Many high schoolers are affected by what experts have called a teen mental health crisis, according to a survey released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in March.

Poor mental health in US teens was exacerbated by negative experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic, a survey finds

Overall, more than a third of high school students in the United States experienced poor mental health at least most of the time during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

More than 2 out of 5 students had felt persistent sadness or hopelessness that caused them to stop doing some usual activities.

About 1 in 5 seriously considered suicide, and about 1 in 10 students had attempted suicide. (CNN)

It would seem that the isolation caused by Covid 19 deprived teens of their usual interactions with their friends.

And the resulting loneliness brought on their depression.

I hope your child has recovered.

A remedy I would suggest is LOVE!

(At the US-Mexico border.)

A Venezuelan father’s eyes well up with tears, and his 4-year-old son tries to wipe them away.

The photo – taken in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, this week by a Reuters photographer shows a man identified as Franklin Pajaro who’d just been expelled from the United States.

And there’s more to the story beyond that powerful moment.

Pajaro is one of thousands of Venezuelans kicked out of the United States as part of a new deal the Biden administration brokered with Mexican authorities.

Why focus on Venezuelan migrants?

Officials say the number of Venezuelans attempting to cross the border has spiked dramatically, nearly quadrupling in the past year. (CNN)

Violence and governmental corruption are driving these refugees north to the “Promised Land.”

But, the “Promised Land” has closed its door to Venezuelans.

The father in the photo above has lost all hope for a better life.

Despair is a terrible thing and it defines the lives of millions of people everywhere.

 Ritz-Carlton’s highly-anticipated superyacht cruise has finally made its debut, three and a half years after its maiden voyage was originally scheduled to begin.

Evrima, the first of three custom-built yachts from the famous hotel chain’s Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, began a seven-night cruise from Barcelona, Spain to Nice, France on October 15.

The 190-meter vessel, which can accommodate 298 passengers, is made up of 149 suites with a private terrace, as well as floor to ceiling windows, and features an infinity pool, a wine vault, a Ritz-Carlton Spa, a nightclub and its very own “marina.”

Rates for a one-week stay start at $6,400 per person for Mediterranean voyages, while Caribbean voyages begin at $5,100 per person, with accommodation options ranging from standard cabins, to two-story “loft-style” apartments, and a sprawling 1,091- square-foot “owner’s suite” with a private hot tub. (CNN)

Not Bad!

You’ve got your health.

You are attractive.

You are educated.

You have at least one person who loves you.

You have all the benefits of being in the prime of life.

Will you use it or misuse this moment that only comes along once?

My prime is in the past.

I used it for three objectives: As a husband and father, as an entrepreneur, as an officer in the Navy.

I am content with how I used my prime years.

Don’t waste them.

Have objectives and pursue them with all the resources you have available!

If not today, when?

London (CNN) 

Wind and solar power have made up a record 24% of the European Union’s electricity mix since Russia launched its war on Ukraine, a new report says, a boost that has also helped the bloc battle soaring inflation.

The growth in renewable power capacity has saved the 27-nation bloc $97 billion in avoided gas imports between March and September, which is $10.8 billion more when compared with the same period from last year.

The boost in renewables comes as Europe tries to wean itself off Russian gas, as Moscow reduces, even cuts off, European nations’ energy supplies to gain leverage in the conflict.

The war has forced the the EU to confront its costly dependence on Russian gas, which in 2020 accounted for 41% of the EU’s imports of the fossil fuel.

A great success story when nations work together!

The Alaska snow crab harvest has been canceled for the first time ever after billions of the crustaceans have disappeared from the cold, treacherous waters of the Bering Sea in recent years.

The Alaska Board of Fisheries and North Pacific Fishery Management Council announced last week that the population of snow crab in the Bering Sea fell below the regulatory threshold to open up the fishery.

 Global wildlife populations have declined by 69% since 1970, WWF report finds

“Snow crab is by far the most abundant of all the Bering Sea crab species that is caught commercially,” Daly told CNN.

“So the shock and awe of many billions missing from the population is worth noting – and that includes all the females and babies.”

The Bristol Bay red king crab harvest will also be closed for the second year in a row, the agencies announced.

Minneapolis (CNN) 

On a breezy morning in July, Fabian Jones rode his new bike to the homeless shelter where he lived earlier this year.

“Here’s one of our success stories,” said Michael Goze, head of the nonprofit that runs the emergency shelter, known as Homeward Bound, located in the heart of Minneapolis’ large Native American community.

Jones, 52, was spending the day moving his things from a storage unit into a new apartment he found earlier in the summer, with some help provided by case workers at Homeward Bound.

Things turned around for him at Homeward Bound, where a person is treated “like a human being.”

As a culturally specific shelter, it holds American Indian rituals like smudging, a ceremony meant to drive away negative energy.

“It’s hard being homeless every day. You can’t take a day off, or rest for a bit.”

Why can’t we create a “Homeward Bound” in every city and town in America?

If not today, when?

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Baby M arrived in our neonatal intensive care unit the other day.

Barely 24 hours old, she was clearly in pain.

Her high-pitched cry pierced the unit again and again, her tiny legs twitched uncontrollably, and she couldn’t sleep.

It’s difficult to comfort her — no amount of swaddling, holding, rocking, soft humming, offering her a pacifier, or other strategies soothe her.

Like the multitude of other babies in this NICU at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Baby M was born dependent on drugs that her mother took while pregnant.

My wife was just called by a hospital where she volunteers to cuddle addicted newborns.

The newborn unit has two fentanyl addicted newborns today.

The rights of the mother are sometimes removed when her baby is addicted.

An innocent is born bearing the sins of her mother.

So Unfair!

• Russia continues to face international backlash for the war.
• European lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Thursday to declare Russia a “terrorist” regime. Meanwhile, a new intelligence analysis shows Western sanctions are hurting Russia’s ability to replenish military supplies in Ukraine. (CNN)
• It’s about time!!!!
• Russia has been deliberately bombing civilian areas, causing the deaths of thousands of women and children.
• Its army is on the retreat.
• So, Russia’s response is to kill the helpless as they sleep in their beds.
• That’s my definition of a terrorist regime!
• Russians and Ukrainians are dying because of one man’s sick ego
• Please God, end this war now!

Most of us are afraid to try something new.

Because we’re not certain of the outcome, we’d rather stay with things we’ve done before wherein the results are predictable.

So, we spend our lives in a routine that makes us comfortable.

Believe me, fear of trying something new will haunt you in your later years.

It’s no fun living a life of regrets.

We’ve taken many risks over the years.

Some paid off. Some didn’t.

I’m glad we did them all because each was an adventure that taught us something very valuable.

Don’t avoid risk.

You may be surprised at a surprisingly satisfying outcome.

 There is no such thing as security.

Anything can happen at any moment.

So be prepared for change.

If not today, when.