’t do that” doesn’t work if the behavior is deeply rooted. Cognitive therapy is slower, but it involves a thorough guided exploration of the inner thoughts that is TOTALLY under the patient’s control. It is also more effective in producing a reduction of symptoms such as anxiety and depression. Hypnosis and self-hypnosis have become entirely too popular among those who do not “believe” in psychiatric issues, or who are ashamed of having a problem in the first place.

We need to change our attitudes in this country toward contemplative, analytical and other psychiatric treatments. It reminds me of the two kinds of nicotine patches that are available in the neighborhood drugstore. One has a logical and very effective “step down” method in which the smoker starts with the patch that has a high dose of nicotine and graduates downward by dosage over a period of six weeks or more. The other patch is with one dosage only, after which the person is supposed to quit completely – by “will power” and macho thinking. That method is not going to be “easy” and frequently not even effective, since the only thing it is working on is the physical habit of reaching for your cigarettes whenever you feel anxious, bored or lacking in concentration. That is part of the addiction problem, but the drug nicotine is the main issue. No psychiatrist will allow their patient to stop taking a medication without following a dosage reduction plan.

Finally, the practice of hypnosis has been “flying under the radar” as have most psychiatric issues in the laws of states and the nation. Insurance companies are allowed to penalize mental health patients by charging them higher copays or denying payment altogether. Many people just don’t “believe” psychiatric issues are “real,” and as a result the field has been unregulated. I know the “conservative” people hate regulations, but they have solved many problems where the methods of policing and the courts or simple indoctrination, have failed. Throwing a psychiatric person in jail or worse, in an isolation cell, only make the condition worse, and that’s exactly where many of them end up.

This high school principal had no business using something as controversial as hypnosis on students who are having “test anxiety,” or any other behavior issue. If he wanted to “help” the student he should have suggested to the parents that they set the student up in therapy with a licensed and trained professional. I wouldn’t be surprised if a charge of sexual molestation while under hypnosis should come out in the news. This story is just a little strange.




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/gop-candidate-donald-trump-licenses-his-name-real-estate-lawsuits-over-failed-developments/

Failed developments in Trump-branded real estate led to lawsuits
CBS NEWS
October 8, 2015

Play VIDEO -- Donald Trump's "hurricane of words"


On the campaign trail, Donald Trump recently talked about his philosophy on settling lawsuits. CBS News took a closer look at a few cases Trump settled in the late 2000s that revealed some things about Trump's business dealings.

According to Forbes, the GOP presidential candidate's wealth is now estimated at $4.5 billion. Trump started making money when he actually owned buildings. But today, he doesn't own nearly 40 percent of the 62 buildings that bear his name.

Trump began licensing deals when he started to see the market going soft in the mid-2000s, reports CBS News correspondent Julianna Goldman. Putting his name on projects -- but not owning them -- meant he would not be responsible if the developments failed.

The Trump licensing partnership often works like this: A company wants to develop a property, and Trump either manages the property or just puts his name on it and gets a fee.

Investors say the Trump name was a great selling point, and they thought if it was good enough for Trump, it must be a safe bet.

"It was just going to be a nice place to go in retirement," William Flint said.

Flint is a retired financial planner who wanted to buy a vacation home for his family. In 2007, after seeing a new development planned for a location in Baja, Mexico, he put down a deposit so he could have a beachfront getaway just one hour from San Diego. Trump plugged the property in a promotional video as if he were the builder.

"I'm very, very proud of the fact that when I build, I have investors that follow me all over. They invest in me, they invest in what I build, and that's why I'm so excited about Trump Ocean Resort," Trump said in the video.

But in fact, he was never the developer. He sold his name for a half million dollars.

At a VIP party, condo buyers shared their faith in the project

"The Trump name was a big thing for us. We figured we can't go wrong with that," homeowner John Trujillo said in the promotional video.

But Flint grew concerned when he didn't see progress.

"Checked it another time -- still nothing is going on," he said.

Then came the final notice.

"We got a letter I believe from Trump Baja telling us that the deal wasn't going to go through. That they spent all the money," Flint said.

Financiers had pulled out, and the project is still a hole in the ground.

"I lost $168,000," Flint said.

Flint, along with almost 200 other condo buyers, sued to get their money back.

"How could you lose partnering up with Donald Trump? Donald Trump was an expert in these types of projects, or so we thought," Flint said.

Two of Trump's children bought units in the top floors.

In a deposition for a lawsuit regarding the property, Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., conceded that his father's name could lead people to think a project was a solid investment.

"Is one of the things that you learned through this process is the Trump name brings stability and/or viability to the project?" Trump Jr. was asked.

"I don't know if it brings stability or viability, but I imagine certain people feel that," he responded.

"We thought he was running the show. He had skin in the game," Flint said.

But legally, Trump only had his name in the game. His attorney, Alan Garten, said the fact that Trump was not the developer was clearly spelled out in the contract Flint signed.

"So I understand that people may have been drawn to these projects because of the Trump name, but they're buying luxury, high-end real estate, and it's incumbent upon anyone to be accountable and responsible, to read the documents, like you would in any significant commercial transaction," Garten said.

In the end, Trump settled the Baja case. Around the same time, there was a 52-floor Trump building in Tampa that was never built. And Trump put his name on a 298-unit development in Fort Lauderdale that he was supposed to manage, but it was taken over by another company. Each project left disgruntled condo buyers who sued Trump, saying they wanted their money back.

"Some of these projects failed because of the worst economic real estate crash since the Great Depression," Garten said.

"Some people would say that licensing during an economic downturn actually protected Trump but left investors out in the cold. What do you say to that?" Goldman asked Garten.

"I believe I thought it was brilliant on his part to see the bubble coming and decide to focus more on licensing than development," Garten said. "I think what he saw was real estate prices at all-time highs and he just didn't see the value there. I don't think it left buyers out in the cold; I think buyers each need to make their own decision."

Flint said although he received a settlement payment, he still lost six figures.

"The settlement was for nowhere near the amount of money that we had invested in the project," Flint said.

Trump won one lawsuit in Fort Lauderdale, where the jury believed he was not responsible, and settled two others, admitting no wrongdoing. His attorney said any money from the Baja deal was eaten up in legal fees.




“According to Forbes, the GOP presidential candidate's wealth is now estimated at $4.5 billion. Trump started making money when he actually owned buildings. But today, he doesn't own nearly 40 percent of the 62 buildings that bear his name. Trump began licensing deals when he started to see the market going soft in the mid-2000s, reports CBS News correspondent Julianna Goldman. Putting his name on projects -- but not owning them -- meant he would not be responsible if the developments failed. The Trump licensing partnership often works like this: A company wants to develop a property, and Trump either manages the property or just puts his name on it and gets a fee. …. and they thought if it was good enough for Trump, it must be a safe bet. …. "I'm very, very proud of the fact that when I build, I have investors that follow me all over. They invest in me, they invest in what I build, and that's why I'm so excited about Trump Ocean Resort," Trump said in the video. …. But Flint grew concerned when he didn't see progress. "Checked it another time -- still nothing is going on," he said. Then came the final notice. "We got a letter I believe from Trump Baja telling us that the deal wasn't going to go through. That they spent all the money," Flint said. …. Flint, along with almost 200 other condo buyers, sued to get their money back. "How could you lose partnering up with Donald Trump? Donald Trump was an expert in these types of projects, or so we thought," Flint said. Two of Trump's children bought units in the top floors. In a deposition for a lawsuit regarding the property, Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., conceded that his father's name could lead people to think a project was a solid investment. …. His attorney, Alan Garten, said the fact that Trump was not the developer was clearly spelled out in the contract Flint signed. …. "Some people would say that licensing during an economic downturn actually protected Trump but left investors out in the cold. What do you say to that?" Goldman asked Garten. "I believe I thought it was brilliant on his part to see the bubble coming and decide to focus more on licensing than development," Garten said. "I think what he saw was real estate prices at all-time highs and he just didn't see the value there. Trump won one lawsuit in Fort Lauderdale, where the jury believed he was not responsible, and settled two others, admitting no wrongdoing. His attorney said any money from the Baja deal was eaten up in legal fees. …. Trump won one lawsuit in Fort Lauderdale, where the jury believed he was not responsible, and settled two others, admitting no wrongdoing. His attorney said any money from the Baja deal was eaten up in legal fees.”

It is unethical if he knew the buildings were faulty, but it’s legal. The lawyer Garten said, "I think what he saw was real estate prices at all-time highs and he just didn't see the value there. I don't think it left buyers out in the cold; I think buyers each need to make their own decision." This is very true, not to defend Trump’s methods or intentions, but when investors buy a property they should look at the cost and their own ability to absorb a heavy loss, and as the lawyer says, be very aware of whether or not “the value is there.” For the last decade or so real estate prices have become outrageously high. A McMansion will understandably cost $200,000, but an ordinary ranch style house with just three bedrooms and no swimming pool should not. Real Estate people say it’s “Location, location, location.” So you’re paying for your neighbor’s social status and their social class or skin color. Trump sees a building as having a ceiling on its intrinsic value and therefore on its selling price, and so would I. Brick or stone is better than wood. If there’s something left after twenty years to successfully renovate, it will probably sell at a good price. Location can turn around over time into being a noticeably less desirable place in a decade or less, but a well-built house is going to last twenty years with a reasonable number of timely made repairs. Somebody is likely to mind less about the fact that the neighborhood is not so select anymore if the house is sturdy and roomy.

Unfortunately, there will eventually be an end to the value of it. Most roofs will have to be repaired sooner or later, and uncontrolled termites will destroy the structure silently. ("If you build it, they will come", you know). Real estate is an iffy and very costly investment, especially for people who know little about structural flaws, contracts and other such issues.




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kids-say-they-slaved-on-utah-pecan-ranch-for-latter-day-saints-bishop/

Kids claim they slaved on ranch for polygamous sect
AP October 1, 2015

Play VIDEO -- The debate on child farm labor
Play VIDEO -- Filling in the blanks of historic child labor photos
40 PHOTOS -- Child labor photos from 1911


SALT LAKE CITY -- Children say they harvested pecans for years for a bishop in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Federal labor authorities suspect Paragon Contractors, located on FLDS land, used children and unpaid labor to pick pecans on the Southern Utah Pecan Ranch, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

New filings in the Labor Department's case include statements from people, some still minors, who said they worked the ranch. An affidavit from 21-year-old Alyssa Bistline says she was 13 years old when she started working.

"For five years, I was part of the main crew," Bistline's affidavit says, "and along with other girls would work every day in the sorting shed, where we would sort, hull and bag and nuts. I also sometimes helped the crews on the ground, pruning and picking up nuts.

"When working in the sorting shed, we began work at 7 or 8 a.m. and worked until around 10 p.m. During the 2012 summer, there were five to 10 other girls working with me between the ages of 12 and 20."

Paragon Contractors, owned by Brian Jessop, held the harvest contract. Bistline says Jessop works closely with FLDS bishop Lyle Jeffs, the brother of imprisoned FLDS President Warren Jeffs.

Bistline said Lyle Jeffs handed out ranch assignments.

A 14-year-old girl says in an affidavit that she started working at the ranch at age 10, and continued for two years. She said even girls with allergies had to work.

"And they were told to keep picking nuts until it gets bad enough that you can't work anymore and then maybe you can help with bagging nuts."

An affidavit from a 9-year-old boy says he was a ranch worker when he was 6 years old. Another from an 11-year-old girl says she was 7 and 8 years old when she worked the ranch.

"In November and December, it was really cold and sometimes there were lots of people clogging up the restrooms just trying to get warm," she says in her affidavit. "It kept a line going for hours. A lot of people were getting sick because the ground was always damp and people were crawling over the ground, picking up nuts."




"When working in the sorting shed, we began work at 7 or 8 a.m. and worked until around 10 p.m. During the 2012 summer, there were five to 10 other girls working with me between the ages of 12 and 20." Paragon Contractors, owned by Brian Jessop, held the harvest contract. Bistline says Jessop works closely with FLDS bishop Lyle Jeffs, the brother of imprisoned FLDS President Warren Jeffs. …. An affidavit from a 9-year-old boy says he was a ranch worker when he was 6 years old. Another from an 11-year-old girl says she was 7 and 8 years old when she worked the ranch. …. "In November and December, it was really cold and sometimes there were lots of people clogging up the restrooms just trying to get warm," she says in her affidavit.”

I will pass up the chance to say something hateful about the primitive FLDS religion, or rather cult. Religions shouldn’t get too much power any more than politicians or businessmen should. The lack of caring for human beings here is shocking and definitely not Christian; but there is one business that is as bad in some places as these huge farms, namely the hosiery and textile mills that existed in Thomasville, NC in the 1950s and ‘60s. There was one case reported in the news for refusing the workers, who were mainly women, the permission to go use the bathroom. It was said that they would sometimes wet their pants from waiting too long. One problem with such jobs is that the workers need the money so badly that they will put up with outrageous things just to keep getting a paycheck.

Child labor is another subject though, and a worse one. I thought it had been outlawed long ago, but apparently farm labor is exempted. We need a new set of laws to cover all the cases. See the videos mentioned above for more about that, and the following Wikipedia article on child labor in the US: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_labor_laws_in_the_United_States.

“Federal law

The main law regulating child labor in the United States is the Fair Labor Standards Act. In general, for non-agricultural jobs, children under 14 may not be employed, children between 14 and 16 may be employed in allowed occupations during limited hours, and children between 16 and 18 can be employed for unlimited hours in non-hazardous occupations.[1] A number of exceptions to these rules exist, such as for employment by parents, newspaper delivery, and child actors.[1] The regulations for agricultural employment are generally less strict, allowing children to work an unlimited number of hours on a farm and allowing them to do so during school hours if a parent or guardian works that same farm.[2]

State laws[edit]

States have varying laws covering youth employment. Each state has minimum requirements such as earliest age a child may begin working, number of hours permitted during the day, and how many hours are allowed to be worked during the week. The United States Department of Labor lists the minimum requirements for for agricultural work in each state.[3] Where state law differs from federal law on child labor, the law with the more rigorous standard applies.[1]”



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/election-2016-gop-dr-ben-carson-gun-control/

Ben Carson defends comments about Oregon shooting
CBS NEWS
October 7, 2015

31 Play VIDEO -- Ben Carson on Oregon shooting: I would not just stand there
PHOTOS -- Umpqua Community College shooting
Play VIDEO -- Oregon student's quick thinking helps save classmate
Related article -- Poll: Ben Carson closes gap with Donald Trump


Ben Carson refused to back away from his controversial remarks on mass shootings that lit up the gun control debate this week. The GOP presidential candidate argued that everyone should attack a massive shooter and he would sacrifice his life if he were face-to-face with a gunman. He said he'd rather see a body with bullet holes over gun control.

"I want to plant in people's minds what to do in a situation like this because unfortunately this is probably not going to be the last time this happens," he said in an interview on "CBS This Morning."

Less than a week after the mass shooting on the Umpqua Community College campus in Oregon, presidential candidates have been addressing gun control and mental health issues. But Carson's latest comments defending the right to bear arms may be the most controversial, reports CBS News correspondent Julianna Goldman.

"I would ask everybody to attack the gunman because he can only shoot one of us at a time. That way, we don't all wind up dead," he told ABC News while chuckling on Tuesday.

"The accusation there, Dr. Carson, is that you appeared tone deaf and that you seemed callous in the laughter about a massacre and what you would have done," Fox News' Megyn Kelly said.

"I'm laughing at them and their silliness," Carson responded.

"Who?" Kelly asked.

"The people asking that question. Of course, you know, if everybody attacks that gunman, he's not going to be able to kill everybody. But if you sit there and let him shoot you one by one, you're all going to be dead," Carson said.

When asked if he was judging the victims, Carson said he was looking at "the big picture."

Ben Carson says he wouldn't want a Muslim president: "Not judging them at all. But, you know, these incidents continue to occur. I doubt that this will be the last one. I want to plant the seed in people's minds so that if this happens again, you know, they don't all get killed," he said.

On "CBS This Morning," Carson said that the case of Chris Mintz, the army veteran who was shot seven times while charging the shooter and ultimately saved lives, "verifies what I'm saying," although he did not know Mintz was when first asked about him.

"That's exactly what should be done and if everybody does that, the likelihood of him being able to kill as many people diminishes quite significantly," Carson said.

He deflected another question about the impossibility of knowing how he'd behave in that situation.

"We live in a culture now where people decide that everything you say - 'we need to set up battle lines,' and 'we need to get on this side of it or that side of it,' rather than of collectively trying to figure out how we solve the problem," he said. "It's sort of an immature attitude but it seems to be something that's rampant in America today."

As for seeking solutions to the problem of mass shootings in America, Carson advocated for studying the lives of each person who has carried out a mass shooting to see if there are patterns or early warning signs that would identify people who might be dangerous in the future.

"I think we have to for instance empower the psychiatrist, the psychologist, and number these cases," he said. "These people have already been working with mental health professionals, but nothing was done about it and we have to be able to move to the next step, not just recognizing that they're mentally ill but being able to take the appropriate interventional steps."

He said that the U.S. should "absolutely" look for a "mechanism" to keep weapons away from people that had been declared dangerous by a mental health professional, but added, "We need to study all the possibilities, and we cannot do anything that compromises the Second Amendment."

He also appeared on ABC's "The View" where he reiterated that kindergarten teachers should be armed with guns in their classrooms.

"Not all kindergarten teachers. I said people who are trained and understand all the implications and you're obviously not going to have a weapon sitting on the teacher's desk," Carson said.

The weapon would be secured in a place where kids can't get to it," he added.

"If the gunman comes in with an AK-45, or AR-15, how fast can that teacher go to the locked drawer and get that gun?" co-host Joy Behar asked.

"I want that teacher trained in diversionary tactics and whatever needs to be done in order to get there and I want there to be other people in that school who also know how to get to that gun," Carson said.

Carson stated that even his experience as a doctor removing bullets from victims of gun violence has reinforced his belief in the Second Amendment.

In a Facebook question and answer session he wrote: "There is no doubt that this senseless violence is breathtaking - but I never saw a body with bullet holes that was more devastating than taking the right to arm ourselves away."

Other Republican candidates responded to the latest mass shooting with staunch opposition to stricter gun laws.

"Stuff happens. There's always a crisis," Jeb Bush said.

In Iowa, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton mocked Jeb Bush's remark.

"This isn't stuff that happens. We let it happen, and we have to act," Clinton said.

President Obama is going to Oregon to meet with the families of victims Friday. Some protests are expected, and Carson was asked if he would do the same as president. He responded probably not and suggested it would be politicizing the tragedy.

On "CBS This Morning," he said that if he were to go, his visit would attract less negative attention than Mr. Obama's "because I wouldn't be picking and choosing which groups I sympathize with."

Carson stated that even his experience as a doctor removing bullets from victims of gun violence has reinforced his belief in the Second Amendment.

Though he once supported a ban on military-style assault weapons, Carson's views have changed over the years, and he addressed his change of heart in his new book, "A More Perfect Union." On "CBS This Morning," he said the drafters of the Constitution "recognized that things would change, that we would become a more modern society," he said. "But we have to recognize that it was the principles that were important."

Carson said that the amendment was written to allow people to assist the military in case of an invasion and to protect themselves from an overly aggressive government. Arguing that people cannot have weapons that have become more advanced "violates that principle."



"The accusation there, Dr. Carson, is that you appeared tone deaf and that you seemed callous in the laughter about a massacre and what you would have done," Fox News' Megyn Kelly said. "I'm laughing at them and their silliness," Carson responded. "Who?" Kelly asked. "The people asking that question. Of course, you know, if everybody attacks that gunman, he's not going to be able to kill everybody. But if you sit there and let him shoot you one by one, you're all going to be dead," Carson said. …. As for seeking solutions to the problem of mass shootings in America, Carson advocated for studying the lives of each person who has carried out a mass shooting to see if there are patterns or early warning signs that would identify people who might be dangerous in the future. "I think we have to for instance empower the psychiatrist, the psychologist, and number these cases," he said. "These people have already been working with mental health professionals, but nothing was done about it and we have to be able to move to the next step, not just recognizing that they're mentally ill but being able to take the appropriate interventional steps." …. He said that the U.S. should "absolutely" look for a "mechanism" to keep weapons away from people that had been declared dangerous by a mental health professional, but added, "We need to study all the possibilities, and we cannot do anything that compromises the Second Amendment."

Like police brutality cases, the vast number of mentally disturbed individuals has not been counted and tabulated for later use so that they can then be DENIED the privilege of buying a gun or gun license. Many of such people "fall through the cracks," and get a gun with no problem; and the big loophole of course is the gun show situation. It is my understanding that people can buy guns at a gun show without showing ID.

We need a computer dedicated to just that issue, and I think it should be in the Department of Health or perhaps the FBI. The most reliable center of help on such issues is the FBI. They also may have more swat than the Department of Health or NIH. One article suggested that the CDC should keep the information, and they do I believe have the power of enforcement. Of course, the more Republicans and their ilk weaken the powers of federal government departments in order to "slim down" the government, the more they will be unable to handle the load of psychotics and felons trying to get guns.

Mandatory reporting to that central department should be made law, as some states have been lax about reporting issues surrounding police killings, and they probably can't, I think, be trusted with mental health problems either. Also there are the ocasional ethnic or religious killings -- the Fort Hood massacre and the one recently in the South Carolina church for instance, and of course abortion clinic workers. All in all, though, they are usually psychotic, fanatic or otherwise obsessed individuals rather than being a hit man or just a very disgruntled militiaman. So far, most of them in this country are not jihadists, but that may change as more refugees leave the Middle East and head for Europe and the US. I think a good list of names and a strong law prohibiting their buying a gun would really help. Yes, some will still "fall through the cracks," as Trump mentioned recently, but there would be an improvement.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cair-issues-warning-over-planned-armed-anti-islam-rallies/

U.S. group issues warning over planned armed anti-Islam rallies
CBS NEWS
October 4, 2015

Photograph -- Jon Ritzheimer, who gave this photo of himself wearing a "F--- Islam" T-shirt to CBS affiliate KPHO in May of 2015. KPHO
Play VIDEO -- Who are the Oath Keepers?

A series of anti-Muslim rallies being planned for October 10 across the country at mosques and other Islamic sites is raising the alarm among Muslim advocacy groups.

The Council for Islamic-American Relations [sic] (CAIR,) the nation's leading Muslim civil rights group, issued a warning to mosques nationwide Sunday to take additional safety measures ahead of the event.

In an interview with CBS News, CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said his organization monitors hate groups regularly, and that the talk surrounding the planned day of rallies on October 10th was unusually concerning.

"At first we didn't want to take it public but at some level you have to warn the community about these potentially violent hate rallies," Hooper said.

CAIR cited a Facebook page titled "Global Rally for Humanity," as being the focal point for planning what is right now estimated to be 20 separate rallies nationwide. The group is calling on protesters to be armed where permitted.


The slogan for the group and their series of rallies is ""The World is Saying No To Islam," and a flyer widely circulated by the group mentions the "3%ers and Oathkeepers."

The Oathkeepers recently made headlines by showing up in Ferguson, Mo., during protests on the one-year anniversary of the death of Michael Brown, ostensibly to protect people working for a conspiracy theorist's website.

Hooper said some of the 20 planned rallies may not materialize, but that Muslims should remain vigilante regardless and work with law enforcement to prevent any violence.

At least one rally is reportedly being planned in Phoenix by a former Marine named Jon Ritzheimer, who previously organized an anti-Islam rally there in May of this year. CBS affiliate KPHO reports that the protesters had originally planned to meet at a nearby Denny's, but that the owner said he planned close the restaurant for a few hours around the rally. An area school also cancelled classes. The event went off without incident though.

NOTE – The name of this organization is not as stated above, but Council on American-Islamic Relations. See http://www.cair.com/



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_Keepers

Oath Keepers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Oath Keepers is an American organization associated with the patriot movement. It encourages members—some of whom are said to be current and former U.S. military and law enforcement officers— not to obey orders which they believe would violate the United States Constitution. The group is best known for its controversial presence in Ferguson, Missouri during protests and unrest in the city, and during which its members were armed with semi-automatic rifles[1][2] and asserted to be a far-right militia group.[3][4][5][6]

The organization describes itself as a non-partisan association of current and formerly serving military, police, and first responders, who pledge to fulfill the oath all military and police take to “defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”[7] Oath Keepers was founded in March 2009 by Stewart Rhodes.[8][9] Rhodes is a Yale Law School graduate, a former US Army paratrooper, and a former staffer of Republican Congressman Ron Paul.[10]

Rhodes is reported to have taken inspiration from the idea that Hitler could have been stopped if German soldiers and police had refused to follow orders.[11] In this same context, Stewart has compared Hillary Clinton to Hitler, writing in S.W.A.T. Magazine in 2008, '“It” (a full-blown totalitarian police state) cannot happen here if the majority of police and soldiers obey their oaths to defend the Constitution and refuse to enforce the unconstitutional edicts of the "Leader." Imagine that Herr Hitlery is sworn in as president in 2009. After a conveniently timed “domestic terrorism” incident (just a coincidence, of course) or yet another Prozac induced mass shooting, she promptly crams a United Nations mandated, Great Britain style, total ban on the private possession of firearms through a compliant, Democratically controlled Congress.'[12]

Mark Potok, a senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center, said in an interview that the group has no history of political violence, but that, "The core ideas of these groups relate to the fear that elites in this country and around the world are slowly and steadily and nefariously moving us towards a one-world government, the so-called New World Order."[16]

In August 2015, John Karriman, a teacher at Missouri Southern State University's Police Academy and head of the Missouri chapter of the Oath Keepers used term “mulatto” to describe U.S. President Obama on CBC Radio’s As It Happens program.[17]

In the Southern Poverty Law Center's (SPLC) 2009 report The Second Wave: Return of the Militias, Larry Keller wrote that the Oath Keepers "may be a particularly worrisome example of the Patriot revival."[34] Keller described Richard Mack, an Oath Keeper, as a "longtime militia hero"[34][35] and quoted him as having said, "The greatest threat we face today is not terrorists; it is our federal government. ... One of the best and easiest solutions is to depend on local officials, especially the sheriff, to stand against federal intervention and federal criminality."[34] Mack, a former sheriff, responded by denying the claims, saying, "I have had no contact with any militia group and have never been a member of any militia."[36][37]

In 2009 the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) wrote in a report that, "The 'orders' the Oath Keepers refuse [to obey] reveal their extreme conspiratorial mindset, because the 'orders' are not instructions ever likely to be actually handed down by Obama or his officials; instead, they are reflective of the anti-government conspiracy theories embraced by the extreme right."[38]

Quoting the Las Vegas Review-Journal, MSNBC political commentator and former presidential candidate Pat Buchanan said, "Oath Keepers, depending on where one stands, are either strident defenders of liberty or dangerous peddlers of paranoia." Buchanan himself concluded that "America was once their country. They sense they are losing it."[39][40]
….



http://www.threepercenter.org/index.php

Welcome to threepercenter.org, an independent community for Three Percenters to discuss current and future events, network and spread the idea of the "Three Percent".

About Three Percenter

ThreePercenter.ORG is a Three Percenter community website promoting the ideals of liberty, freedom and a constitutional government restrained by law.

This site is run by freedom-loving Americans, however we can enjoy the company of those from other nations who share our cause.

What is a Three Percenter?

The Three Percent concept and idea was created by Mike Vanderboegh.

Roughly three percent of the population fought for liberty at any given time during the American war for Independence. With a colonial population of 2,500,000 to 3,000,000 only about 250,000 men served during the war with never more than 90,000 men serving at any given time.

Historians have estimated that approximately 40-45% of the colonists supported the rebellion while 15-20% of the population of the thirteen colonies remained loyal to the British Crown. The remaining 35-45% attempted to remain neutral.

A note: Threepercenter.org does not directly represent Three Percenters everywhere, we do however share in the Three Percenter spirit and ideology (and identify ourselves as Three Percenters). We cherish and work to defend our 2nd Amendment rights along with all our rights and liberties.



"Oath Keepers, depending on where one stands, are either strident defenders of liberty or dangerous peddlers of paranoia." Buchanan himself concluded that "America was once their country. They sense they are losing it."[39][40]”
Even Pat Buchanan is at least somewhat wary of the conservative fringe. A long time “conservative,” Buchanan has always shown at least in his comments a good deal of common sense and has never to my knowledge advocated violence by the Right.

3%ers and Oath Keepers are both in the far, far right range of opinion. I always tend to think of these people as being ignorant in all ways, but many are not. There are people who are involved in Survivalism and are preparing for one of two things – the Apocalypse and the takeover of the US government by the radical left. They are fearful. A highly religious Christian woman I know and her husband were doing some survivalist things. I didn’t know it until she told me that her husband was concerned about the breakdown of the American government and our society and was preparing for a reign of lawlessness.

That brand of paranoia is not new in the US. It’s just back again, like the poltergeists of the great old horror movie “Poltergeist.” I think the liberalizing of American society frightens and enrages such people. They want to make the culture and government of the US into a place where the laws are ruled by the Bible. Some of them think that when bad things happen it is a sign that God is angry at our culture and is punishing us.

Kim Davis and her attempts to stand up for what she sees as individual rights is typical. Individual rights means HER RIGHTS at all times. To me, laws are made not merely to set up a decent society, but also to protect those who would be downtrodden mentally or physically if they, in turn, were to stand up for what THEY believe in.

I want to see a great reduction of all the combative feelings that are showing up among us. America the Free doesn’t mean the freedom to abuse others over your particularly fondly held opinion. The only way to prevent societal lawlessness is to stop being lawless.





http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/10/08/446864301/bill-would-add-nurses-physician-assistants-to-pharma-disclosure-database

Bill Would Add Nurses, Physician Assistants To Pharma Disclosure Database
CHARLES ORNSTEIN
OCTOBER 08, 2015

Photograph -- Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and a Democratic colleague have introduced a bill that would require drugmakers and medical device companies to disclose payments made to physician assistants and nurses who can prescribe their products. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images


A bill proposed Wednesday by two U.S. senators would require drugmakers and medical device manufacturers to publicly disclose their payments to nurse practitioners and physician assistants for promotional talks, consulting, meals and other interactions.

The legislation would close a loophole in the Physician Payment Sunshine Act, which requires companies to report such payments to doctors, dentists, chiropractors, optometrists and podiatrists. Companies have so far released more than 15 million payment records, covering August 2013 to December 2014.

As ProPublica and NPR reported in July, the 2010 law doesn't include nurses with advanced degrees or physician assistants, even though they, too, can prescribe medications. Some have gotten in trouble for accepting kickbacks.

The bill, introduced by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., would expand the disclosure requirement beginning in 2017 to include physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists and certified nurse midwives.

"We think that the void should be filled in order to have a complete record," Grassley said in an interview. "Transparency isn't an end to itself. Transparency is meant to bring accountability."

Because the data aren't publicly reported, it's unknown how much money these professionals receive from makers of drugs and medical devices, or whether that figure has increased since disclosure of payments to doctors was required. But in recent years, a few non-doctors have been criminally charged with taking kickbacks from industry.

A nurse practitioner in Connecticut pleaded guilty in June to taking $83,000 from Insys Therapeutics in exchange for prescribing its high-priced medication Subsys to treat cancer pain. In some cases, she delivered promotional talks attended only by herself and a company sales representative.

And in 2012, a physician assistant in Rhode Island was sentenced to six months in prison and six months of home confinement after pleading guilty to taking kickbacks from a medical device company. The company paid him $50 to $300 for each bone growth stimulator ordered by the surgeon he worked for — all told, some $120,000 between 2004 and 2011. The company, Orthofix, and several of its officials also pleaded guilty to charges including fraud, obstruction, kickbacks or perjury.

Blumenthal, the new bill's co-sponsor, said the Connecticut case was "a clear, loud alarm bell."

"Doctors need to be held accountable, but so do all the other providers," he said. "Requiring these companies to disclose gifts and payments made to other health care providers, not just doctors, is absolutely necessary in today's world."

Allan Coukell, senior director for health programs at the Pew Charitable Trusts, said that when the initial Sunshine Act was drafted, nurse practitioners weren't part of the discussion.

"It's an important step," Coukell said of the new legislation, called the Provider Payment Sunshine Act. "Nurse practitioners and physician assistants write a lot of prescriptions, and this creates a level playing field with the same kind of transparency as the original Sunshine Act created for physician payments."

A ProPublica analysis of prescribing patterns in Medicare's prescription drug program, known as Part D, found that nurse practitioners and physician assistants wrote about 10 percent of the nearly 1.4 billion prescriptions in the program in 2013. They wrote 15 percent of all prescriptions nationwide (not only Medicare) in the first five months of this year, according to IMS Health, a health information company.

For some drugs, including narcotic controlled substances, nurse practitioners and physician assistants were among the top prescribers.

Supporters of the new bill declined to handicap its chances of passage.

Separately, a bill called the 21st Century Cures Act, which passed the House of Representatives in July, includes provisions that would water down disclosure requirements in the Sunshine Act. Intended to speed the development of new treatments, the Cures Act would exempt companies from having to disclose the value of medical journal reprints and textbooks they give to physicians (they currently have to disclose them), as well as payments for continuing medical education and speaking engagements that do not promote a particular product.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which aggregates the industry disclosures and releases them once a year, said it does not comment on pending legislation. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners, a trade group, said it doesn't yet have an opinion on the issue.

Look up your doctor in our Dollars for Docs interactive database to see if he or she has received payments from drug or device companies in 2013–2014. Also read our story about doctors who had the most interactions with the industry.




http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/10/08/446898337/hero-in-french-train-attack-spencer-stone-stabbed-in-california

Hero In French Train Attack, Spencer Stone, Stabbed In California
Laura Wagner
October 8, 2015

Photograph -- French President Francois Hollande shakes hands with U.S. Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone on Aug. 24 after Stone and two friends were awarded the French Legion of Honor for subduing a gunman on a Paris-bound train.
Kamil Zihnioglu/AP


Spencer Stone, one of three Americans who thwarted a terror attack on a Paris-bound train this summer, was stabbed early this morning in Sacramento, Calif., according to an Air Force spokesperson.

Lt. Col. Christopher Karns said that he had no details on the circumstances surrounding the stabbing, according to The Associated Press, and that the incident was being handled by local law enforcement officials.

NPR's Richard Gonzales says Stone, 23, is reported to be in stable condition.

According to a statement from the Sacramento Police Department, the victim was stabbed multiple times in the upper body. Police did not identify Airman 1st Class Stone by name in the statement, saying that they "respect the identity of all crime victims."

Here's more from the police statement:

"On Thursday, October 8, 2015, at 12:46 a.m., the Sacramento Police Department received a call from a passerby that a subject had been stabbed in the area of 21st Street and K Street.

"The victim, a man in his 20s, was located on scene and transported to an area hospital by fire personnel.

"It is believed that the victim was out with a group of friends when a physical altercation led to the victim being stabbed multiple times in his upper body. Detectives were called to the scene to assist with the investigation and the victim is currently being treated for what appears to be non-life threatening injuries."

Sacramento police later tweeted that the stabbing appears to be alcohol-related.

Stone, 23, sustained serious injuries when he subdued the heavily armed man on the French passenger train. He slashed by a box cutter and required extensive surgery on his thumb. He also suffered an injuries to his right eye and arm.

As we reported, Stone and the other two Americans — Oregon National Guardsman Alek Skarlatos and Anthony Sadler — were honored last month by President Obama in the Oval Office.




"Lt. Col. Christopher Karns said that he had no details on the circumstances surrounding the stabbing, according to The Associated Press, and that the incident was being handled by local law enforcement officials. NPR's Richard Gonzales says Stone, 23, is reported to be in stable condition. …. It is believed that the victim was out with a group of friends when a physical altercation led to the victim being stabbed multiple times in his upper body. Detectives were called to the scene to assist with the investigation and the victim is currently being treated for what appears to be non-life threatening injuries." Sacramento police later tweeted that the stabbing appears to be alcohol-related.”


It looks as though this man likes to fight and drink as well. He may go from hero to jailbird if he isn’t careful. Still, I’m glad his instincts kicked in on the train. He and his two compatriots saved the lives of the other travelers that day.




NASA ACTION ON THE MARS PROJECT


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-will-nasa-make-the-martian-a-reality/

How NASA will make "The
SPACE.COM
October 2, 2015

This photo shows Matt Damon as Mark Watney a scene from the film, "The Martian," directed by Ridley Scott. AP
Play VIDEO -- Director Ridley Scott on "The Martian" and water on Mars


NASA wants the world to know that putting boots on Mars is not just a sci-fi dream.

The space agency has been helping promote the new film "The Martian," which hit theaters across the United States Thursday, as a way to publicize its own plans to send astronauts to the Red Planet in the 2030s.

Setting up a crewed outpost on Mars is NASA's chief long-term goal in the realm of human spaceflight. Indeed, the space agency's operational robotic Mars craft -- the Opportunity and Curiosity rovers, and the orbiters Mars Odyssey, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) -- can be seen as scouts for the human pioneers to come, NASA officials say. [5 Manned Mission to Mars Ideas]

"The evolution of a Martian starts with our science -- starts with our ground-truth that we get from our rovers -- and it builds up to human exploration," Jim Green, director of NASA's Planetary Science division, said at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, during an event focusing on "The Martian" and the space agency's Red Planet plans.

Making it happen

NASA is working on a number of different fronts to make a crewed Mars mission happen, Green said.

For example, the agency and its partners are currently conducting an unprecedented yearlong mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). (Crewmembers generally stay aboard the orbiting lab for 5 to 6 months.)

Researchers are monitoring how NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko respond physiologically and psychologically to their extended time off Earth, in an effort to help prepare future pioneers for the long journey to Mars and back.

Furthermore, astronauts recently grew lettuce aboard the ISS -- and ate it as well -- as part of an experiment called "Veggie." The long-term goal of such projects is to make voyaging astronauts less dependent on Earth.

NASA is also developing a crew capsule called Orion and the Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket to help get astronauts to, and from, distant destinations such as Mars. Orion aced its first uncrewed test flight last December, and the SLS is scheduled to make its maiden voyage in 2018.

Technological development is ongoing in other key areas as well. For instance, researchers are working to improve solar-electric propulsion systems, which use energy from the sun to strip electrons off gas molecules, then send these ions streaming out the back of a spacecraft to generate thrust.

"These are going to be huge ion engines that will allow us to haul tens of tons of material back and forth to Mars," Green said.

Much of this heavy gear -- which will consist of human habitat modules and other infrastructure -- must make it down to the Martian surface. That's a tall order, since the 1-ton Curiosity rover maxed out NASA's "sky crane" landing system. [How to Land on Mars: Martian Tech Explained (Infographic)]

So NASA is developing new tech, such as inflatable "decelerators" and an enormous supersonic parachute, to get 10-ton payloads down safely and softly on the Red Planet. NASA has tested a prototype of this system twice during balloon-aided flights off Hawaii; the decelerator worked perfectly, but the parachute tore both times.

Robotic Red Planet explorers

The science work being done by Red Planet robots feeds into the crewed effort as well. For example, data and images gathered by MRO have allowed researchers to determine that the dark streaks that appear on steep Martian slopes during warm weather are caused by liquid water -- a resource that future pioneers might be able to exploit.

"We're developing the science tools now -- the continually orbiting and roving on Mars -- to be able to get us the information to know what Mars is really like," Green said.

NASA's next Mars rover, which is scheduled to launch in 2020, will continue to build up the knowledge base, while also making concerted strides toward human exploration.

One of the Mars 2020 rover's instruments is a technology demonstration designed to generate oxygen from carbon dioxide in the Red Planet's atmosphere. Another instrument, a ground-penetrating radar, is capable of discovering subsurface aquifers of liquid water, if any exist in the landing zone, Green said.

The path to Mars

NASA is not planning to make the big leap directly from low Earth orbit, where the ISS circles, all the way to Mars. Rather, the agency first aims to test technologies and gain deep-space experience in the "proving ground" of Earth-moon space.

One proving-ground project is the Asteroid Redirect Mission, which involves plucking a boulder off a near-Earth asteroid with a robotic probe and towing the chunk of space rock to lunar orbit for future visitation by astronauts.

NASA plans to accomplish this -- the robotic and crewed aspects (which will employ Orion and the SLS) -- by 2025.

And the first crewed Mars mission may land not on the Red Planet but on one of its two tiny moons, Phobos and Deimos. Such a strategy would prove out the technologies required to get to Mars orbit, and also dilute the risks and costs of a crewed Red Planet campaign, advocates say.

So some of the steps along the path to Mars still need to be worked out. But the ultimate destination -- the Martian surface -- is not in doubt, NASA officials say.

"[Putting] boots on Mars is possibly the most exciting thing humans will ever do," NASA chief Charles Bolden said last month during an event at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. that detailed NASA's crewed Mars plans.

"We have been engaged in getting to Mars -- getting humans to Mars -- for at least 40 years, beginning with the first precursors," he added. "I have no doubt that we can accomplish what we have set our minds to do."




“Setting up a crewed outpost on Mars is NASA's chief long-term goal in the realm of human spaceflight. Indeed, the space agency's operational robotic Mars craft -- the Opportunity and Curiosity rovers, and the orbiters Mars Odyssey, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) -- can be seen as scouts for the human pioneers to come, NASA officials say. [5 Manned Mission to Mars Ideas] …. Researchers are monitoring how NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko respond physiologically and psychologically to their extended time off Earth, in an effort to help prepare future pioneers for the long journey to Mars and back. …. Technological development is ongoing in other key areas as well. For instance, researchers are working to improve solar-electric propulsion systems, which use energy from the sun to strip electrons off gas molecules, then send these ions streaming out the back of a spacecraft to generate thrust. "These are going to be huge ion engines that will allow us to haul tens of tons of material back and forth to Mars," Green said. Much of this heavy gear -- which will consist of human habitat modules and other infrastructure -- must make it down to the Martian surface. …. One of the Mars 2020 rover's instruments is a technology demonstration designed to generate oxygen from carbon dioxide in the Red Planet's atmosphere. Another instrument a technology demonstration designed to generate oxygen from carbon dioxide, if any exist in the landing zone, Green said. …. So some of the steps along the path to Mars still need to be worked out. But the ultimate destination -- the Martian surface -- is not in doubt, NASA officials say.”

Exciting new things are available to us since the moon shot: “improve solar-electric propulsion systems, huge ion engines that will allow us to haul tens of tons of material back and forth to Mars, human habitat modules and other infrastructure, a technology demonstration designed to generate oxygen from carbon dioxide.” I hope and pray it all works as they plan for it to, or that they are able to improvise if it doesn’t, because when you're millions of miles from home with no help things could get dicey. I’m going to go see that new movie The Martian. A commentator on TV said that it is pretty close to the real science. I can’t wait!