this flu season is the most widespread on record since health officials began keeping track in the early 2000s. This is the first time in history where the entire continental US has been impacted by the flu. And with the threat of more strains emerging, it’s likely to get worse in the days/weeks to come.
Along with recommending the flu vaccine, the CDC advises the public to take every day preventative measures to stop the spread of germs. Unfortunately, many workers pass along germs at the office, which becomes a breeding ground for disease. Studies indicate the average adult brings their fingers to the nose, mouth or eyes about 16 times per hour, and germs thrive on human touch.
That’s why local cleaning experts with Stratus Building Solutions are on a mission to help protect thousands of local office employees from getting the flu this season. They’ve created “Fight the Office Flu” kits (filled with new pens (to prevent sharing), paper towels, disinfectant, and pocket-sized hand sanitizer) that can be used by any business, no matter the size.
Stratus Building Solutions is the nation’s leading commercial cleaning and janitorial services provider, with a local office right here in our city. This flu season, local Stratus cleaning experts are heading out to local offices to drop off flu kits and help employees clean up “Hot Spots for Office Germs.” These include…
1/13/2014
Judicial Watch, True the Vote Reach Historic Settlement with State of Ohio in Lawsuit over Clean Voter Rolls
Source: Judicial Watch
Judicial Watch and True the Vote announced today that they have reached a settlement in an August 30, 2012, lawsuit against election officials in the State of Ohio, resulting in an agreement by Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted to take a series of actions to further ensure that the state is in compliance with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The Judicial Watch/True the Vote lawsuit charged Ohio election officials with failing to take reasonable steps to maintain clean voter registration lists as required by Section 8 of the NVRA.
03/16/2017
Judicial Watch Files Supreme Court Amicus Supporting Ohio’s Right to Clean Voter Rolls
Source: Judicial Watch
Judicial Watch filed a brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Ohio’s efforts to ensure that its voter rolls are up to date. Judicial Watch contends that Ohio should be permitted to continue its process of “sending of a statutory confirmation notice to any registrant that has not had any voting-related activity for two years.”
08/26/2016
Judicial Watch Statement on Ohio Court’s Ruling in Early Voting Case
Source: Judicial Watch
Tom Fitton: "Early voting is a bad public policy that unduly burdens the taxpayers, increases the likelihood of fraud, and confuses voters. It was absurd and dishonest to suggest that racism was behind the sensible reform of cutting back early voting from an excessive 35 days before Election Day. The Left’s attack on election integrity, in partnership with the Obama Justice Department, doesn’t bode well for a clean November election.”
Voter-Purge Efforts Get Support at U.S. High Court Session
Source: Bloomberg
U.S. Supreme Court justices suggested they may give states broader latitude to purge their voting databases of people who might have moved, as the court heard arguments in an Ohio case that could shape who gets to cast ballots in the November election. Justice Stephen Breyer hinted he might join his more conservative colleagues in voting to uphold an Ohio system that uses non-voting as a factor in deciding which people to remove from the rolls.
Sessions’ Marijuana Antagonism Spooks Hemp Industry, but some see silver lining
Published 19 hours ago | By Kristen Nichols
Attorney General Jeff Sessions didn’t have hemp in mind when he repealed Obama-era protections for state-legal marijuana businesses.But his Jan. 4 announcement sent shock waves into the hemp industry, too, leaving entrepreneurs scrambling to reassure skittish investors.
It’s been a rocky couple of weeks for hemp entrepreneurs. That’s despite the fact that hemp’s legal status has nothing to do with Sessions’ announcement.
In fact, hemp producers and entrepreneurs are capitalizing on the attorney general’s decision as an opportunity to highlight hemp’s legal certainty, which now stands in even starker contrast to the status of its intoxicating cousin, marijuana.
Hemp production has been enshrined into law by Congress through the 2014 Farm Bill, meaning the Department of Justice can’t go after hemp growers or processors abiding by the terms of state hemp rules.
That didn’t keep the phones from ringing at The H. Hemp Company, a Boulder, Colorado, maker of CBD oils and topicals.
“I had investor conversations immediately, because it really spooked them,” said CEO Ashley Grace.
Hemp’s eternal association with marijuana, derived from the same plant, means that what happens to marijuana affects the public’s perception of hemp.
“The indirect negativity and antagonism of the government toward cannabis affects all of us,” Grace said.“It’s creating confusion and anxiety in the hemp industry.”
Tougher to raise money?
On the downside, the Sessions announcement could make it harder for hemp entrepreneurs to raise money – even if hemp is not affected.
“I see the tremendous challenge businesses face trying to overcome that hesitation,” said Micah Tapman, a partner at Canopy Boulder, a Colorado business accelerator that funds ancillary businesses in the hemp and marijuana industries.
But Tapman and Grace are telling investors that hemp’s position may be stronger because of Sessions’ announcement.
That’s because hemp’s inclusion in the Farm Bill means its legal status can’t be usurped by an agency memo.
“I feel pretty protected because we have laws in place to support our (hemp) program,” said Will Tarleton, founder of Tennessee Grown, which cultivates and processes hemp products in Nashville.
The Sessions pronouncement should encourage hemp businesses to do a better job reminding consumers and investors that they’re not affected by marijuana enforcement, Tarleton said.
“Although we’re talking about the same plant, there’s obviously a big difference between hemp and marijuana, and we’ve got to keep talking about that,” he said.
“Once people understand that, people see hemp as an area that’s a little more comfy to operate in.”
Possible silver lining
In fact, some bullish hemp entrepreneurs believe the industry could even capitalize on Sessions’ antagonism to marijuana. That’s because it underscores hemp’s legal certainty.
“This is an incredible opportunity for the hemp industry, because hemp is the safe bet,” said Bruce Perlowin, CEO of Hemp Inc., which grows and processes hemp and kenaf – a fiber plant related to hemp and jute – in North Carolina.
Already there are signs that may be happening.
A Canadian CBD manufacturer, Isodiol International, recently announced a licensing agreement with Level Brands of Charlotte, North Carolina, to develop CBD-infused tinctures, beverages and body care products under the Kathy Ireland Health & Wellness label.
Grace agreed that Sessions’ marijuana antagonism could bring the hemp industry new attention from investors.
“Those investors who are interested in cannabis aren’t going to be spooked by hemp,” Grace said. “They’re going to be more intrigued by it.”
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