Articles by Steven Gilchrist

According to a new report by the Kaiser Family Foundation an estimated 41% of Americans or about 100 million adults have some form of health care debt. The medical debt that Americans owe ranges from under $500 (16%) to $10,000 or more (12%). As of 2019, Americans carried over $195 billion in medical debt. The largest amount of unexpected medical bills typically arise from out-of-network providers being involved in patient care.  Approximately 15% of people with medical debt say they have been denied access to a hospital, doctor's office, or another provider because of unpaid bills. According to a June 16, 2022 Kaiser Health News article by Noam N. Levey: "Medical debt is piling additional hardships on people with cancer and other chronic illnesses. Debt levels in U.S. counties with the highest rates of disease can be three or four times what they are in the healthiest counties, according to an Urban Institute analysis.  Compared to other forms of consumer debt, medical bills ...

During the 1800s, the United States was a major importer of Hawaiian agricultural products. Queen Lili'uokalani was the last monarch of Hawaii. On January 17, 1893, she was overthrown during a bloodless coup led by the "Committee of Safety" and John Stevens - the U.S. Minister to Hawaii. The "Committee of Safety" was a group of non-native U.S. citizens with interests in the sugar industry. Most native Hawaiin's were opposed to the coup. The United States Congress passed the Newlands Resolution on July 7, 1898. The resolution known as House Joint Resolution 259, 55th Congress, 2nd session, was signed into law by President William McKinley.  The Newlands Resolution was written by Francis G. Newlands (D-Nevada). The resolution created a five-member commission to study the laws that would be necessary to govern Hawaii.  The Newlands Resolution annexed the Republic of Hawaii.  In 1900, Congress designated Hawaii as a U.S. territory. On August 21, 1959, President ...

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons stroke is the 5th leading cause of death in the United States. Strokes are also a leading cause of long-term disability. Although strokes can occur at any age, stroke risk increases with age. 3/4 of all strokes occur in people older than 65 years old. The majority of strokes are caused when blood clots in an artery of the brain. These blood clots can block adequate blood flow to the brain. On May 11, 1989, President George H.W. Bush signed Proclamation 5975 declaring May as National Stroke Awareness Month. When he signed the proclamation, President Bush shared the following about the devastation that strokes can cause. "It strikes between 400,000 and 600,000 Americans each year. Many of its victims, their brain cells damaged by impaired circulation, never fully regain their physical and mental abilities. Stroke costs this country more than $11 billion annually in medical treatment and lost productivity, but far more regrett...

Cabot Bradley estate - Canton, MA. Canton, MA. - Covering 90 acres of land just south of Boston, the Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate offers visitors scenic views of plants, a farm, hiking trails, and a mansion built in the 20th century. In 1902, Dr. Arthur Tracy Cabot hired an architect named Charles Platt to design a country estate. In 1945, Dr. Cabot's niece, Eleanor Cabot Bradley acquired the property. Today, the Cabot Bradley estate is managed by the Trustees of Reservations.  

Since December 2012, the Central African Republic (CAR) has been embroiled in a civil war. In March 2013, the 5th coup in CAR's history took place. The coup, led by a mostly Muslim rebel group, displaced then President Francois Bozize.  Since 2017, Russia has played an increasingly pivotal role as a foreign partner for the CAR's government. Russia has been aligned with the President of CAR Faustin-Archange Touadera. In addition to assisting President Touadera's government, Russia's involvement with CAR serves as a potential link for expanded economic, military, and political influence in Central Africa. Russia seeks to expand its influence in other surrounding countries such as: Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the Republic of Congo.  In early 2018, Russia donated military equipment to the Central African Republic. Russia has argued for reducing sanctions against CAR's diamond industry imposed by the United Nations. A peace agreement was ...

Later this year, from November 13 - November 19, 2022, International Fraud Awareness Week will be held. Globally, International Fraud Awareness Week is observed during the third week of November. This awareness week is a part of a global effort to reduce the amount fraud by advocating for anti-fraud awareness and education. According to Occupational Fraud 2022: A Report to the Nations, companies lose an estimated 5% of their annual revenue as a result of fraud. Fraud is an intentional act of deceiving someone to obtain an unlawful or unfair gain. Fraudulent activity can manifest in various forms including: consumer fraud, corporate fraud, healthcare fraud, identity theft, romance scams, tax fraud, and voter fraud. As technology has become more complicated and prevalent, fraud has become more difficult to detect and to track. Fraud schemes occur in every aspect of human life and schemes are becoming increasingly sophisticated. For more information about International Fraud Awareness Wee...

An October 2018 audit conducted by officials in Missouri indicated that the whereabouts of 1,259 registered sex offenders was unknown. At the time of the audit, Missouri had approximately 16,000 convicted sex offenders listed on record. In addition to the audit results from Missouri officials, the Associated Press identified other states with similar challenges pertaining to sex offender registries. The state of Wisconsin had 2,735 missing registered sex offenders. A 2017 audit in Massachusetts indicated that nearly 1,800 registered sex offenders were missing from registry records. According to a New York Times article from October 2, 2018: "Federal law requires states to register sex offenders and to notify the public when a convicted sex offender moves into a community. But despite the law's good intentions, it has been criticized for invading the privacy of those who have already been punished, then continuing to punish them. Those who remain on the sex offender registry of...