By Steve Givens February 8, 2020February 8, 2020

Gregg Walker, AB 94, did not run away to join the circus. He took the less traditional route of Ervin Scholar studying economics at WashU, then Yale Law and a long and fruitful investment and deal-making career that led him to Goldman Sachs, Viacom and Sony.

Walker now finds himself CEO of Big Apple Circus in New York City and president and chief operating officer of Remarkable Entertainment, an immersive live entertainment company whose productions include dinner theatre and two shows created for Virgins new cruise line.

WHO Gregg Walker, AB 94

STUDIED Economics

LOCATION New York City

CURRENTLY CEO of Big Apple Circus President and COO of Remarkable Entertainment

ACCOLADES

Big Apple Circus is a one-ring circus that performs October through February in a tent in Damrosch Park in Lincoln Center. Known for its intimacy, none of its 1,600 seats is farther than 50 feet from the action. Today, its a popular destination for both tourists and New Yorkers. But it was not always so.

In 2016, the then-nonprofit emerged from bankruptcy with a new lease on life as a for profit venture for its 201718 run. At the end of that season, Remarkable Entertainment began consulting and ultimately became owner-operator for 201819. In Walkers first six months as CEO, revenues increased by nearly 75 percent.

I attended circuses growing up, but I attended three-ring circuses, which have a very different feel large, enormous and loud, Walker says. I much prefer the show that we create. I think what we provide is more equivalent to a Broadway show.

Its the fun and excitement and the thrill and the danger, but its all very intimate, up close and personal.

Walkers biggest surprise during his time with the circus has been how much hard work and effective teamwork it takes to pull the whole thing off, and especially the work of the circus performers.

Ive been amazed by the sheer level of unselfish commitment you see from people who work around the circus community, he says. On a typical weekend, well do five shows. During the holiday season, well do two shows every day for a week.

Walker says he first learned about that kind of teamwork during his two terms as president of WashUs Student Union, juggling a $1 million budget and walking the tightrope of student politics.

I learned quickly in my student government days that to accomplish anything, you need a good group of people, Walker says. There is no such thing as the best person. Theres only putting the right people together and giving them the empowerment and the resources to succeed.

Excerpt from:
A new venture under the big top | The Source - Washington University in St. Louis Newsroom

Interview: Director Maggie Levin Talks INTO THE DARK: MY VALENTINE, Empowering Victims of Abuse, and Social Media

Love sucks in Blumhouses Into the Dark Valentines Day themed installment, My Valentine, which addresses important issues like empowerment of victims of abuse and the effects of social media. This incredibly relevant film features a remarkable performance from Glows Britt Baron as Valentine Fawkes, a singer/songwriter who is confronted by her former abusive boyfriend and manager, Royal, played sinisterly by Benedict Samuel. Royal has stolen Valentines music and created a new artist named Trezzure (Anna Lore), who looks exactly like Valentine. Valentine is forced to deal with her abuser and fight for her life, while rediscovering herself in the process.

My Valentine is the debut feature film from amazing writer/director Maggie Levin and was executive produced by Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, who wrote and directed Sinister. Levin also wrote and directed the short film Diva, which is also about a pop star struggling with stardom, as well as the Sci-Fi/Comedy TV series Miss 2059. Levin has a background in directing music videos, which is showcased in neon lit, pop music video segments in My Valentine. The film has a darkly fun vibe and catchy songs, reveals Royals true bloody intentions, and presents difficult issues like rediscovering yourself after being a victim of abuse and the toxic effects of social media. Theres even a cameo by Pooka. My Valentine is captivating, emotionally charged, and painfully personal, and I think its one of the best installments of Into the Dark yet. Levin is an astonishingly talented, rockstar writer and director to watch and you can check out more about her at her website maggielevin.com.

Dread Central had the absolute pleasure of speaking with director Maggie Levin about the creative process of writing My Valentine, the insanely talented cast, the dangerous effects of social media, and a lot more. Read on to find out what we talked about!

Into the Dark: My Valentine premieres on Hulu Friday, February 7th.

Dread Central: Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me today, Maggie! I absolutely love My Valentine and I think its one of the best installments of Into the Dark yet.

Maggie Levin: Thank you so much! Its so exciting. You are one of the very first people who isnt one of my dear friends or isnt working on the movie, who has seen it, and that Ive heard a reaction from. So, thats thrilling to me to hear that you enjoyed it.

DC: Valentine Fawkes is such a clever name for Britt Barons character and the title My Valentine is so fitting, once you realize what the story is about. Why did you choose Valentines Day and how did your story get selected by Blumhouse for Into the Dark?

ML: Through my producers, Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, I was introduced to the Blumhouse television team, to actually talk about an entirely different script, which was a time travel, time-looping, science fiction, romance, post-apocalyptic movie. So, we were talking about that project and it was looking like it could be a good fit for their February Into the Dark slot, and it would have been for Groundhog Day [laughs].

Whats actually cool about the Into the Dark project for Blumhouse is theyre pulling filmmakers and projects from all over and its very filmmaker driven, and it all comes together under this umbrella, which I think is just really cool. So, we were talking about this other project and they sent me a number of the episodes to watch. I watched Culture Shock and Down, and Im Just Fucking With You, which was for April Fools in 2019. When I saw Im Just Fucking With You, my whole self lit up, because this is exactly the kind of thing that kind of calls on the filmmaking skills Ive been acquiring over the course of my career so far. It had this kind of aggressive, run and gun, almost music video feel and theres touches of that in Im Just Fucking With You when I first saw the potential in that. I had a couple of topics that I already wanted to explore, so kind of the confluence of knowing that there was this February opening, having these romantic themes that I already wanted to talk about, and then seeing what was possible in the format all kind of came together into this one idea that I went back to them with.

I said, Hey, maybe instead of doing this Sci-Fi movie that I already have a script for [laughs], which will have to be rebroken and converted into the format, what about this other idea that would be suitable for the same month, but a different holiday, and I think it could be something that would really sing in this format? Pun absolutely intended [laughs]. Im really fortunate that, not only were they open to it, but sort of from the get-go, very excited about it and we all dug in together to figure out how it would work.

DC: You mentioned your executive producers, Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill. Im a huge fan of their work. How did they end up coming onboard?

ML: Scott and Cargill are obviously longtime collaborators, who are working on a number of projects, both as individual creatives and then as producers. I was introduced to Scott through an actress friend and then he had read some of my work and took a particular interest in this one script, which he then brought to Cargill, and we started developing that together. And thats sort of the path that led us all the way to here, through that development relationship. Theyre still attached to that project if it ever lands somewhere else, which I think it may.

The two of them are just incredible, not just collaborators, but champions of other filmmakers. The projects that I know they are developing as producers are all in the horror genre space, but they are from such a diverse swath of creators and different perspectives. In a time when we need powerful people to champion filmmakers, people of color and female filmmakers, I have found the two of them to be just incredible, put their money where their mouth is kind of people.

DC: I know Britt Baron from Glow, and she is absolutely incredible in My Valentine. I also thought Benedict Samuel was fantastic and terrifyingly unhinged. His performance kind of gave me Skeet Ulrich vibes from Scream.

ML: Yes! Oh My God. Ive never thought about that, but youre so correct [laughs]! That was one shot where Ive always called it his Christian Slater moment, but I actually am now rethinking it and Im like, I dont think its Christian Slater. I think its Skeet Ulrich. Its that looking up from underneath his eyebrows at you. That sinister kind of chaotic feel that he has.

DC: Did you have any specific actors in mind when you wrote the script, or did you go through the regular casting process?

ML: I think with any film project, if it turns out well, it is because the whole team had the same movie in mind and also a series of miracles occurred [laughs]. You just need a little bit of that flash of magic or outside spirit to make everything come together the way its supposed to, I believe. I really felt that in terms of this cast. The whole process was very quick, so when I talk early stages, its the months that we were talking about the idea. Because the months it was getting written were right after that and then we were shooting.

So, when I started writing, I had seen Glow and I also was familiar with Britts work, and then I was personally familiar with the work of this other actress, Anna Lore. When I was looking at a script that was centered around two characters who looked uncannily similar, I didnt write it to their voices specifically, but I definitely wrote it with the hope that both girls would be interested in the project and available, particularly Britt. In the first season, what she does with her character on Glow, I felt was just so sublime. Then when I sat down with her and talked to her about this project, shes just such a wonderful person. She brought so much strength and power to this character, who for a good portion of the movie is barely speaking. Shes just responding to this re-traumatizing, re-triggering experience of having to encounter her abuser again.

Really, its remarkable what she did. Those were the first couple of days that we were shooting and she was mostly just reacting, and I knew from the get-go when we were starting to get into it, I was just like, This is going to be a really incredible thing to witness. Truly every performance in the movie, all of the people brought their A game, and then some. I think youre supposed to get tired of watching your own movie [laughs], but I never grow tired of watching their performances, because I think all of them, Anna Akana, Sachin Bhatt, everybody brought something beautiful and really grounded to the movie, which exists in this very fantastical, music video space. If it didnt have those really human performances in it, I think it would get a little like, Oh, were just doing crazy for crazy sake. But those performers really keep it personal and they keep it beautifully emotional the whole time.

DC: You address some really important issues in My Valentine in a way that feels personal and authentic and I think its extremely well-written. Why did you want to explore survivors of abuse and the journey of finding yourself with this story?

ML: Thank you. It is personal. Its something that Ive been really close to myself. This particular cycle of abuse and being locked in a toxic dynamic with somebody is something that Ive witnessed in the lives of the women who are closest to me. I think that we are in this cultural moment where we are unearthing these sort of dark patterns that we have let go on for years and years, because we havent been able to recognize them. When you are in that dynamic personally or when you are very close to it, it becomes so difficult to see reality.

To step outside of it and to have the strength to remove yourself from the situation; and I really wanted to talk about and demonstrate what it is like to fall into the maelstrom of a person who is so charming, so dynamic, and so kind of all over the place, that they manage to keep you in their vortex. And even if you are really smart and really powerful, it becomes almost impossible to break away, and that process of breaking away is really painful. The reason why I wanted to do the therapy podcast and discuss all that stuff is because the process of recovery, in it and out of it, is so intense and I think just a vital thing to be talking about right now.

DC: I think its important that you show that it is possible to remove yourself from a toxic relationship, and thats the part that really got to me when Britts character finally found herself. Im sure there are women out there who think it isnt possible, but it is, and you emphasize that with this movie.

ML: Thank you. That is really meaningful to me. Thats where Im hoping it will hit people. Yes, it is a fun and occasionally over the top movie, but it really is still fundamentally a story about a persons journey towards empowerment and reclaiming themselves. Its about learning to reconnect with your strength after youve had it deliberately shattered by somebody else.

DC: Youve directed music videos, which explains why the music video segments work so well. The vocals are amazing and Im kind of in love with the song The Knife. How did you decide you wanted to use music and vocals by Dresage?

ML: Thank you. Her artist name is Dresage, but her name is Keeley Bumford. Who is the MVP of this movie? I think I have to give it to Keeley aka Dresage. When I stepped into this process, I had no idea I was going to wind up working with her on it. It all happened really quickly. I knew her socially and she was the vocal director of a stage production of Rocky Horror that I had done. She has this incredible voice and I knew her to be a really great songwriter, and she had done some things in film and television. When I really got into the process of working on this, I felt that it was really important that the songs be composed and produced by a woman artist. Im really blessed, not only that Keeley said yes, but that much like the actors in this movie, she gave it completely her all.

We would talk about the emotional structure of what the songs needed to cover. For instance, The Knife is about starting a relationship when youre scared to dive all the way in, but you can feel yourself falling headfirst. She took that basic concept, and a couple of basic artist references I gave her of what I kind of thought it should sound like, and crafted that into something that is not only completely, cleverly referential to the film, it includes the thematic element of the murder weapon [laughs], and all these other fun little things, but she also made this song that feels like a radio hit. It feels like the song that they would be fighting over, which is a feat, to have been able to pull that off so well [laughs]. The premise of the movie really hangs on your ability to buy into this idea of Valentine being this remarkable artist, who has been robbed of her talents. I think Keeleys work, especially with the opening song, which is called Parts of Me, really helps you buy into that. Britts performance combined with that sound is like, Oh yeah, this woman is an unbelievable performer and what a songwriter.

DC: My Valentine is very modern and relevant, and I love the snapchat-y shots with emojis, hearts, and stars. It also adds some dark humor to the story which breaks the tension of the seriousness of the subject matter. I think you do such a great job showing the good and the bad that comes from social media. What do you hope the audience takes away from the film?

ML: Thats a really great question. If there is a lesson to be learned from this movie, or from any online community encounter, it is the importance of remembering that theres a human on the other end of the keyboard. Theres a person with a lived experience, but you might not completely understand. So, developing a purely reactive opinion based on the little piece of the story that youre seeing on Twitter or on Youtube, is probably not necessary, not the best idea [laughs]. I also think that we live in an age where that disconnect allows us to go with our first reaction, which is not always our best reaction. Ive done it, too. Ive seen a headline and gone, This person is cancelled.

Its a dangerous habit that I think we all have gotten into of basing our opinions of people off one tiny, little blip that goes through our feed. I think that the tendency of people to get together and dogpile before going into a deeper understanding of the person or the story theyre dogpiling on is dangerous. Its got a dark side and a light side, right? The light side is that a lot of people who have been taking advantage of other people or doing horrible things unchecked; the internet police have gotten a lot of those people and taken them down in a way that I think is really positive. But the flip side is that we have a little bit of a mob mentality towards everything nowadays. It can really feel like the internet is the whole world [laughs]. You stare into the Eye of Sauron that is your phone, and you think, This is very meaningful. But if you put it down for four or five hours, you go, Oh, its really not [laughs]. The actual human connection with the people around me and in front of me is way more important and valuable than that.

DC: I know My Valentine is your debut feature, but would you like to make more horror movies, and can you tell me what youre working on next?

ML: Yes. I love genre film in general, so Im really looking forward to doing more work in the horror and Sci-Fi genre space. I think I also want to continue to tell stories that are about women. Thats important to me and I want to do everything. I also want to continue my relationship with music and musicals and Rock and Roll, so Im hoping to continue in all directions. Whether that means Ill be busting out horror musical after horror musical, I dont know [laughs]. I think on the horizon is a little bit of everything, because all of those areas are meaningful to me.

A lot of things I cant talk about yet, because theyre not done deals [laughs]. But coming up in the future, I am doing a few more music videos that are also horror-based music videos. And I have that feature that I originally talked about, which is in development, that Sci-Fi, apocalyptic thing that led me to My Valentine in the first place. Then I have another horror feature about three generations of women who are haunted by the same imaginary friend when theyre little girls. So those are the three things that Im working on right now.

DC: I really appreciate you taking time to talk with me today!

ML: Likewise, and Im beyond touched that you said the things you said about the film. It fills my heart up that it is hitting all of those places for you, because that is what I tried to do. You never know until you let it out into the world if its going to do what you intended.

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Interview: Director Maggie Levin Talks INTO THE DARK: MY VALENTINE, Empowering Victims of Abuse, and Social Media - Dread Central

Birds of Prey has been marketed very much as Deadpool-level violence, but make it girl power. In reality, it's actually a surprisingly relatable depiction of one of the most powerful experiences of being a woman: the sisterhood that forms between near-strangers when in need. Instead of paying lip service to female empowerment or trying to spin complicated emotional bonds in a short time, the movie leans heavily on this common experience to create a movie that's as much about the lived experience of ordinary women as it is about a group of messed-up antiheroes.

In many ways, Birds of Prey is largely a metaphor for the instinctive way that so many women, even total strangers, will often close ranks and lend a hand to a sister in need. Unlike many other superhero "team-up" movies, Birds of Prey keeps its characters separate for much of the movie: their paths intersect here and there so that it makes sense why they'd all end up in the same place by the end, but they're all after their own goals and even are in direct opposition to each other at times. And yet, in the end, when they're all faced with the option of teaming up or trying to run and save their own individual skins, there's no question that they'll work together to get out alive and protect the tweenage pickpocket Cassandra Cain. The movie doesn't need to spend ages on narrative twists to justify this; it's simply understood.

The acts of sisterhood aren't just big superhero antics, though, but moments that will look familiar to ordinary women in the audience. In one scene, a drunk Harley is cornered and nearly kidnapped by a creep at a bar, and Dinah Lance who just listened to Harley vent about her breakup first tries to walk away from the scene, then steps in to deliver a cathartic beatdown of the would-be kidnappers. Later, during the final battle, Harley sees Dinah struggling when her long hair keeps falling in her face, and she offers Dinah a hair tie in one of the most ordinary and most recognizable acts of solidarity and woman-to-woman understanding.

It's the kind of moment that would be unlikely to appear in a story told by and for men, not for any nefarious reason, but because that's such an inherently female experience: spotting another woman in need of a small assist, correctly evaluating the problem, and lending a hand. If you've ever pretended to know a stranger at a bar to help her escape a creep, given the woman at the sink next to you a compliment, or offered a nail file or hair tie to an officemate, you'll relate, and that's the point: these women may be superheroes, but the way they relate to each other is completely familiar.

In contrast, the men in the movie are, without fail, depicted as mercenary at best and downright evil at worst. On the "not great but not evil" side, we've got the men at Renee's precinct, including her former partner who has risen through the ranks by taking credit for Renee's work but who doesn't appear to be a bad or unreasonable man. There's also "Doc," the kindly old man who lets Harley hide out in his building until he gets offered enough money to betray her and justifies it as "just business." Of course, we've also got the downright evil men, too: petty, insecure crime boss Roman Sionis who is obsessed with owning everything (or destroying what he can't own), and his gleefully sadistic right-hand man Victor Zsasz. In the world of Birds of Prey, relying on other women is the safest bet in a world that has no truly safe bets.

It's not just a "women are good/men are bad" depiction, though. Ali Wong's character assistant district attorney Ellen Yee chooses to betray Renee's trust and decides to work "inside" the patriarchal, institutional structures rather than accept that they might be corrupt or unfair. When she reports Renee's off-the-books investigation of Sionis to Renee's boss, she not only betrays a personal trust (a bit of narration reveals she's Renee's ex-girlfriend), but sides with a male-led structure that she knows is unfair because she still believes it is more trustworthy than Renee's theories. Ellen is not villainized for doing so, even though it costs Renee her job, but it adds a layer that reminds us that forged sisterhood is not universal and that how we decide to interact with power structures still matters.

The male-dominated world of superhero movies is getting more and more women in charge, both in Marvel and DC's universe. Still, Birds of Prey stands alone for its unique take on sisterhood. It doesn't pretend that its characters are flawless paragons of virtue: they're messy, messed up, morally questionable, and have as many bad qualities as good ones. But they've got each other's backs in a practical, relatable way, and that's what makes all the difference.

Go here to read the rest:
Birds of Prey Is a Surprising Celebration of Sisterhood Here's What It Gets Right - POPSUGAR

The 26-year-old songstress is boldly vulnerable on this latest track.

The 26-year-old songstress is boldly vulnerable on this latest track.

Georgia Ku may have written hits for Dua Lipa, Rita Ora, and Fifth Harmony behind the scenes, but in her latest single, Ever Really Know, shes ready to be seen for who she is. The heartfelt song is accompanied by a stylishly ambiguous video.

At the core of the track is the disenchantment one feels as their romance deteriorates. This concept stems from Kus own personal experience in a recent relationship. I felt like the person who I fell in love with was changing and becoming someone different and not who I fell in love with. The sentiment of the song is reminiscing about old times and essentially being pulled back in by this person, but wondering if this is really the person [that I loved] said Ku. The lyrics are touching and raw, oscillating between crafting the imagery of a charming relationship and questioning how said relationship has devolved. The change of beat for the chorus complements the narrative of push-pull love.

But its definitely not about weakness. In a way it shows a strong woman who isnt afraid to admit that shes vulnerable, but its also saying this isnt going to happen again. I think theres a little bit of empowerment there.

The music video, directed by Mariah Winter, is less straightforward. Featuring Ku inside of a car that is covered with a plastic tarp with hands pressed against it, its metaphorical value is largely determined by the viewer. I like that [the video] left [its message] up to the audience. The way I interpreted it, with the hands on the car, is like the car is my brain and the hands were all of these emotions I felt trying to sway me, and me giving into it but questioning it at the same time, said Ku.

This will be the first time fans are offered a glimpse into Kus personal life since her single What Do I Do? was released last summer. This video is a lot more intimate than what I normally do. The song comes from a real place. This idea of vulnerability extends to the clothing she wears in the video. She especially loves the Marine Serre moon top. I wanted to make sure you could see my figure, because I normally hide myself in baggy clothes. So I wanted to make sure that the simplicity of the clothing and how tight it was on me showed the pureness of the song, she said.

Ultimately, Ku couldnt be happier to explore her voice as a solo artist further and share a new side of herself with her followers. I want people to be able to connect with it and get to know me, she said

Read more:
Georgia Ku Drops A Heart-Toiling New Single, "Ever Really Know" - vmagazine.com

Grace Hauck, Nicquel Terry Ellis, Max Filby Published 1:41 p.m. ET Feb. 9, 2020

After Congress approved $25 million for gun safety research, non-profit I Grow Chicago believes the violence can be helped through community programs. USA TODAY

Crystal Turner fell apart when two of herfour children were shot and killed in Columbus, Ohio, nearly five years ago.

Her son, Donell McDonald, 23, and her daughter, Jenea Harvison, 29, were both gunned downby Harvisons estranged husbandat adaycare facility Harvison owned.

"Nothing prepares you," Turner said. "That one event has changed our lives forever."

Turner and her family are not alone. Firearm-related injuries killnearly40,000 Americanseach year more than die in fatal car crashes and the nation's firearm homicide rate ismore than 25 times that of comparable affluent countries.

While researchers have long said the gun violence problem should be evaluated like any other public health epidemic, there's been meager funding for research for the past two decades.

That's finally changing.

Crystal Turner poses for a portrait on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at Southside Settlement Heritage Park in Columbus, Ohio.(Photo: Joshua A. Bickel, The Columbus Dispatch)

In December, Congress approved $25 million infederal funding to study gun safety. The money, to be split evenly between the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will be used to examine gun violence from a public health perspective.

Experts in the field concede the amount is small in comparison to the scope of the issue but are celebrating it as awatershed moment forgun safety. They say researchers may finally be able to answer basic questions about gun ownership and evaluate the effectiveness of firearm policies and violence prevention efforts.

"There are, without a doubt, thousands of people who are dead today who would be alive if we had been able to continue to do what we have been able to do for other health problems to research the problem," said Garen Wintemute, an emergency physician and director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California Davis.

Some working to combat violence on the nation's most dangerous streets, however, say themoney would be better spent on proven intervention programs.

"The research has already been done,"said Robbin Carroll, founder of I Grow Chicago, an organization on the citys South Side working to address the root causes of violence. "We know communities that dont have gun violence, and we know which ones do. How do we invest money and get into those communities?"

Since 1996, there's been an effective government freeze on gun safety research. That year, Congress under pressure from the NRA approved the Dickey Amendment, which forbids CDC to "advocate or promote gun control."Federal lawmakers also slashed the agencys funding by $2.6 million, the same amount it spent on firearm violence research the previous year.

While the Dickey Amendment did not specifically ban research on gun violence, it had a "chilling effect,"experts say,steering thefederal agency away from research that might lead to firearms regulation.Young scholars were discouraged from pursuing the field.

Jay Dickey(Photo: Amphoramedia)

"For 25 years, Ive never told doctoral students that they should become a gun researcher because they couldnt make a living. So weve lost a generation of researchers," saidDavid Hemenway, a health policy professor and director of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, who estimates thatthere are 10-20full-time gun violence researchers in the U.S.

From 1998 to 2012, the number of publications about gun violence declined 64%, according to a 2017 study by JAMA Internal Medicine.What research was conducted came from cobbled-together grant funding from a smattering of hospitals, universities, states and foundations, the study found.

Gun violence research received far less funding than research on car crashes and cancer.Between 2008 and 2017, firearm injuries were the second-leading cause of death for U.S. children and adolescents, according to a 2019 studybyUniversity of Michigan School of Medicineexperts.

During that period, an average of $88 million a year was granted to study the number onecause motor vehicle crashes and $335 million went to research cancer,the third-leading cause of deaths for young people. Just $12million went to firearm injury prevention research.

The situation began to thaw in2018, when lawmakers clarified the Dickey Amendment language, lifting restrictions on gun violence research.

'Change is happening': Gun violence research funded by Congress

That same year, physicians nationwide rallied on social media in support of a public health approach to gun violence. The online movement began when the National Rifle Associationpublished a tweet accusing medical professionals of"pushing for gun control."

"Someone should tell self-important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane," the NRA tweeted.

Physicians were furious. "This is our lane," many responded on Twitter. Hundreds postedimages of bloodied scrubs and trauma bays.

"A lot of us in the healthcare community were really incensed by those comments, because were the ones on the front lines of taking care of those patients day in and day out, said Joseph Sakran, director of Emergency General Surgery at Johns Hopkins Medicine. "So we made a point to thepublic that we do have a role to play in coming up with solutions that is based in data."

The NRA did not respond to several requests from USA TODAY for comment.

Sakran, who dedicated himself to medicine after survivinga bullet wound in Afghanistan, said injury prevention is the best form of medical treatment. Approximately80% ofpeopledie where they are shot, according to estimates by researchers at Northeastern University.

"I was taking care of a 17-year-old kid, and he was shot in the back of the head, execution style. He had a devastating and traumatic brain injury," Sakran said."And I had to tellthis mother that there was nothing I could do, which is one of the worst things I have to do as a trauma surgeon."

A protest in August in Washington, D.C.(Photo: Shawn Thew/epa-EFE)

Dr. Wintemute grew up in Southern California withguns in hishome. Helearned to shoot from his father, who had been a soldier in World War II, andtaught riflery as a camp counselor at the local YMCA. He later joined UC Davis' firearm and pistol club and became a member of the NRA.

"My problem is not with the firearm, its with misuse. Im an ER doc, and my commitment is to try to intervene upstream in that flow of events that brings people into my ER with holes in their bodies, or, more likely, takes them directly to the morgue," he said."My loyalty is to the science, not to an agenda.Research is not advocacy."

Many researchers compare the complexity of the gun violence issueto that ofmotor vehicle injuries. In 1966, more than 53,000 peoplewere killed,a fatality rate of 5.5% per 100 million vehicle miles, according toNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. That year,Congress held a series of hearings andpassed the Motor Vehicle Act, which created what would become the NHTSA, headed by a public health physician.

Scientists received funding to developseatbelts, airbags, steering columns, safety glass andmore. Studies revealed the dangers of putting young and alcohol-impaired drivers behind the wheel. By 1992, the fatality rate had dropped to 1.5%, NHTSA said.By 2017, it was 1.2%.

2020 candidates on gun control: A voter's guide to where they stand

"Data matters, research mattered in the motor vehicle arena," Hemenway said. "Drivers are no better than they are when I was a kid, but there are fewer fatalities than there were. There are good ways to reduce the problem without banning the use of these products."

The CDC and NIH have provided few clues about how they intend to doleout their $12.5million shares.

The NIH released a statement saying it was still reviewing the language of the bill and identifying new research opportunities.

The agency said gun violence prevention studies usually include research on parental roles in preventing injury at home and other places and understanding the relationship between alcohol abuse and gun violence.

The CDC did not respond to a request for an interview, but spokeswoman Courtney Lenard said in an email gun violence is "a pressing public health problem."

"CDC welcomes the opportunity to study gun violence and identify effective strategies to prevent it,"Lenard wrote.

Rep. Nita Lowey, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee and advocated for the funding, said she wants to see the countrys "best researchers" find out the underlying causes of gun violence, including accidental shootings and suicide.

"There are few causes more important than the safety and security of our communities," Lowey said.

Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey (D-NY) delivers remarks before the House Appropriation subcommittee on April 9, 2019.(Photo: Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)

Researchers have a longwish list for the new funding, and areeagerly awaiting the agenciesto issue calls for proposals. Many sharea top priority: gathering reliable data on how many people suffer non-fatal firearm injuries each year.

Emergency rooms nationwide are required to report firearm-related deaths to the CDCbut not non-fatal firearm injuries, so the agency estimatesthe number based on information from about 60 hospital ERs.

"CDC was doing what they could do when they didnt have adequate resources ... but the data was non-representative and inaccurate," said Wintemute, who helped author a 2017 studythat showed the data didn't meet the agency's own standard of credibility. In July, CDC'sWeb-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System stopped showing non-fatal injury data, calling the data "unstable."

Rather than require all hospitals report non-fatal injuries which would be expensive and unsustainable it would be more efficient to survey people about their injuries, according to Wintemute.

"The federal government already supports some large-scale surveys related to public health, and firearms violence questions should be incorporated into those surveys immediately," he said. "We need to make use of the existing federal research infrastructure to gather reliable national data on firearm ownership, use and violence."

New Year's Eve sees gun violence: Concluding record-high year of mass killings

Sarah Burd-Sharps, director of research at Everytown for Gun Safety, an anti-gun violence nonprofit, wants to know exactly how many children suffernon-fatal firearm-related injuries, and what role safe storage plays in those incidents.

"In about half of U.S. states, there are some form of child protection laws about guns. Do they work?"Burd-Sharps asked."Which form of law works best?"

She also wants to know more about background checks,red flag laws and what works to prevent school shootings. Does arming teachers work?

"One thing that tends to happen in this country after a school shooting or mass shooting, one of the causes that is often talked about is video games. But researchers across the country have found no relationship," she said."At the federal level, a rigorous scientific study would help us understand if theres a relationship there."

Other researchers have proposed studies on the effectiveness of violence prevention programs, scores of which have cropped up in communities across the country. But some of those leading such efforts say money should be spent supporting what has already been proven to work.

"The research is being under-implemented," said Gary Slutkin, former head of the World Health Organizations Intervention Development Unit and founder of Cure Violence, a Chicago-based nonprofit that treats violence with disease control and behavior change methods.

"Sometimes you have a lot of research on, say, polio vaccine, but certain countries arent being vaccinated. The big gap now in the field is the implementation of public health approaches, and the shifting in their thinking toward public health."

Abandoned homes painted by I Grow Chicago participants in Englewood, Chicago on Nov. 22, 2019.(Photo: Grace Hauck)

Cure Violence takes a three-step approach to treating violence: detecting and interrupting potentially violent conflicts, identifying and treating those at risk, and mobilizing communities to change norms.

The organization has trained more than 1,000 "violence interrupters," who work in their communities to mediate conflicts, prevent retaliations and keep conflicts "cool." The interrupters work closely with those at risk of committing violence to get the servicesthey need and collaborate with their neighbors.

"One case of flu causes another case. Same for TB, for AIDs, for violence. That requires epidemic control methods," Sluktin said."So we have to find a case that might be happening like someone who might be doing a shooting and then interrupt that."

The program is workingin about a hundred communities across 15 countries. But the greatest success has been seen in New York, Sluktin said,where the legislature has provided consistent funding for the programsince 2009.

An ongoing evaluationby John Jay College of Criminal Justicefound one neighborhood experienced a 63% drop in monthly shooting victimsfrom 2009 to 2016, based on New York Police Department data.

New York spends approximately $40 million a year on Cure Violence programs. Slutkin estimates that big cities requireabout $15-30 million to run an effective program,and small cities need $5-$10 million.

"Thats why $25M for research is so small. And whats needed is program dollars," he said. "And these are cities that have police budgets in the hundreds of millions."

Marian Stuckey, section chief of neighborhood social services for Columbus Public Health and head of the Columbus CARE Coalition, left, and Crystal Turner, a CARE volunteer and victim of gun violence, right, pose for a portrait on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at Southside Settlement Heritage Park in Columbus, Ohio.(Photo: Joshua A. Bickel, The Columbus Dispatch)

Years after she lost two of her children, Crystal Turner has found a new purpose. The 55-year-old is raising her two grandchildren and volunteering with Columbus Public Health's Community, Action, Resilience and Empowerment Coalition, which helps reeling residents and communities to heal from violence.

Much like "interrupters," workers and volunteers with the groupgo intoneighborhoods and knock on doors within a week of a murder, said Marian Stuckey, a Columbus Public Health social worker who oversees CARE, which formed in 2016in response to a triple homicide in the city'sHilltop neighborhood.

"It opens the door to communication," said Stuckey. "Ireally firmly believe in bringing services to the community,and I think that's a missing aspect of mental health."

Turner knows well the power of that personal approach. CARE workers usually start canvassing neighborhoods within 48 hours of an incident and were there for Turner after her children were murdered.

Now, Turner's the one knocking on the doors of grieving mothers.

"I understand their vulnerability," she said."I am a totally different person."

Crystal Turner poses for a portrait on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at Southside Settlement Heritage Park in Columbus, Ohio.(Photo: Joshua A. Bickel, The Columbus Dispatch)

While the direct impact of CARE on the city's gun violence is hard to quantify,last yearColumbus saw a nearly 30%decline in homicides, with 104 compared to a record high143 in 2017.

Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts supports a public health approach, but noted curing violence is trickier than preventing something like the flu.

"There's a lot of thought out there that there are vaccines to violence. It can be safe housing, it could be a strong education system,"Roberts said. "So there are multiple vaccines for violence. We just don't package it in a nice little syringe and needle and make it so easy to get."

I Grow Chicagofounder Robbin Carroll said a lack of education, fair housing, economic opportunity and racism all contribute to the systemic violence playingout on the streets. Shesaid federal fundingshould be invested in communities suffering from poverty and warned that gun violence research perpetuates an "us versus them" dynamic.

"When we talk about research, or gun violence in general, were talking about it in the sense of numbers. Were not talking about it in the sense of, thats my 5-year-old," Carroll said. "We can do a whole lot of research, but until we want to say We care about you .. who were choosing to be is to probably have another year of extremely high gun violence."

Researchers likeWintemute said treating the gun violence epidemic shouldn't be an either-or proposition.

"We should have sufficient funding to support programs that have been effective while we develop and research programs that look at different elements of the problem," he said. "We shouldnt have to choose."

The I Grow Chicago Peace Campus in Englewood, Chicago on Nov. 22, 2019.(Photo: Grace Hauck)

USA TODAY's Grace Hauck reported from Chicago andNicquel Terry Ellis from Atlanta. Max Filby reported from Columbus, Ohio for the Columbus Dispatch.

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Gun violence: How will researchers spend $25M in gun safety funding? - USA TODAY

40 years ago, Melbourne bookshop owner and mother of two boys Maria James was viciously stabbed 68 times with her ownkitchen knife. As a new inquest begins into these killings,contributing editor-at-large Tess Lawrence calls for Cardinal George Pell, former Premier Jeff Kennett and VictoriaPolice to be re-investigated.

Should incarceratedconvicted paedophile Cardinal George Pell be interviewed by Victoria Police about his relationship with fellow paedophile and close friend Father Anthony Salvatore Bongiorno, chief suspect in the bloody murder of Maria James on 17 June1980?

This nascent year marks the 40th anniversary of this heinous and still unsolved crime.

The Coroners Court of Victoria is now in the midst of an investigation into the ruthless killing of Maria James.

Should Cardinal George Pell be interviewed by coronial investigators and be called as a witness to the inquest?

New facts about the Maria James murder have come to light and Cardinal George Pell may be able to provide more information about Father Anthony Bongiorno and the brother whose requiem mass he officiated, Salvatore "Sam"Bongiorno.

We found this article by Keith Moor in the Sunday Herald Sun, 30August 2007, on the retrospective Wayback Machine, the internet archive. Whats it doing there?

Heres a quote:

'FORMER premier Jeff Kennett received written information in 1998 that nominated Father Bongiorno as a child molester. He gave the letter, which contained a photo of Father Bongiorno, to police.'

Hmmm...

What did Victoria Police do with that letter and photo? Should former Premier Jeff Kennett be interviewed by the Coroner? What did the letter say? Who wrote it? Was the letter DNA tested?

Has Kennett, the former chairman of Beyond Blue, kept a copy of the letter and photo he received implicating Father Tony Bongiorno in the Maria James murder? Where is that material now? From where was it posted? Or was it delivered to Parliament House? Is there any CCV footage? Will the police give this material to the coronial investigators? If not, will the Coroner compel the police to produce this evidence? So many questions. So few answers.

Who signed that letter to Kennett? Was it anonymous? Why cant we see the letter and photo now that Father Bongiorno is dead; redact the senders name if needs be. Was the letter typed, handwritten? Had the sender sent a copy of the same letter and photo to Victoria Police? Did they bin this info?Just asking.

Here we should refer to the volatile and sometimes acrimonious relationship between now Cardinal George Pell and Jeff Kennett, both uber-powerful figures in Melbournes establishment, both notoriously capable of exercising extreme autocratic power and influence and still needy for both. No mistake should be made about any diminution of power and influence since Pells conviction and incarceration. He still has powerful friends in both high and low places.

Kennett less so, but nonetheless he occupies a prison of another kind; not dissimilar to that of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, incarcerated in cells of their own making within those invisible walls that sometimes entrap the once-powerful now languishing in a faraway galaxy of lessening consequence; Misters Who?

Few analysts will forget then Archbishop Pells edict to the non-Catholic Jeff Kennett that he was forbidden to receive communion at the Pontifical requiem mass for the state funeral of B A Santamaria in March 1998, where Pell delivered an eloquent and moving panegyric about his friend, who to this day surely remains Australias most powerful Catholic layman. Waddya reckon Jesus Jezza, to you and me wouldve said?

Pells spiteful rebuff to Kennett should be viewed in the shroud of hypocrisy worn by Pell. But hey, it was payback time for Pell against his nemesis, Kennett.

According to his conviction and the datelines of his crimes Archbishop George Pell was already a sexual abuser when he denied Kennetts request and yet the Host consecrated in Holy Communion would be served by the hands of a paedophile rapistas the defiled Host has been served a billion times to believers and parishioners by paedophile priests.

Rememberthat in this sacrament, the wafer of the Host is miraculously transformed into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ. To be specific, paedophile priests who administer Holy Communion are surely raping Jesus.

It should be noted that a couple of years beforehand, in 1996, Kennett told Archbishop George Pell to sort out the sex abuse issue within Victoria or possibly face a Royal Commission.

Whats wrong with this behind-closed-doors dictum? Everything. Kennett should have called a Royal Commission regardless, given the gravity and extent of the sex abuse. These criminal activities by priests and brothers within the Catholic Church were widely known.

By designating to the Catholic Church what should have been the role, duties of care and prosecution by thestate, Kennett undermined the role of the police and judiciary and failed to act in the public interest.

Moreover, he breached the protocols of the Separation of Powers. Kennett had no right to make this private pact with the Catholic Church or to make such a repugnant decision on our behalf.

Did Kennett discuss his decision with his colleagues;his cabinet?

In every sense, it was a pact made with the Devil; a pact that the Kennett-proxied State made with the perpetrators of industrial-strength sexual abuse of children. In its execution, it meant the State facilitated the subsequent cover-up. The Catholic Church, of course, typically did next to nothing.

Yes, a redress scheme panel of very important impressive names and police was set up. It made a great figleaf over the genitalia of paedophilic clergy.

As the Royal Commission revealed. Kennett had given Pell and The Church a free pass.

The Catholic Church did not clean up its act and Kennett did not call a Royal Commission.

Kennetts Napoleonic actions reflect the persistent diminution and disregard for the safety and welfare of victims in this case, little and vulnerable children. Instead of the Premiers guardianship of children, his actions reflected the states tacit collusion in protecting the reputation of the all-powerful Catholic Church.

Kennett did the victims and wider community a great injustice and much ongoing harm.

Thus, against the above backdrop, it was a blessed relief in more ways than one when Acting Coroner Iain West called a halt to the obfuscating nonsense surrounding the mysterious cold case of the Maria James murder.

Here is the full text:

MEDIA RELEASE

Friday 30 November 2018

Coroners Court of Victoria

INVESTIGATION INTO DEATH OF MARIA JAMES RE-OPENED

Acting State Coroner Iain West has today re-opened the coronial investigation into the death of Maria James.

Ms James, 38, was found murdered in her bookshop at 736 High Street, Thornbury on 17 June 1980.

On 25 November 1982, Coroner K.G. Mason held an inquest into the death of Ms James and found that her homicide was committed by a person unknown.

In July 2017, the Coroners Court of Victoria received an application from Mark James, Ms Jamess son, requesting that Coroner Masons finding be set aside and the coronial investigation into his mothers death be re-opened.

Following the introduction of legislative amendments to the Coroners Act 2008 on 28 October 2018, His Honour is empowered to set aside findings made under previous Coroners Acts of 1958 and 1985 and re-open investigations if new facts or circumstances make it appropriate to do so.

Having considered the application, His Honour has determined to set aside the 1982 finding and re- open the investigation.

As the investigation is ongoing, no further comment can be made at this time.

Strangely, I could not find Wests statement on the Coroners website and notified the department of this. At the time of writing, I understand this is being rectified. It is not the first time that IAhas discovered anomalies in court record keeping.

Independent Australia has learned that some senior police and personnel within the Department of Justice were bloody annoyed by Wests decision. Why? Because there are a number of egregious faultlines in the decades-long investigation(s) into the James murder, including what I assert is a deliberate failure to properly consider the relationship and overriding influence of the Catholic Church upon the establishment, the polity, the police, some media, judiciary, elite business and influencers, the top end of town indeed the wider community. That influence remains sans frontieres. Even today.

Such is the climate of fear carefully cultivated by the Catholic Church and its agents and representatives, that many whistleblowers are still too scared and too scarred to be named.

Moreover, the threat of legal action has made writing/publishing about the church, problematic; especially when it comes to George Pell. Without doubt, a chat with Cardinal Pell about his fellow perpetrator, Father Tony Bongiorno, could clarify some aspects of the latters connection and relationship with Maria James.

Did Pell ever hear Bongiornos confession? Has Pell ever heard confessions about the sexual abuse of children? Any priest or brother made such a confession to him? He could certainly answer that much. No question. Pell should also answer questions about how he responded to those who confess such criminal acts. Answering such questions doesnot break the Seal of Confession.

The 38-year-old mother of two young boys had been bound and viciously stabbed 68 times in her Thornbury secondhand bookshop, with her own Wiltshire kitchen knife, on that fateful Tuesday, evoking similarities with the frenzied stabbings in yet another decades-old unsolved crime against women the notorious Easey Street murdersof Suzanne Armstrong and Susan Bartlett, three years earlier.

Neither I nor Independent Australia make any inference whatever that George Pell was involved in the murder of Maria James in any way but it should be noted that Pell was a friend to Father Bongiorno long before the murder - and long after; including long after it was common knowledge amongst priests, the Vatican, the Catholic Church, in particular, the Archdiocese of Melbourne, within certain police circles and George Pell himself, that Bongiorno was a serial paedophile.

In fact, like so many other paedophile priests and brothers, aided and abetted in their crimes by the Catholic Church, whenever Bongiornos sexual abusing became obviously promiscuous, he was rewarded by his masters with being trafficked to new culling fields to enjoy "fresh new meat young veal".

In the Churchs despicable modusoperandi, Bongiorno was simply whored around to various parishes, who welcomed him with open palms and the usual blaspheming psalms. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. These unholy priests, brothers in alms. Their insatiable sexual appetites kept well-fed.

In the lexicon of the Church, these lambs were led to their sexual slaughter by predominantly White adult males who were in some cases, members of privileged, elite paedophile rings who raped their child victims in the name of their God.

Often, these "new"parishes already had a paedophile priest in situ, so assimilation was easy. Victims were shared, notes compared.

At the time of the James murder, Bongiorno was an assistant parish priest at the nearby St Marys Catholic Church, on the corner of Rossmoyne and High St the same street as the bookshop. Before it became known as "Bongiornos church"it once boasted a robust Italian migrant congregation and was known for its Italian mass.

On the Catholic Church websites, there is now a strange emptiness on the St Marys page(s).

Not even an acknowledgement or proud boast that the current Archbishop of Canberra-Goulburn, Christopher Prowse, was once the parish priest in residence. No list of priests who have officiated at the parish. Nothing to see here. No list of victims of paedophile priests. No list of paedophile priests.

Certainly, nothing about Father Anthony Bongiorno who remains a key suspect in the James murder and who is now known to have sexually abused Maria James youngest son, Adam, then aged 11, who lives with cerebral palsy, Tourettes and his champion of a big brother, Mark, then 13-years-old and an altar boy.

Please watch this moving and compelling interview with Adam and Mark, posted on YouTube by the Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability (VALID) and witness the personal empowerment that comes with not only the telling of your story but also the validation that comes with being heard and believed by the community.

In a cruel twist of fate, Bongiorno was actually the person whom police asked to notify Mark of his mothers death. What is more, it was Bongiorno who officiated at Maria James funeral service. Galling. By any measure. But it is what we have sadly come to expect of insinuating Catholic paedophile priests and their facilitating church executives.

By all accounts, Maria James was fiercely protective of her children. She was a lioness of a mother when it came to her boys.

It is believed that on the very day she was murdered, Maria James was about to confront Father Bongiorno about sexually abusing Adam. Did he get in first? Did he kill her?

Or, was Bongiorno trying to protect someone else. His brother?

Anthony and Sam were close siblings. Did Sam know Maria James? Was he a suitor? Did he murder Maria James? Did Victoria Police check out Sam Bongiorno?

Is Sam Bongiorno a legitimate suspect?

Did George Pell also know Tony Bongiornos brother Sam well? And their sister?The same sister who refused to give her DNA to eliminate Father Bongiorno as a murder suspect? Why wasnt she prepared to eliminate her brother Father Anthony Bongiorno as a suspect?

Could it be by giving her DNA she might also implicate her other brother, Sam Bongiorno? Was the sister interviewed by the police about Sam? Was Sam Bongiorno every interviewed by police?

If Father Bongiornos body cant be exhumed can Sam Bongiornos body be exhumed are there other of his family members who can give permission to exhume Sam Bongiornos body?

An exhumation could move us closer to a DNA profile. Could Cardinal George Pell be asked to speak with the Bongiorno sister and gain permission from her to exhume Father Bongiornos body to take a DNA sample as an act of compassion for Mark and Adam James?

At the time of writing, I have not been able to establish if the Bongiorno sister is still alive. If she isnt, perhaps other family members could provide DNA samples present in any of her possessions even a hairbrush?

It should be further noted that in the 1960s, "Tony"Bongiorno was in the same seminary group and intake at Corpus Christi College (then at Werribee) as his mate George Pell. By all accounts, they became firm friends and spent much time together, according to our trusted sources.

Also in that group was another student priest who, like Pell, would go on to become Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart.

Someone else in that illustrious intake was none other than Father Sean OConnell who later became a parish priest at St Pauls in Coburg, a mere Magdalene stones throw from St Marys Thornbury. So FatherOConnell was just up the road from his old mate, Father Bongiorno.

OConnell was to conveniently provide his mate Father Tony Bongiorno with an all-day alibi at the time of the Maria James murder that contradicts other alleged sightings of a possible murderer (including of a bloodied priest) and various timelines.

In the 1850s, two famous and infamous Catholic rebels worshipped at St Pauls.

One was the now canonised, Sister Mary MacKillop, who ironically was once arguably excommunicated for reporting a priest for child sexual abuse and the other was the notorious bushranger, Ned Kelly, hanged and decapitated in1880.

OConnells former student priest classmate, Archbishop Denis Hart did the honourswhen he celebrated mass for the consecration of St Pauls on 3 July 2011after three years of restoration work. Why the restoration work?

In March 2008, a suspicious fire caused about $2 million worth of damage to St Pauls. The year before, the parish community hall opposite the church was razed.

But Ned Kelly was not the only criminal associated with St Pauls. Indeed, Father Sean OConnell found himself charged with harbouring one of Mark "Chopper"Reads mates.

Three years before the Maria James murder, on 9 May1977, notorious career criminal and Chopper-acolyte Jimmy Loughnan escaped from the bluestone fortress of Pentridge Prison and found himself in the grounds of St Pauls.

As documented in James Mortons book Maximum Security, Father OConnell was originally convicted of harbouring the injured Loughnan, but the conviction was quashed on appeal.

It should be noted that Anthony Bongiorno was one of the student priests who attended a holiday camp on Phillip Island during the time when George Pell, also a student priest, was accused of sexually abusing altar boys, in 1961/1962.

In fact, the allegations against George Pell were the subject of what is known as the Southwell Report, which Pell falsely claimed exonerated him.

As we have cited, itdid nothing of the sort.

It was a falsehood that Pell, the Catholic Church and its behemoth propaganda artillery had promulgated for years, yet again causing great damage to the veracity and reputations of complainants, victims/survivors of church, institutional and "civilian"child and adult sexual abuse alike, contributing to the great physical and mental harm done still to generations of victims.

The fake news of Pells assertions were compounded at the time by a dodgy headline in mainstream medias Sydney Morning Herald falsely proclaiming Pell exonerated over abuse claims, despite the articles anonymous writer actually pointing out among other things that:-

Mr Southwell's Report concluded that he accepted:

'... as correct the submission of [barrister Michael] Tovey that the complainant, when giving evidence of molesting, gave the impression that he was speaking honestly from an actual recollection. However, the respondent, also, gave me the impression that he was speaking the truth.'

Why was the writer anonymous? Grown-up journalists usually have a byline on such stories. Did the writer object to the headline and ask that his/her byline be removed?

The misrepresentation of the Southwell Report also proved a forceful deterrent to some victims coming forward and outright fisting to the courage of those who had already stepped forward naming their tormentors and abusers.

The 91-year-old Alec James "Ginger"Southwell QC died on January 26, 2018. He had impeccable legalcredentials.

Read the original here:
EXCLUSIVE: George Pell, Father Anthony Bongiorno and the killing of Maria James - Independent Australia

Step one to success is cultivating your ability to recognize opportunities most people can't see.

January 31, 2017 7 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

How can you, as an individual, live the most empowered life possible? By working. Work to make a significant difference in this world. Focus on what you can control, which is your hope, your attitude, your drive, your willingness to hustle, your commitment to keeping an objective and empowered mindset. If youre individual life is empowered, it can only have an empowering impact on all those who surround you.

There is no such thing as Dooms Day unless you believe in it. You have the powerand the responsibility to find that place inside of yourself where everything is possible. The more open you are to possibility, the more creative you become and the more expansive of a world you create for yourself to succeed in. If you live with a hopeless, angry or defeated attitude, then that will be what you live. Negative minds are closed minds.Closed mindssimply refuse to see what is available. They over focus on what isnt right, whatisn't happeningand on the lack of opportunity. Why would you choose to live this way? Life is a direct reflection of your beliefs. If you want a better outcome, then create it.Your opportunities for new hope and change are boundless, and it all starts within you.

Related:Is Women'sEmpowermentMarketing the New 'Pink It and Shrink It'?

Things are going happen that you dont like. Life and success are built around the unfair. There is much that you will encounter that is not right, unjust and incorrect. Focus on who you want to be in response to these challenges. People get into high positions without the right to be there, but you are totally capable of rising up to those things which defy logic. Without the things that defy logic you would never come to know so deeply what you stand for, what you value or how powerful you truly are. When you shift your focus onto yourself and wholeheartedly and non-violently live your answers, it is then that you are living a life of true authenticity and significance. How much money did Martin Luther King Junior have in his pocket when he died? How much money did Mother Teresa have in her pocket when she died? Work quietly and let your success do the talking.

Another persons success does not equate as your failure. Its your life, so focus on your race. Instead of worrying about the competition, focus on the ball that is directly in front of you. If you worry about the competition, what they are and arent doing, then you lose track of the importance of what youre doing. Empowerment has nothing to do with competition, it has everything to do with contribution. There is not a better example of this then the most recent summer Olympics with the Phelps beating out the South African swimmer who so focused on beating Phelps and slamming Phelps in the media. The South African swimmer wasnt focused enough on his own race. Phelps beat him because Phelps was focused on winning his own race.

Related:The Ultimate Guide to Overcoming Setbacks, Obstacles and Defeats in Work and Life

Trust that you have what it takes to get the job done. Trust empowers you to move aggressively towards your goals. If you spend your time doubting your skills, the only thing you will be actively perfecting is your ability to doubt yourself. Your actions follow your thoughts. Shift all that time focusing on doubting yourself to believing in yourself. If you can dream something up, then it is in the realm of your possibility to make it happen. You must show yourself that you have what it takes to be resourceful when going for your goals. You will learn to trust yourself the most deeply through taking calculated action-driven risks. The more successful you become in taking risks, the easier it becomes and the more able you are to discern when your instincts are on and when theyre not. This empowers you to make better decisions.

To empower yourself, collaborate dont compete. Success is never a one man job. One of the smartest ways to move your mission forward is to network. Gather a team of people who have strengths to fill in where you have weaknesses. This allows you to delegate out to those who can best help you reach your goals. Collaboration is about inclusion. In collaborative environments, success is shared. It is people empowering other people. There is nothing more bonding to a team of people then the team effort that produced the successful result. Its bonding, and bonding is empowering. When you compete you create division, hatred, jealousy, and anger; none one of which help you build long standing relationships designed to make you more successful.

Related:How Startups Can BeEmpowermentTools for Women

Passion trumps failure. Love is the most powerful of all the emotions, which is why truly empowered people work in careers they love. Most will do almost anything for love. There is nothing that can get in your way when you want something badly enough that you are willing do anything to get it. Unexpected circumstances may knock you back or redirect you a bit along your path, but it will not have the power to take you from your goal. When you are deeply passionate about what you want, work doesnt feel like work, its more personal. When you love what you do, fears you may have of not succeeding will be outdone by the passion you have to never let failing be an option.

Success of any type will attract haters. What are you going to do with this? Use grace. If they go low, you go high or remain silent. Give grace, not to them, but because acting with grace says something empowering about you. Anger doesnt inspire change in anyone. Empowered and right action is the only thing which is inspires change. Have the self-discipline to have composure when face-to-face with haters. The one sure thing about haters is they hate you only until they want to be part of what youre doing, so they can say they knew you. Let them say whatever they want. You stay the course on the road less traveled.

The most empowered path to success comes through your experiences of failure. The late Mary Tyler Moore famously said, You cant be brave if youve only had wonderful things happen to you. Empowerment is most deeply cultivated during times of challenge. Failure and uncertainty are necessary structures for you to bump up against for the development of your own refinement. Without failure you would have nothing to improve upon. Choose to evolve rather than dissolve under pressure. Your imperfect moments provide the perfect trajectory for your growth up the mountain of success youre climbing.

To live an empowered lifeof great significance be open to possibility, cooperation, education, success and understanding that success is not a one man job. Love what you do so deeply that you are abel to include others in your dream and empower them in their success. Love what you do so deeply that there will be no roadblock or hardship that will take you from your desired direction. Empowerment means that you dont crumble under failure. You make the conscious choice to grow from the pressure to evolve yourself to that next level.

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8 Steps to Personal Empowerment

Services and studies

Dayspring Church Apostolic Worship begins at 11:15 a.m. at the church, 2127 Doctors Park Drive, Columbus. On Sunday, the church will be inspired by, A Special Lady. This is taken from Judges 4 where, I will surely go with thee is the prevailing response. Every visitor will receive a free gift.

The Sunday Education Session starts at 10 a.m. and covers the First Mission of the Twelve, as shared in Luke 9:1-10.

Bible Study is Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and is a Group Session sponsored by Heart Changers International, LLC on Depression, Stress and Grief. These help build our Personal Empowerment and walk.

Our Prayer of Power starts at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and is preceded with requests and instructions on prayer.

The Celebrate Recovery Group session starts at 6:30 p.m.

Ignite is the Youth Growth Session that happens every third Friday.

For more information please call (812) 372- 9336, or email dayspringchurch@att.net.

East Columbus United Methodist Sunday events begin at 9 a.m. at East Columbus United Methodist Church at 2439 Indiana Ave. in Columbus, with fellowship time in the foyer with beverages and snacks. Worship begins at 9:30 a.m.

Sunday School begins at 10:40 a.m. for all ages and Bible interests.

First Presbyterian Jesus performed many healing miracles, but one with unique details is in Mark 5:1-20, which the sermon will focus on: Story from the other side of the tracks.

Worship begins at 9:30 a.m., 512 Seventh St., in Columbus. Infant and toddler care is available 9:15 a.m. to noon. The Mens and Womens Support Groups meet on Fridays at 7 a.m., and a second Mens Support group (working age men) meets every Monday at 6:15 a.m.

People in the community in need of a meal are invited to our Hot Meals offered at 5 p.m. Friday. (please enter through the glass doors on Franklin). We are an LGBTQ-friendly church. Open and affirming to ALL.

Information: fpccolumbus.org

First United Methodist On Sunday, Jan. 26, at the 9 a.m. Traditional Service and 11 a.m. The Table, Reverend Sarah Campbell will deliver the message, Light in the Darkness at the church, 618 Eighth St. The scripture will be Isaiah 9:1-4 and Matthew 4:12-17.

Sunday School for all ages begins at 10:10 a.m. Child care is available during the service.

Information: 812-372-2851 or fumccolumbus.org.

Flintwood Wesleyan The church is located at 5300 E. 25th St.

Sunday services are Amplify (non-traditional) at 9 a.m. and The Well (traditional) at 11 a.m in the main sanctuary and led by Rev. Wes Jones, Senior Pastor. Sunday School classes at 10 a.m. in their regular room.

The Prayer Team meets at 8 a.m. Adult Choir Practice is 5 to 6 p.m.

Sunday evenings Celebrate Recovery begins with a meal at 5:25 p.m. in The Friendship Center and the meeting starts at 6 p.m. upstairs in Curry Hall. The public is invited to attend.

Connections, a ladies study group, led by Pastor Teri Jones. The group meets the second and fourth Monday of each month at 10 a.m. in The Friendship Center.

In the Beginning, a small group Bible Study, meets Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m. They are now meeting in the basement of the church in the young adult classroom. They are studying the book of Genesis. You can start at any point so new members are welcome to join.

Wednesday activities begins with a meal at 5:30 p.m. The program, iKids (Ignite Kids) On Fire For Jesus! starts at 6:15 p.m. This program is for kids in Pre-K through the sixth grade. The Prayer Team meets at 6:15 p.m. in the Prayer Room. Youth meets at 6:30 p.m. downstairs in the church. Bible study is at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary.

Thursday: Cub Scout Pack # 588 will meet when events are scheduled and Boy Scout Troop # 588 will meet at 7 p.m.

Small group Cover to Cover is a Christian book club that meets the second Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. AM to select a new book and discuss the book they just read. Group meets in The Friendship Center. If interested contact Kim Rutan at 812-343-2217 (call or text) or via email at flintwoodoffice@gmail.com.

For further information, call 812-379-4287 or email flintwoodoffice@gmail.com. Church office hours are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Our website is http://www.flintwood.

Garden City Church of Christ Starting Jan. 5 at the 10 a.m. service, Garden City Church of Christ is hosting a four-week sermon series called Reset. Everyone in the community is invited to attend.

The topics of the series include Reset My Heart, Reset My Mind, Reset My Voice and Reset My Hands.

Garden City Church of Christ is located at 3245 Jonesville Road, Columbus.

For more information about the church, visit gardencitychurch.com or call 812-372-1766.

Grace Lutheran Rev. John Armstrong will preach on Sunday. Worship is at 8 and 10:30 a.m., with Sunday School for all ages at 9:30 a.m.

Alpha, an introduction to the Bible continues Tuesday, Jan. 21, 6-8 p.m.

Searching Scripture continues Tuesday, Jan. 28, 6-8 p.m.

Old Union United Church of Christ Scriptures for the 10 a.m. Sunday service will include Isaiah 9:1-4, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, and Matthew 4:12-23. The message will be A New Possibility.

Sunday school will be at 9 a.m. with fellowship at 9:40 a.m.

The church is located at 12703 N. County Road 50W, Edinburgh.

Petersville United Methodist Church The Rev. Stormy Scherer-Berry will give her message, Claim Your Vocation, at the 9 a.m. worship service on Sunday morning at the church, 2781 N. County Road 500E, Columbus. The theme this week continues with the idea that God has called us, not just by name, but to a special purpose.

Scriptures from Isaiah 9 and Matthew 4 will be shared by liturgist Patsy Harris; Teresa Covert will give the childrens sermon, and the choir will provide special music, directed by Kathy Bush.

The loose change offering for the coming six months will be given to the Love Chapel Food Bank. The goal for the Hope Food Bank is 2020 items for the year. A time of fellowship will follow the service.

The Bakers Dozen Bible study group will meet on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the home of Larry and Connie Nolting; the Journey Bible study group also will meet on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the home of Chris Kimerling. The Sit and Stitch group will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, also at the Noltings. All three groups welcome new members.

Choir practice is Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. at the church with Kathy Bush directing. Prayer Time is Thursday morning at 10 a.m. in the church fellowship hall led by Barb Hedrick.

Information: 812-546-4438; 574-780-2379

Sandy Hook United Methodist The church will be having a Bible study on the book of Ruth for six winter Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. starting Jan. 8 through Feb. 19 (there will be no study January 29). This video-based study is part of the Epic of Eden Bible studies.

Please contact the church office at 812-372-8495 or office@sandyhook.org if interested in participating (so books can be ordered).

The church is located at 1610 Taylor Road, Columbus.

St. Paul Lutheran The third Sunday after Epiphany will be celebrated Sunday at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 6045 E. State Street, at the 8 and 10:45 a.m. worship services with Pastor Doug Bauman presenting the message The Great Light in Darkness and Death based on Matthew 4:12-25.

Christian Education classes for all ages will begin at 9:30 a.m. Vicar Fickenscher will lead worship at the 2:30 p.m. Spanish Service with Spanish/English Sunday School following at 3:30 p.m.

Open enrollment for the 2020-2021 preschool and kindergarten registration begins on Monday, Jan. 27. Classes are for children who are 3, 4 or 5 by Aug. 1. Information: 812-376-6504 or stpaulcolumbus.org.

Financial Peace University classes will begin Monday, Jan. 27, 6 p.m. at the church. Classes teach how to beat debt and make a plan for the future together. Information: philburbrink@gmail.com

Information: 812-376-6504.

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbus On Sunday at 10 a.m., Good Without God: Religious Humanism in the 20th Century will be presented by the Rev. Nic Cable and Lori Swanson.

Unitarian Universalism has been influenced by many sources and traditions of truth and wisdom. One of these was the humanist movement in the 20th century. From the Humanist Manifesto (1933) to the present, the church will explore how a non-theistic worldview has shaped who humanity is today.

The church is at 7850 W. Goeller Blvd., Columbus.

Information: 812-342-6230.

Westside Community Pastor Robert Vester will lead the service this Sunday at 10 a.m. at the church at the corner of West State Road 46 West and Tipton Lakes Boulevard.

The childrens program for children through sixth grade meets at the same time as the 10 a.m. worship service.

For more information on studies or small groups that meet throughout the week, contact the church office at 812-342-8464.

Music

North Christian Church The church is looking for singers to join their Chancel Choir. Rehearsals are Wednesdays at 6 p.m. at the church, 850 Tipton Lane, Columbus.

For more information, contact the Music Director, Travis Whaley, at music@northchristianchurch.com.

Events

Community Church of Columbus An eight-week parenting course entitled Parenting with Love and Logic is designed for parents of children ages 6 and under. Starting Tuesday, Feb. 18th at 6:30 p.m., the course will be offered at Community Church of Columbus, 3850 N. Marr Road, as part of the Tuesday Connection series. Dinner is also available each week at 5:30 p.m. along with child care at no cost.

First United Methodist Tuesday evenings from Jan. 7 to Feb. 25, the church will host a grief support group. Meetings will begin at 5:30 p.m. The group will explore grief using Julie Yarbroughs book, Beyond the Broken Heart: A Journey Through Grief. It will take place in the Blue Room (Room 216) at the church, and is open to anyone. To register, or for more information, call the church office at 812-372-2851.

On Jan. 26, the church will host its first Life Planning Seminar. Possible topics include end-of-life planning, assisted living and funeral planning, and financial planning topics like retirement and college planning. There will be a dinner at 5:15 p.m. with the session to follow at 6 p.m. Anyone in the community is welcome to attend.

North Christian Church The Centering Prayer Group that meets in the North Christian Prayer Chapel, Lower Level #6, on Friday mornings from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. This is a drop-in prayer group, meaning that you can come as your schedule allows. Familiarity with Centering Prayer and its spiritual practices is not necessary. For more information, consult the Centering Prayer page at northchristianchurch.com.

St. Paul Lutheran An eight-week grief support Bible study entitled, Hope When Your Heart Breaks continues on Monday, Jan. 27 at 2 p.m. in the churchs Conference Room. Those learning to live without a loved one are welcome.

St. Peter Lutheran Church On Sunday, Jan. 26, the church will host a soup supper and Euchre party 11750 W. County Road 930S, Columbus.

The soup supper will start at 5 p.m. and admission is $5. The Euchre party starts at 6:30 p.m. and admission is $5. Proceeds will go to Love Chapel in Columbus and Anchor House in Seymour.

Zion Lutheran Church The church, at 1501 Gaiser Drive, Seymour, will hold its Annual Ham and Turkey Dinner with all the trimmings Sunday Feb. 9, from 4 to 7 p.m. The public is invited.

A freewill offering will be taken. Proceeds will go to mission projects. Carry-out will be available. Call the church office with questions at 812-522-1089.

Original post:
Religion news Jan. 25 - The Republic

If any of the aspirational young women of Saudi Arabia need a role model, they should look no further than Einas Al-Eisa, the rector of the Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh.

I caught up with her at Davos last week, at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), where she told me one of the most inspiring and heartwarming stories I have ever heard. She was reluctant at first to go on the record about her family history, but finally agreed, not least because I insisted. It was too good a story to leave untold.

Let me tell you something personal. Im a second-generation female doctor of philosophy. My mum went to the first school ever to open for girls in Saudi Arabia, and she continued to go all the way to be a university professor. She was able to pursue her dream in Saudi Arabia, and became a history scholar. Im 15 years on from my PhD, in anatomy and neurobiology, in Canada, she said.

Now my daughter is doing engineering. That just tells you all the evidence of the amount of empowerment and accelerating change in the Kingdom. Change is real, happening and heartfelt. We really have a good story to tell the world, she said while in Saudi Arabias headquarters overlooking the snowy Congress Hall of the WEF.

Princess Nourah University or PNU as Al-Eisa calls it is the biggest female academic institution in the world, with 35,000 students spread across 8 million square meters in the Saudi capital in 600 buildings. It grew out of the College of Education opened in 1970, and is named after the sister of King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud, the founder of the Kingdom.

Her job carries a huge responsibility. Its a big challenge, not just for me, but globally. Empowering women is a challenge worldwide, she said.

She, and the Kingdom, are rising to that challenge. Recently the World Bank rated Saudi Arabia as the leading country in the world in terms of fostering female equality, after a raft of measures to give women essential rights to education, employment and mobility. A new generation of women like her daughter is growing up in the Kingdom, increasingly self-confident of their place in Saudi Arabia and in the world, under the Vision 2030 strategy to transform the country.

Al-Eisa is an enthusiastic supporter of the changes, and dismisses suggestions that some of the more conservative parts of the Saudi demographic oppose them.

Let me take a step back, and talk about the transformation. Its about opening new sectors that will build the capacity of society as a whole the quality of life, health, education, job opportunity, economic development so that we can develop sectors like entertainment, culture, and technology.

BORN:

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

EDUCATION:

Doctorate in anatomy and neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Canada

Harvard University Professional Development Programs, US

CAREER:

Dean, Department of Science and Medical Studies, King Saud University

Vice-dean, College of Nursing, Saudi Arabia

Rector, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University

These are all perfect opportunities for the whole of society to engage in, and now with the rate of enrolment of women in the private sector increasing from 19 percent to 23 percent in just one year, that reflects the engagement of the whole of society. As a university, we study this progress, the implementation of the policies, and the impact of the reforms, she said.

Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of the big changes underway in the Kingdom is the trend for women to study what have traditionally been regarded as exclusively male domains science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the STEM disciplines. Of the 5,200 who graduated from PNU last year, 1,400 came from STEM faculties.

I predict a huge contribution from women in that sector in the very near future. One good story that comes from Saudi Arabia is the increased number of women engaging in the technology sectors, for example, versus the drop we see worldwide. Elsewhere women are moving away from these fields, whereas in the Kingdom, the number is going up constantly, she said.

Education in the Kingdom remains segregated in terms of gender, but she does not think that is a significant or fundamental issue. In the West and in other parts of the world, co-education is the norm, but there have been many serious academic studies that have questioned the benefits of mixed-sex education. She is in no hurry to push for co-education in Saudi Arabia, on grounds of academic pragmatism, rather than any moral or ethical issues.

If you go back to the literature and look at the assessment of the value of women studying in a campus of only women, there is enough global evidence to support the value of women-only education, in a womens environment. There is enough evidence out there, but still it is a source of debate, she said.

Women are less intimidated in the fields of technology and engineering when they are taught in a safe environment. The way we are tackling that is to ensure that women have the best educators, the best learning opportunities, the best curricula, irrespective of gender, she said.

Many of the faculty staff are male, she pointed out, so the young women studying at the university are not completely segregated. We have male and female teachers in PNU, and we will continue to support more women in academia, in engineering especially, as faculty staff, and as engineers in the field. We will continue to empower women and I guarantee they are not isolated, she said.

The crucial issue is what young women do after graduation. The Vision 2030 reform strategy envisages a big increase in the female workforce, rising to as much as 30 percent over the next decade. Recent statistics show that the Kingdom is well on the way to reaching that target, with 23.5 percent of the private sector workforce being female, according to official figures.

But for Al-Eisa, it is not just a simple matter of meeting official quotas. Again, she takes an academically pragmatic view.

Just like it should be everywhere else in the world, its the competency of the graduates that dictates where they go. We have a very good story in the health sector nearly 40 percent of people working in health are female, reflecting the parity and the power we have achieved after investing so much in health and education, she said.

PNU works closely with INSEAD, the French management institute, to ensure that young women graduating from the university are equipped with the skills to get them jobs in increasingly competitive managerial professions.

She also works with the Ministry of Education in its Women Leaders 2030 program that nurtures young women to become business leaders in the private sector. The ministrys work is closely coordinated with the UNs sustainable development goals which also align with Vision 2030.

Its very important to produce holistic leaders, women who understand the challenges and bigger issues in the wider world, she said.

Her visit to the WEF has certainly opened her eyes to the bigger picture. All the issues that concerned her back in Saudi Arabia were also on the WEF agenda, she said, and she was pleasantly surprised that Davos was not all about money and economics.

I come from the education sector, and I thought there will not be much for me in Davos, but there is so much going on, in investment, in education, in new opportunities, in skills development, science, science breakthroughs. I was impressed by the wide array of topics discussed and the caliber of discussions, she said.

She will leave Switzerland with a new set of ideas to further promote the role of women in Saudi Arabia.

The session on Education 4.0 was a very good exchange of ideas, and made me think how Saudi Arabia must invest even more in the infrastructure of education, curriculum development, teachers preparation programs and the rest.

Its time now to experiment with more disruptions in education. Ive learned new ideas about education and Im going home with the conviction that were heading in the right direction. Now when we talk about concepts like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and data science, these are new programs that are opening up for all women. This is the language of the world, not just for Saudi Arabia, she said.

More here:
INTERVIEW: 'Women's empowerment is happening and heartfelt,' says Saudi university head Einas Al-Eisa - Arab News

Friday, January 24th, 2020

By Leslie Gartrell

CELINA - A former Internet Crimes Against Children task force investigator and internet safety expert wants to help empower teens and educate parents about current trends and online risks.

Scott Frank worked in law enforcement for 36 years, including time with the Ottawa and Wood counties sheriff's departments and as a DARE resource officer. He joined the ICAC in 2006 and was a "chatter," someone who would pose as a 15 year-old or younger to draw out predators.

For 10 years Frank said he was subjected to "the worst of the worst." He felt firsthand the bullying that teens experience and the pressure predators and others push onto teens for illicit material.

"That's kind of the catalyst for where I am now," he said.

Frank is a motivational speaker and founder of the Digital Empowerment Project. Since 2017, he has followed his passion to empower teens to make safe and healthy choices online and to educate parents so they can support and guide their teens by covering everything from the dark web to online empowerment strategies.

It's important that kids and adults alike slow down and think about what they're downloading and what they're accepting when it comes to apps and terms of service agreements, he said.

Some apps, such as the popular video-sharing app TikTok, include stipulations in their terms of service that allow them to profit from user content, even if a user's account is private. Users automatically give permission to the app once the terms of service are accepted, and they can't reconsider afterward.

"By submitting User Content via the Services, you hereby grant us an unconditional irrevocable, non-exclusive, royalty-free, fully transferable, perpetual worldwide license to use, modify, adapt, reproduce, make derivative works of, publish and/or transmit, and/or distribute and to authorize other users of the Services and other third-parties to view, access, use, download, modify, adapt, reproduce, make derivative works of, publish and/or transmit your User Content in any format and on any platform, either now known or hereinafter invented," the terms of service reads.

The terms of service continues, reading "You further grant us a royalty-free license to use your user name, image, voice, and likeness to identify you as the source of any of your User Content."

TikTok, which belongs to China-based ByteDance, agreed to pay $5.7 million last February to settle allegations that it illegally collected personal information such as names, email addresses and their location from children under the age of 13, according to the Federal Trade Commission. It is the largest civil penalty ever obtained by the commission in a children's privacy case, according to the FTC.

Frank mentioned the After School app, a popular app among teenagers that touts itself as a "private message board for your school."

The location-based app is a digital message board that allows users within a certain geographic area, such as a high school campus, to post anonymous comments. While the app has several filter options to keep underage users from seeing explicit content, it doesn't stop users from anonymous bullying or gossip.

Frank noted users have to be able to verify that they are students at a given school to use the app by linking their Facebook to the app - a way to vet and discourage parents, teachers and other adults from using it. After School will then give 20 names and ask a user to correctly identify 10 that go to school there.

However, Frank noted these two apps aren't the only ones with questionable private policies, terms of service or vetting requirements.

"We spend so much time focusing so much energy on one app, but it's almost always the same for other apps," Frank said. "I want parents to be aware of all apps because they all have similar terms of service."

Most apps these days have voice over internet protocol, or VOIP, capabilities, he said. VOIP is a technology that allows a person to make voice calls using a broadband internet connection instead of a regular phone line, which means kids and teens who use apps with VOIP can send and make calls without their showing up on a phone bill.

In addition to VOIP capabilities, many apps also request location services to be turned on, which allows apps and websites to gather and use information based on the current location of the user. Snapchat, for example, uses location services for a "Snap Map," which shows where a user and their friends are on a map. Users can enable "ghost mode," which will turn off location services and take them off the map.

He went on to say the most popular apps teens use are often the most dangerous. Predators keep up with trends and flock to popular apps and social media that teens use.

Frank said he's had parents who believe the best strategy is not to allow or greatly restrict access to the internet. However, Frank said kids and teens will find ways around restrictions.

"If a parent is limiting access, kids will circumvent it," he said. "The internet is here to stay."

Frank said he doesn't want to scare students or parents when it comes to the internet and apps. Rather, he wants parents to have an honest conversation with their kids about what they're up to online. Open lines of communication can empower children to be responsible with their social media use, he added. While his first strategy for parents is to recognize and avoid risks, he also wants teens to invest their time, inspire others and impact their future.

Screen time is an often overlooked issue, Frank said, so he encourages teens to evaluate how much time they're spending online and scale down how much time is spent doing mindless tasks. Instead of endlessly scrolling through Twitter, their time could be better invested by researching what they want to do after graduation or looking into new hobbies.

Teens can also inspire others online, Frank said. Everyone has the opportunity to be kind, so students should embrace it and be kind and respectful when they post online or on social media.

Frank said kids and teens often forget the internet remembers everything. While they may not be posting or sharing anything inappropriate, their posts can send unintended messages to colleges or future employers.

"Google doesn't forgive and Google doesn't forget," he said.

Instead, kids and teens can impact their future by treating their online presence as a portfolio. He encourages everyone to Google search themselves and see what comes up. If it's unsatisfactory, Frank said teens should consider posting what they would want to see when they Google search themselves. He also strongly recommended teens start using LinkedIn as soon as possible and purchase and use a web domain in their name.

How to go:

Former investigator Scott Frank will talk about protecting children from digital predators.

WHEN: Sunday, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

WHERE: Alethia Christian Church, 7190 Fleetfoot Road, Celina

View post:
Don't get caught in The App Trap - The Daily Standard