Since Donald Trump took office in January 2017, he has been embroiled in a series of legal issues related to his business dealings, political activities and personal finances. From lawsuits brought by the Department of Justice concerning his alleged violation of the emoluments clause to investigations into possible collusion with Russia during the 2016 election, Trump’s presidency has been a flashpoint for controversy and debate over presidential accountability. While many questions remain unanswered regarding these matters, it is clear that President Trump’s legal troubles will continue to be one of the defining aspects of his administration.
Donald Trump’s presidency has seen its fair share of scandals, but perhaps none as notable and widely discussed as his involvement in attempting to extort Ukraine for political favors. The incident began in July 2019 when news first broke that Trump had pushed for a quid pro quo with the president of Ukraine. Reports indicated that Trump had encouraged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden in exchange for nearly $400 million in military aid.
The extortion attempt was part of a larger narrative surrounding Trump’s foreign policy approach during his time in office. Many political pundits argued that Trump was attempting to use foreign policy as a tool to benefit himself politically and discredit his opponents. This allegation was further supported by reports indicating that the White House withheld its military aid from Ukraine until pressure was applied by Congress and the media.
In response to these allegations, congressional Democrats opened an impeachment inquiry into the president’s behavior. During the inquiry, it was revealed that several senior members of the administration were aware of Trump’s scheme and had attempted to cover it up or withhold information pertaining to it from Congress. Additionally, testimony from various former and current officials suggested that other countries such as China were also being asked by Trump to interfere in domestic US politics.
Despite multiple witnesses providing damning testimony throughout the impeachment process, Donald Trump was ultimately acquitted on two charges brought against him: abuse of power and obstruction of justice. Despite this outcome, however, many legal experts are still arguing about whether or not he committed impeachable offenses before leaving office. Furthermore, some observers argue that this attempt at extortion may have lasting implications for presidential powers moving forward if proper measures are not implemented to prevent similar abuses from happening again in the future.
On January 6th, 2021, Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the United States Capitol Building in a violent attempt to overturn the 2020 Presidential Election results. In response to this unprecedented event, President Trump has been largely condemned for encouraging and inciting this dangerous behavior.
In the days leading up to the storming of the United States Capitol building, President Trump made multiple attempts to challenge the results of the 2020 Presidential Election, despite lacking any evidence or legal basis. He began by asking state legislatures to override the outcome in states he lost, and then tried to influence Georgia’s Secretary of State to “find” votes that would reverse his loss there. When these efforts failed, he made public declarations that he had won and called on supporters to oppose the certification of electors by Congress.
President Trump also sought assistance from allies in an attempt to pressure election officials in key battleground states. This included repeatedly calling on Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the election results while presiding over a Joint Session of Congress on January 6th. Further attempts were made with allies from both inside and outside of government such as Republican House members pressuring Vice President Pence not to certify some electoral votes and Rudy Giuliani claiming he had evidence of voter fraud which has since been disproven.
All these attempts culminated with President Trump urging his supporters to march on Washington D.C on January 6th saying “We’re going to have to fight much harder…You’ll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong.” This encouragement led thousands of Trump supporters into a mob scene at the Capitol Building where they violently clashed with law enforcement resulting in five deaths including a police officer.
One little-known scandal that occurred during Donald Trump’s presidency involved his decision to reduce the size of two national monuments in Utah – Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante. This decision sparked a lengthy legal battle, with environmental advocacy groups fighting against Trump’s executive order to reduce the protected land size by 85%, from 1.9 million acres to 243,000 acres.
The president argued that the two monuments were too large, causing economic hardship for local communities, as well as preventing access to natural resources such as oil, gas, and coal reserves. However, many conservationists saw this move as part of an agenda to restrict public access to outdoor recreation areas and open up protected land for mining and drilling activities.
In 2020, the Supreme Court issued a ruling which ultimately upheld Trump’s executive order and allowed him to shrink the protected land area of both national monuments. This ruling caused an outcry amongst some lawmakers who strongly opposed the decision and accused the president of disregarding the importance of preserving public lands and their ecological value. Additionally, some Native American tribes argued that shrinking these monuments would also mean losing access to important cultural sites with spiritual significance that had been protected for centuries by these lands.
Environmental activists have continued fighting against Trump’s actions even after he left office; they are currently advocating for Congress to restore full protections on both monuments so that future generations can continue enjoying their beauty and ecological value undisturbed.
Donald Trump’s presidency has been mired in scandal outside of the Oval Office as well.
The most notable non-presidential scandal occurred in 2018 when it was revealed that Michael Cohen, Trump’s then-personal lawyer, had paid off adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an affair she claimed to have had with the president more than a decade earlier. This hush money payment violated campaign finance laws and sparked an investigation into Cohen by the FBI. When Trump was asked whether or not he knew about the payments, he denied any knowledge or involvement. Ultimately, Cohen pleaded guilty to several charges related to the scandal and was sentenced to three years in prison.
Donald Trump has been embroiled in numerous allegations of racism during his Presidency. His remarks and policies have often been associated with supremacist or discriminatory sentiments, leading some to condemn him as a racist. One such scandal began in 2017 when he reportedly referred to various countries including Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations as “shithole countries” in an Oval Office meeting about immigration reform. The comments were widely criticized as offensive and ignorant by both domestic and international leaders.
The following year, Trump sparked more controversy when he described white supremacists who marched on Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017 as having “very fine people on both sides”. This comment was interpreted by many to suggest that neo-Nazis protesting the removal of a Confederate statue were no different than those who opposed them. His refusal to explicitly denounce white supremacy was seen by many as proof of his own complicity in its promotion.
Trump’s tendency towards xenophobia has also manifested itself through several other scandals throughout his tenure. In 2018, he signed an executive order banning immigrants from certain majority Muslim countries from entering the United States–a move widely viewed as Islamophobic. The same year also saw thousands of migrant children separated from their families at the US-Mexico border due to the President’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy–an act that human rights organizations denounced as cruel and inhumane.
At various points throughout his Presidency, Donald Trump has used inflammatory language towards minority groups like Mexicans (“they are bringing drugs… they are rapists”), Native Americans (“Pocahontas”), Black NFL players (“get that son of a bitch off the field”), and even members of Congress (“go back where you came from”). Such comments have been regularly condemned by lawmakers from both sides of the aisle for perpetuating harmful stereotypes about minority communities.
In sum, Donald Trump’s tenure in office has seen multiple scandalous incidents — whether it be through words or actions — that have earned him widespread condemnation around the world. His rhetoric has especially taken aim at minority communities like immigrants, Muslims, and African-Americans while simultaneously promoting white supremacy or nationalism in subtle yet unmistakable ways. Consequently, Donald Trump will likely leave behind a legacy tarnished by a series of scandals during his Presidency.
Brittney Griner made headlines recently when she was arrested in Russia for possession of CBD oil. The event sent shockwaves through the basketball world and sparked an international debate about the legality of CBD oil products.
Griner, a star center for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, had traveled to Russia earlier this year to play in an exhibition game against a Russian team. Shortly after her arrival, customs agents searching her luggage found a small amount of CBD oil in her possession. Under Russian law, it is illegal to possess any product that contains marijuana or any related compounds, including CBD oil.
After being arrested and detained by local authorities, Griner spent two weeks in a Moscow prison before being released on bail pending her trial date. At her trial, she was found guilty and sentenced to 9 years in prison. The news caused an uproar throughout the basketball community, with many questioning why a professional athlete playing in a foreign country would be subject to such harsh punishment for something as seemingly trivial as possessing CBD oil.
Critics argued that Griner should have been aware of the laws regarding marijuana and its derivatives, but supporters pointed out that she likely did not know they were illegal due to the fact that they are not prohibited under U.S. federal law. They additionally argued that even if she was unaware of the laws, the punishment far exceeded what would be considered reasonable or appropriate given that there were no other aggravating factors present (e.g., intent to sell or distribute).
In an unexpected turn of events, Brittney Griner recently swapped places with notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, the so-called “Minister of Death”, in a prisoner exchange. After being found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison for possession of CBD oil, Griner was granted clemency by the Russian government following negotiations between U.S. and Russian officials that resulted in her release from prison and Bout’s transfer to Moscow. This unprecedented event has raised numerous questions about international law and the implications it could have on athletes traveling abroad for professional sporting events or competitions.
The case received widespread media attention and prompted calls for reform within Russia’s criminal justice system. It also raised questions about whether athletes should be held responsible for their knowledge of local laws while traveling abroad and competing professionally overseas.
A few years back, I wrote an article about NFL quarterback,Tom Brady. In this article, I stated that Brady is in no way, shape, or form, the “G.O.A.T”. He is just a good quarterback in the right system. Well, Brady went on to win his 7th Super Bowl with a different team (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), and looked damn good doing it. At the age of 44, this guy looks good, I mean really good. I will not take anything away from him. The man was, and still is, killing it. I can also say he was able to win Super Bowl number 7 due to the talented players that were already on the Buccaneers roster, but they lacked a field general.
Now, let’s go back to why I felt Tom Brady was not the G.O.A.T. It was because I am a firm believer in solid systems. Solid systems are very difficult to beat, and Bill Belicheck’s New England Patriots teams are a prime example of such. Belichick’s lone season without Brady was a nightmare. He had Cam Newton (who was past his prime) at quarterback, and the team was trash. I mean don’t get me wrong, New England had some good players, but they lacked a solid QB and a field general; and Cam was not it. That season (in 2020), the Patriots finished 7-9; and their 11 year streak of making the playoffs had ended.
After the 2020 season, Belichick knew he needed a quarterback, even though they signed Newton to another one year deal. With his eyes set on the upcoming draft, he hoped maybe he could find one. Plan was to draft a young quarterback and groom him under Cam Newton, and the rest would be history. Sounds like a fairy tale right? Well, my friends, it’s not. Belichick went into the 2020 draft with a plan; and that plan included one player, which was Michael Mcorkle “Mac” Jones. Mac Jones played 3 seasons at the University of Alabama, where he set records for passer rating and completion percentage; and also won a national title his junior year. Here is where things get interesting. In the 2020 NFL draft, the first four picks were quarterbacks, and none were Jones. He was drafted at number 15 by the Patriots and Belichick’s decision not to trade up to get him paid off.
Being taken in the 1st round by the Patriots (Belichick is the general manager), at number 15, says a lot. Even more because there was a thought of trading up for Jones, but they decided not to. Taking a qb at #15 in the draft means that at some point, in the near future, they expect him to start. But, the near future wouldn’t be his rookie season, or could it?
Fast forward to the start of training camp, and the Patriots starting quarterback is supposed to be Cam Newton. Within a few weeks, the shocking news came, and the media was told by Belichick that he does not know who will be starting at quarterback this upcoming season. Now, the Patriots have a quarterback competition on hand, when many thought Newton would be the starter to begin the season. By the end of preseason, the Patriots had released Cam Newton, and named rookie, Mac Jones, as the starter for the upcoming season. Why was this decision made? I mean Jones has no NFL experience, at all. Why would Belichick hand over the keys to the offense to this inexperienced quarterback? While Cam Newton was unable to practice, Jones got a lot of work in with the 1st team. He made a huge impression on the coaching staff, which led to the release of Newton, and naming Jones the starter for the 2021 season.
In his 1st official NFL start, his stats were not that bad. He completed 29 of 39 passes for 281 yards,1 touchdown and 0 interceptions, though they lost the game. For the next 3 games, his numbers weren’t bad, but they weren’t great either (83/121 731 yards 3 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, and a losing record of 1-3).
Even still, of the 5 quarterbacks drafted in the previous draft, he was having the best season, stat-wise. As the season progressed, the Patriots began to find their identity, which is a run first offense and a sturdy defense. Jones was not being asked to take over games; all he had to do was manage them and make plays when called upon. At one point, during the 2021 season, the Patriots were9-4 in 1st place, in their conference, and on a 5 game winning streak. By the end of the regular season, the Patriots were playoff bound, and lost to the Buffalo Bills in the 1st round.
If Belichick has the right players in his system, it’s very hard to beat him. I am not taking anything away from Mac Jones, don’t get me wrong. The kid is a talent, but let’s not forget about Bill Belichick’s system, and how effective it truly is. I wonder how far this year’s Patriots team will go. Only time will tell.
Who knew I needed a new song from Rihanna? I accidently stumbled upon her new song“Lift Me Up”, which is the lead single off the new “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” movie soundtrack. Rihanna’s last major release was in 2016. Since then, she has been busy building her Fenty empire and also announced this year, she is having her first child with rapper boyfriend, ASAP Rocky.
“Lift Me Up” is a tribute to the late Black Panther starChadwick Boseman, who died in 2020, at the age of 43, after battling colon cancer. This emotionally filled ballad is definitely ear grabbing. Rihanna flexes her vocal chops as she belts out notes that are so soothing, relaxing and inspirational. After being released on October 28, 2022, the song landed at number 1 on Billboard’s relaunched,Hot Trending Songs chart.
Rihanna also had herbiggest streaming day on Spotify, with the release of “Lift”, totaling close to 25 million streams on release day. I guess I wasn’t the only one that thought they needed another Rihanna song. With another song on the Black Panther 2 soundtrack, it sounds as if a full length project may be in the works?
It’s been 6 years since her last full length project and maybe, just maybe, this is a preview of what’s to come in 2023. Rihanna, we know you are busy building your empire, but give your fans another gem to listen to …they’ve been patiently waiting.
Welcome back to “Choppin’ it up”. Usually, I interview local independent artists (which I will continue to do), but today we are going to do something different. Today, I will be reviewing a song that came across my TikTok feed. Now as you know, TikTok is pretty much known for creating and sharing short videos; some singing, lip syncing, acting, voiceovers and dancing. I mean the list goes on and on. Since I have signed up and created my TikTok, the most popular posts getting a lot of views and such are the dancing videos. Now some of these dances are simple and fun for all to partake in, and some should be left to the professionals.
With a dancing video, it’s usually paired with a very catchy tune. I mean 9 times out of 10, I find myself scrolling through TikTok, watching these dancing videos (In my head, I am killing all these moves), and immediately going to Spotify to find the song they are dancing to because I can’t get it out of my head. Well it happened again, but this time I chose to write about it. So last week, I stumbled upon the latest TikTok wave, which is a dance called the“Park Heights Strut”.
The Baltimore strut has been around 7 years, but a gentleman, by the name of Bunkey Jr., put a little twist on it and named his “The Park Heights Strut”. He named it after the section of Baltimore, where he was from. The dance is cool and pretty easy to do, in my opinion; but what draws me back to the videos are not the actual dance moves, it’s the song that they are dancing to.
The name of the song isFree Mind by Tems, who is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. After finding her on Spotify, I go to find the song, I click play and…it’s not the same version as the TikTok videos. So I googled the dance and discovered that it was a remix made byDj Zayy, who is also from Baltimore. I found it on Youtube, hit play and BOOM! Dj Zayy made the perfect mix. Something about this mix makes you want to move. It makes you feel good about life changing. Mind you, the original is a good song. The lyrics and her voice are on point, but it’s something in that Dj Zayy mix that does it to me.
I must also mention that while watching video after video of people doing this dance, it lost its “umph” once the song changed. So, it’s clearly the song for me. Make sure you check outTem’s song,”Free Mind”, on all streaming platforms, as well asDj Zayy’s version, which is only available on YouTube. You be the judge. Again the original is good but that club mix goes hard!!!!!
Free bottles for recycle image, public domain CC0 photo.
In my last article, I explored the frightening reasons behind why plastic is being found in breast milk, and in all systems in humans and fetuses. The environmental impact of disposing billions of tons of non-biodegradable and toxic plastic waste into our landfills and oceans are now coming home to roost. It would seem that in the face of a never-ending demand and cheap cost, the only logical solution would be to recycle as much, if not all of the waste that is accumulated as a result. Fortunately, we have seen much greater attempts by manufacturing companies, and on the political level as well. Unfortunately, it’s all a lie.
Greenpeace has just released a scathing report on plastic recycling efforts worldwide. The report cites that in the U.S. alone, 51 million tons of plastic waste was generated by households alone. Of that, only 2.4 million tons were recycled, which is 5%. Yet oddly, manufacturing rates continued to rise. Although the harmful effects of plastic on every aspect of human health and the environment are widely known, no real effort is being taken by any companies or political leaders to combat this toxic equation. Money will always win the day and the fact is that plastic is extremely inexpensive to manufacture and produce. The problem comes at the long-term cost for short term solutions. According to the World Population Review, since 1950, approximately 8 billion tons of plastic waste has been produced worldwide. Of that, only 9% has been recycled. The rest went straight to landfills and the oceans. This toxic waste eventually seeps into the soil and groundwater where it is eventually consumed and absorbed into humans. Below is a list of the top 10 plastic waste producing countries in 2021 followed by how much waste was produced, and what percentage was recycled.
United States – 48.3 million tons (5%)
India – 29 million tons (50%)
China – 23.7 million tons (31%)
Brazil – 11.7 million tons (4%)
Indonesia – 10 million tons (9%)
Russia – 9.25 million tons (12%)
Germany – 7.25 million tons (66%)
UK – 7.05 million tons (43%)
Mexico – 6.5 million tons (14.5%)
Japan – 5.3 million tons (85%)
The vast majority of unrecycled plastic waste gets shipped straight to landfills where it is buried en masse to seep into the surrounding environment for countless decades to come. The rest of it winds up in our oceans where this is having a catastrophic effect on worldwide marine populations. 100 million marine animals die from plastic waste alone each year. This same waste is also consumed by the fish in these oceans, which then are transported to humans as we consume seafood. This waste has especially been disastrous for worldwide sea turtle, sea lion, and seal populations. Their respective numbers have decreased considerably due to plastic waste. Below is a list of the top ten worst offenders when it comes to dumping plastic waste in the ocean followed by how many tons were dumped last year.
India – 305,000 tons
China – 172,000 tons
Indonesia – 137,000 tons
Brazil – 42,000 tons
Thailand – 25,100 tons
Mexico – 4,000 tons
Egypt – 2,750 tons
United States – 2,600 tons
Japan – 1,800 tons
UK – 775 tons
The sad truth is that plastic production is continuing to rise and is predicted to keep rising well into the foreseeable. The worldwide plastic recycling rate is 18% with numbers declining annually. As for all of the chatter by companies and politicians alike about the ambitious recycling efforts that are being implemented, it’s all just lip service. These companies recycle a mere fraction of what they produce, and their only concern has and will always be profit. Just like the politicians they donate to ensure that they are not held accountable in any way for the damage they knowingly wreak. Sadly, these actions have not only endangered our health and environment but has also ensured that future generations to come will also suffer the same, if not worse effects, than we’ve already wrought.
Since retiring from the NBA in 1996,Earvin “Magic” Johnson has been extremely busy. He and his team (Magic Johnson Enterprises) have been investing in lucrative businesses, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Lakers, movie theaters and restaurants in the United States; such as T.G.I.Fridays and Burger King (30), 24 Hour Fitness (12), and we can’t forget stakes in Starbucks. He even had stakes in a cable network he started named AspireTv, and a life insurance company (Equitrust), just to name a few. As of 2022, Magic’s net worth is about 600 million, making him one of the richest athletes in the world.
Magic is a perfect example ofwhat to do with your money after a successful career as an athlete. Some would think being worth 600 million would be enough, but not Magic. The NBA legend is reported to be in talks to purchase a stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. If he does this, it will set a record for sports franchise deals. Magic is already part-owner of the MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, and as of late, he has been putting together a team of investors to take a shot at theminority piece of the Raiders.
The Raiders are owned by theDavis family. The cost of the minority stake is unknown, but Forbes reported in August that the Raiders received a minority offer from an unnamed investor for $6.5 billion.
Magic has been interested in owning a piece of the Raiders for quite some time. It won’t be cheap, but Magic’s pockets run deep. PerAxios, there are at least 16 NFL teams worth at least $4 billion. The highest, in 2022, belongs to the Dallas Cowboys, sitting at a reported $7.6 billion. The Cincinnati Bengals are the lowest valued team in the league, sitting at a reported $2.8 billion.
As talks continue, I really hope Magic lands this deal. I mean he has had a hand in almost every major sport in the USA. Why not get a piece of an NFL franchise? Magic, I am rooting for ya!!!!
"The burnout context has been extensively studied for more than 4 decades and is no longer considered an emerging problem but an occupational hazard in the healthcare industry." Del Grosso & Boyd, 2019. IN THE PICTURE: Annalisa Silvestri, Doctor anaesthetist
Burnout in healthcare providers has long been a concern for clinicians, administrators, and patients. It affects all aspects of a person’s being, including mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual. In the ICD-11, the World Health Organization (2019) describes burnout as an occupational phenomenon “conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:
feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and
reduced professional efficacy.”
Chipas & McKenna (2011, as cited in Vells et al., 2021) found that “nurse anesthetists are exposed to a variety of stressors that can affect personal health to the point of disability in the provider and an impaired ability to provide the best patient care.” Carefully examining burnout, specifically in Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesiologists (CRNAs), can identify stressors in the work environment, which, when addressed progressively, may lead to improved morale, increased retention, and increased retention and ultimately safer and higher-quality patient care. Dissecting this problem before it becomes unsolvable presents an opportunity to develop quality improvement programs for the institution and incorporate solutions for providers’ holistic health.
After reviewing the literature, Vells et al. (2021) found that burnout decreased when self-care activities were incorporated into the lives of the various study participants. They then designed a quality improvement project focused on implementing one or more of the following coping strategies: positive thoughts, exercise, mindfulness, meditation, and giving a co-worker positive reinforcement. Their study was designed to see if utilizing the above coping strategies would result in an improvement in one or more of the following categories based on Maslach’s Burnout Inventory: Emotional Exhaustion (EE), Depersonalization (DP), or Personal Achievement (PA). The burnout criterion most reported by the participants in their study was emotional exhaustion, and mean posttest scores showed a significant decrease in EE, and their findings suggested that their “project was successful in decreasing burnout for most nurse anesthetist participants experiencing burnout at extreme levels.”
Del Grosso et al. (2019) conducted an integrative review and discussed the challenges of defining and framing the concept of burnout in CRNAs. They noted the foundational problem of the actual idea of burnout and what it has become accepted to mean. Although the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) is considered the gold standard for measuring burnout, the authors found that “the increase in attention to the theoretical foundations of burnout has allowed researchers to integrate empirical results within conceptual frameworks” (p. 206). Del Grosso et al. (2019) reported:
The burnout context has been extensively studied for more than 4 decades and is no longer considered an emerging problem but an occupational hazard in the healthcare industry. Given public expectations that healthcare delivery should be seamless, safe, and free from adverse events combined with administrative production pressures and the complex management for an aging population, the anesthesia provider is particularly prone to burnout. (p. 209).
“Our specialty is experiencing a period of mergers, rapid consolidation of practices, and a trend toward employed providers that has dramatically affected our autonomy… We are experiencing rising demand for anesthesia services while simultaneously facing a national shortage of nurses and physicians” (Tarantur et al. 2018). Tarantur et al. (2018) observed that “providers experiencing burnout may deliver lower quality care with associated lower patient satisfaction scores and are more likely to make medical errors. Therefore, health care professional distress may be a quality indicator that is worth measuring in medical centers.”
Tarantur & Deshur (2018) found that more than half of their anesthesia staff suffered from burnout; however, they also found that the stress of burnout had been mitigated by initiatives put in place such as implementing a system whereby CRNAs are given cases in one of their top two facilities 80% of the time, involving outside wellness professionals, and scheduling flexibility. They stressed that “more than ever, it is imperative that culture, morale and provider well-being become part of our core values” (2018).
Prudenzi et al. (2021) posited that work related distress and burnout lead to clinical errors and absenteeism in Health Care Providers (HCPs). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) “uses a range of therapeutic methods to help individuals to improve their ‘psychological flexibility’ as a means to improve their well-being and efficacy at work and in other contexts” (p. 193). McCracken (2013, as cited in Prudenzi et al., 2021) defined psychological flexibility as “the ability to persist or to change behaviour in a setting of competing psychological influences, guided by values and goals dependent on what the situation at hand affords” (p. 193).
Through their systematic review and meta-analysis, Prudenzi et al. (2021) reported that “changes in the organisation of health care providers in the UK coupled with stress, burnout and psychological distress have been shown to contribute to staff errors (e.g. medications errors, prescribing faults) and poor patient safety” (p. 201). The authors also noted that “results from this meta-analysis suggest that ACT is a promising psychological intervention for improving a range of psychological outcomes (general distress, stress, burnout) in HCPs” (p. 201).
According to Sun et al. (2022), COVID-19 has had a severely detrimental effect on healthcare providers “making them psychologically ill-prepared to perform their normal tasks. Further, the situation has exacerbated existing psychological problems (e.g., stress and anxiety), substantially impeding individuals’ job performance” (p. 2). The authors studied the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and burnout in healthcare providers in Pakistan. They found that stress, depression and anxiety borne from the pandemic resulted in a decrease in the job performance of healthcare workers as well as their mental health; adding that “undoubtedly, the pandemic has made today’s employees vulnerable, and negatively impacted their workplace functioning” (p. 15).
CRNAs are front-line healthcare providers who encounter stressors from varied directions. These stressors include factors like scheduling, patient acuity, politics, time away from home, and staffing. Multiple studies have shown a correlation between professional burnout and a decrease in performance, concomitant with an increase in errors and job dissatisfaction. With the population becoming sicker, it has become harder to keep up with the demand for CRNAs – furthering the vicious cycle of burnout. It is imperative that this phenomenon continue to be studied, and solutions created and implemented.
Prudenzi, A., Graham, C. D., Clancy, F., Hill, D., O’Driscoll, R., Day, F., & O’Connor, D. B. (2021). Group-based acceptance and commitment therapy interventions for improving general distress and work-related distress in healthcare professionals: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 295, 192–202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.07.084
Sun, J., Sarfraz, M., Ivascu, L., Iqbal, K., & Mansoor, A. (2022). How Did Work-Related Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Hamper Healthcare Employee Performance during COVID-19? The Mediating Role of Job Burnout and Mental Health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(16), 10359. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191610359
Vells, B., Midya, V., & Prasad, A. (2021). Experiences of Burnout Among Nurse Anesthetists. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 26(2). https://doi.org/10.3912/ojin.vol26no02ppt4
We have all been there, wake up and it just feels like the world has wheeled back and slapped us a good hard one in the face. It becomes extremely difficult to accomplish even the most menial of tasks such as showering or even just getting dressed for the day. Everything feels hopeless, all your negative thoughts are amplified and you’re struggling to figure out how to make yourself function. So what can you do in these instances to pull yourself up out of this funk? Here are five different ways that have been found to do absolute wonders and the best part is they all require very minimal actual work on your part.
1. Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!
It may seem so obvious but you would be surprised to know just how often our moods are directly effected by how much water we drink. When you feel blue, one of the best places to start is to do your best to get a gallon of water in a day, often one of the first things you experience when dealing with depression is a heavy lack of energy. When the brain doesn’t get enough water , it isn’t able to produce energy. When you are dehydrated, your brains normal functions of thinking and reasoning are slowed way down and sometimes even stop due to a lack of energy. Research has shown that this leads directly to depression. Dehydration also leads to depression by obstructing your brains serotonin production. Serotonin is frequently called “the happy chemical” as it increases feelings of satisfaction, well-being and happiness. Obviously all important feelings when trying to combat depression. One of the main causes of depression is a depletion of serotonin, which is created by your body by the amino acid tryptophan. This process involves transporting tryptophan across the blood brain barrier which requires a good amount of water to accomplish. If your body is dehydrated, your body won’t be able to get enough of the tryptophan to your brain to convert to serotonin. Which viola! Causes depression. So when you start to feel down in the dumps, start with some water, to help push the creation of serotonin in your brain.
2. Clean up!
Another fairly easy way to trick your brain out of a depression is to clean up the space around you. It’s been shown through many different studies that the brain cannot focus in clutter, and will often try to compensate for the chaos around it by just attempting to shut down. Now we all know that when you’re depressed, cleaning your house is high on the list of things you absolutely do not want to do, and as you fall deeper and deeper into your depression, the mess around you gets worse and worse, causing you to fall deeper and deeper, it’s a vicious cycle, and a surprisingly easy one to fix. Also believe it or not, cleaning has more than one benefit. As a frequent sufferer of depression myself, one of the first things I do when I realize that I am deep into it, is get up and clean my space, for two very specific reasons, 1 being the clutter is messing with my brain and I need to be able to think clearly, and 2, is the fact that I am willing to do something I so desperately do not want to do (clean), I am tricking my brain into being motivated. If I can move around and clean little places in my house, I can typically move onto another project that I have been putting off due to how my mental health has been, now not only do I have a clean space to work on my projects, but I now have more motivation to do it in the first place.
3. Go Outside And Get Some Sun!!!!
Getting sun has shown to increase serotonin, which as we already know helps drastically with battling depression. Studies have shown that on days with less sunlight, more people are prone to experiencing more depressive episodes than on sunnier days. So while it may seem extremely cliché to say go sit in the sun when you are feeling blue, but research has actually shown that the brain makes more serotonin on sunny days than on overcast and cloudy days. If you’ve ever heard of the term “Winter Blues” that’s why, research has shown that reduced exposure to sunlight, like on rainy days, can lead to the development of seasonal affective disorder or SAD, in other words, the winter blues.
4. Give Yourself Little Goals To Accomplish, Then Accomplish Them
This is by far, my favorite thing on this list, and here’s why. One of the biggest contributors to depression is stagnation, doing nothing and therefore feeling no sense of pride or accomplishment. Ironically in the hands of depression, the last thing you want to do is, well…anything. The problem with not doing anything is it creates this overwhelming feeling of guilt and shamefulness, which as you can imagine, is a huge contributor to the mental state you are in. One of the greatest things to do to combat this is to simply do something. Create tiny little goals and give yourself little rewards for accomplishing them. Something as simple as “today I will read for 20 mins” or “today I will wash and fold one load.” Give yourself small tasks, complete them, give yourself a small reward, or a small pat on the back and slightly increase the next task until you can dig yourself out of this hole you are in and continue to function throughout life a bit more normally. Works wonders and leaves you feeling much better about yourself in general.
5. Get Active
Exercise has been called numerous time as the all natural treatment for depression. Exercise releases the body’s “feel good chemicals” known as endorphins. High intensity exercise can actually release so many endorphins in such a short period of time, that the person may actually experience feelings of euphoria resulting in things like the “runner’s high.” However, high-intensity exercises isn’t needed if your goal is simply to feel better. For most of us, the real benefit comes from low-intensity exercises sustained over time. Low-intensity exercise releases proteins called neurotrophic or growth factors. These proteins cause nerve cells to grow causing improvements in brain functions. These improvements help you feel better. Because of that, exercise is not just a good treatment for depression, its also a great preventative. Once you find a routine you can consistently stick with, it’ll do wonders to keep depression and her cousin anxiety away.
In conclusion, while depression is a hard battle to get through, there is some fairly simple ways to help you get back on track and kick depression to the curb, so drink some water, clean your space a bit and find something to do and you’ll be out of this funk in no time!
Last week, on Thursday, there was an NFL game being played between the Indianapolis Colts against the Denver Broncos. Now I am all for low scoring competitive games, but this one was not it. This may have been the most boring game I have ever watched. You would think a game with two top tier quarterbacks ( Matt Ryan, Russell Wilson) would have panned out into a more entertaining game. Well, I was completely wrong. This was the longest game ever, due to horrible play by both teams. I mean neither team’s offense scored a touchdown; the game ended with a score of 12-9, Colts winning.
Don’t let that score fool you; this game was far from a defensive battle. It was mistake after mistake, after mistake, after mis- well, you get it. By the time the 2nd quarter had come around, I no longer wanted to watch. Because I am a fan and love football, I did, in hopes that it would get better in the 2nd half; that’s what usually happens. Again, I was wrong! The 2nd half was just as boring as the 1st, as both teams continued to play horrible football. I couldn’t believe I was watching Russell Wilson, a former MVP and Super Bowl winner, make such bad decisions with the football. Matt Ryan, though he has no Super Bowl wins, has played in some electrifying games for the Atlanta Falcons.
Punt after punt, turnover after turnover, mistake after mistake; it seemed like this game would never end. They almost went into overtime, but the game ended with no extra period, due to a Russell Wilson mistake (thank goodness).
It came to a point where the most exciting part of the game was the commentating. Al Michaels, who has a long history of calling games and is not the reason for most people tuning in, was making sure he stated how bad this game was “tonight”, social media had a blast as well. I mean the game was so bad that Denver Bronco fans were leaving while the Broncos had a chance to win; but, no one cared. No one wanted anything to do with that game. While this isn’t the 1st time this has happened on Thursday night football, it was the worst, so far.
Even other NFL players couldn’t understand what was going on. Some fans took to Twitter and had a blast making fun of how bad the game was. I assume the NFL didn’t expect this type of play when making up the schedule, but someone needs to take the blame, and why not the suits! How long do we have to wait to get a good competitive game for Thursday night? This week, we have the Chicago Bears against the Washington Commanders. I think we are in for another snooze-fest, ladies and gentlemen. I hope I am wrong, but numbers don’t lie.
Uncovering Donald Trump’s Presidency Scandals: What We Know So Far
Since Donald Trump took office in January 2017, he has been embroiled in a series of legal issues related to his business dealings, political activities and personal finances. From lawsuits brought by the Department of Justice concerning his alleged violation of the emoluments clause to investigations into possible collusion with Russia during the 2016 election, Trump’s presidency has been a flashpoint for controversy and debate over presidential accountability. While many questions remain unanswered regarding these matters, it is clear that President Trump’s legal troubles will continue to be one of the defining aspects of his administration.
Donald Trump’s presidency has seen its fair share of scandals, but perhaps none as notable and widely discussed as his involvement in attempting to extort Ukraine for political favors. The incident began in July 2019 when news first broke that Trump had pushed for a quid pro quo with the president of Ukraine. Reports indicated that Trump had encouraged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden in exchange for nearly $400 million in military aid.
The extortion attempt was part of a larger narrative surrounding Trump’s foreign policy approach during his time in office. Many political pundits argued that Trump was attempting to use foreign policy as a tool to benefit himself politically and discredit his opponents. This allegation was further supported by reports indicating that the White House withheld its military aid from Ukraine until pressure was applied by Congress and the media.
In response to these allegations, congressional Democrats opened an impeachment inquiry into the president’s behavior. During the inquiry, it was revealed that several senior members of the administration were aware of Trump’s scheme and had attempted to cover it up or withhold information pertaining to it from Congress. Additionally, testimony from various former and current officials suggested that other countries such as China were also being asked by Trump to interfere in domestic US politics.
Despite multiple witnesses providing damning testimony throughout the impeachment process, Donald Trump was ultimately acquitted on two charges brought against him: abuse of power and obstruction of justice. Despite this outcome, however, many legal experts are still arguing about whether or not he committed impeachable offenses before leaving office. Furthermore, some observers argue that this attempt at extortion may have lasting implications for presidential powers moving forward if proper measures are not implemented to prevent similar abuses from happening again in the future.
On January 6th, 2021, Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the United States Capitol Building in a violent attempt to overturn the 2020 Presidential Election results. In response to this unprecedented event, President Trump has been largely condemned for encouraging and inciting this dangerous behavior.
In the days leading up to the storming of the United States Capitol building, President Trump made multiple attempts to challenge the results of the 2020 Presidential Election, despite lacking any evidence or legal basis. He began by asking state legislatures to override the outcome in states he lost, and then tried to influence Georgia’s Secretary of State to “find” votes that would reverse his loss there. When these efforts failed, he made public declarations that he had won and called on supporters to oppose the certification of electors by Congress.
President Trump also sought assistance from allies in an attempt to pressure election officials in key battleground states. This included repeatedly calling on Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the election results while presiding over a Joint Session of Congress on January 6th. Further attempts were made with allies from both inside and outside of government such as Republican House members pressuring Vice President Pence not to certify some electoral votes and Rudy Giuliani claiming he had evidence of voter fraud which has since been disproven.
All these attempts culminated with President Trump urging his supporters to march on Washington D.C on January 6th saying “We’re going to have to fight much harder…You’ll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong.” This encouragement led thousands of Trump supporters into a mob scene at the Capitol Building where they violently clashed with law enforcement resulting in five deaths including a police officer.
One little-known scandal that occurred during Donald Trump’s presidency involved his decision to reduce the size of two national monuments in Utah – Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante. This decision sparked a lengthy legal battle, with environmental advocacy groups fighting against Trump’s executive order to reduce the protected land size by 85%, from 1.9 million acres to 243,000 acres.
The president argued that the two monuments were too large, causing economic hardship for local communities, as well as preventing access to natural resources such as oil, gas, and coal reserves. However, many conservationists saw this move as part of an agenda to restrict public access to outdoor recreation areas and open up protected land for mining and drilling activities.
In 2020, the Supreme Court issued a ruling which ultimately upheld Trump’s executive order and allowed him to shrink the protected land area of both national monuments. This ruling caused an outcry amongst some lawmakers who strongly opposed the decision and accused the president of disregarding the importance of preserving public lands and their ecological value. Additionally, some Native American tribes argued that shrinking these monuments would also mean losing access to important cultural sites with spiritual significance that had been protected for centuries by these lands.
Environmental activists have continued fighting against Trump’s actions even after he left office; they are currently advocating for Congress to restore full protections on both monuments so that future generations can continue enjoying their beauty and ecological value undisturbed.
Donald Trump’s presidency has been mired in scandal outside of the Oval Office as well.
The most notable non-presidential scandal occurred in 2018 when it was revealed that Michael Cohen, Trump’s then-personal lawyer, had paid off adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an affair she claimed to have had with the president more than a decade earlier. This hush money payment violated campaign finance laws and sparked an investigation into Cohen by the FBI. When Trump was asked whether or not he knew about the payments, he denied any knowledge or involvement. Ultimately, Cohen pleaded guilty to several charges related to the scandal and was sentenced to three years in prison.
Donald Trump has been embroiled in numerous allegations of racism during his Presidency. His remarks and policies have often been associated with supremacist or discriminatory sentiments, leading some to condemn him as a racist. One such scandal began in 2017 when he reportedly referred to various countries including Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations as “shithole countries” in an Oval Office meeting about immigration reform. The comments were widely criticized as offensive and ignorant by both domestic and international leaders.
The following year, Trump sparked more controversy when he described white supremacists who marched on Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017 as having “very fine people on both sides”. This comment was interpreted by many to suggest that neo-Nazis protesting the removal of a Confederate statue were no different than those who opposed them. His refusal to explicitly denounce white supremacy was seen by many as proof of his own complicity in its promotion.
Trump’s tendency towards xenophobia has also manifested itself through several other scandals throughout his tenure. In 2018, he signed an executive order banning immigrants from certain majority Muslim countries from entering the United States–a move widely viewed as Islamophobic. The same year also saw thousands of migrant children separated from their families at the US-Mexico border due to the President’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy–an act that human rights organizations denounced as cruel and inhumane.
At various points throughout his Presidency, Donald Trump has used inflammatory language towards minority groups like Mexicans (“they are bringing drugs… they are rapists”), Native Americans (“Pocahontas”), Black NFL players (“get that son of a bitch off the field”), and even members of Congress (“go back where you came from”). Such comments have been regularly condemned by lawmakers from both sides of the aisle for perpetuating harmful stereotypes about minority communities.
In sum, Donald Trump’s tenure in office has seen multiple scandalous incidents — whether it be through words or actions — that have earned him widespread condemnation around the world. His rhetoric has especially taken aim at minority communities like immigrants, Muslims, and African-Americans while simultaneously promoting white supremacy or nationalism in subtle yet unmistakable ways. Consequently, Donald Trump will likely leave behind a legacy tarnished by a series of scandals during his Presidency.