Deadly mass shootings in Maine highlight importance of mental health for those with military background

(CBS - Jacksonville)

The deadly shooting rampage in Maine is highlighting the importance of mental health for those with a military background.

The suspect, Robert Card, 40, is a U.S. Army reservist with a history of mental health issues.

Card underwent a mental health evaluation in mid-July after he began acting erratically during training, a U.S. official told The Associated Press.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, less than half of veterans get the mental health care they need.

Katherine Sperry, with the Department of Veterans Affairs, said an event like this can be triggering for some veterans.

“We know our veterans may have anxiety, PTSD and depression, and we want them to know help is available,” Sperry said.

Dr. Christine Cauffield, with LSF Health Systems, said it’s important to understand veterans might be fearful of getting help from the VA. If that’s the case, there are other resources available.

“We have some that are very concerned about confidentiality. Perhaps they don’t want to use their insurance because they don’t want anyone to know they are seeking help. We have a lot of work to do with stigma and breaking down that stigma,” Cauffield said.

Advocates say family and other support systems play a key role in getting their loved one’s care.

“If you’re concerned about someone, please reach out and encourage them to get support, help them get to their appointments if necessary because treatment works, and recovery helps,” Cauffield said.

Read more

No clients here. How broken is our system when it comes to treating veterans with mental illness?

Maine Shooting Suspect Robert Card Heard Voices, Received Mental-Health Care Before Massacre

Major General (Retired) Bob Dees served for 31 years in the U.S. Army in a wide variety of command and staff positions.

He now runs The National Center for Healthy Veterans in rural Virginia. It's devoted to helping veterans navigate the challenges of trauma and transition to civilian life.

Feel free to contact him directly:

Major General (Retired) Bob Dees

The National Center for Healthy Veterans

(cell) 202-468- 9208 

bobdees@healthyveterans.org

www.healthyveterans.org

He's also available for Skype and Zoom calls.

UFC fans threaten to boycott the sport after it announced $105 million-a-year Bud Light sponsorship deal

(Daily Mail)

There are growing calls from UFC supporters to boycott the sport after the brand announced a new major sponsorship deal with Bud Light.

The brewer was formerly the number one best-selling beer across the country but has since lost that ranking after partnering with trans activist Dylan Mulvaney in April.

UFC's multi-year deal with Bud Light is reportedly worth over $105 million-per-year and see's the two organizations reunite with each other after Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light were the sport's original beer sponsors more than a decade ago.

However, the renewed partnership has sparked outrage from some sections of the UFC's dedicated community who believe Bud Light is trying to regain their previous reputation by returning to the sport.

Bud Light's investment will give the company significant presence in the octagon with their branding dominating a large part of the floorspace while also being used on other sponsorship material.

However, the fallout from the brewer's previous partnership with Mulvaney has caused evident irreversible damage with some fans that are now threatening to boycott the sport as a result.

Slamming the sponsorship announcement on X - formerly Twitter - one critic said: 'I have been a loyal 30 year fan since UFC1 but in 2024 I will no longer watch or purchase UFC events. The deal with Bud Light is a deal breaker for me.'

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Was this a smart move for the UFC? Could it damage its brand? What can Bud Light do to win back the market share it lost?

How Bud Light Sales Are Faring Six Months Since Devastating Boycott

Sheila Rondeau is a marketing strategist and the CEO of MOGXP (pronounced Mawg - X-P). She's worked with countless Fortune 500 brands across multiple industries.

Feel free to contact her directly:

Sheila Rondeau

Marketing Strategist

(cell) 214-548-2597

 sheila@mogxp.com

www.mogxp.com

She's also available for Zoom and Skype interviews.

Halloween Hazards: The number of kids ingesting cannabis on the rise

(CBS - Tucson, Arizona)

Excitement for candy and costumes is growing with Halloween just around the corner. However, not all candy is safe for kids.

Slowly, more states are legalizing both medical and recreational marijuana, with both being legal in Arizona. However, the number of accidental exposures among young children is rising across the state and country.

Arizona is one of 23 states, plus DC, which has established a legal market for medical and recreational cannabis. And today, 40 states have some sort of medical marijuana market available.

Arizona has over 140 authorized dispensaries selling THC products in many forms, including edibles.

When placed side by side with a snack or piece of candy, edibles can be quite dangerous. In 2021, there were over 3,000 cases of accidental cannabis exposure – all those patients were young children.

“You might see a package or something that looks like nerds; those would be from an unregulated source in Arizona,” said Ann Torrez, the Arizona Dispensaries Association executive director.

“A regulated edible is in packaging that’s not necessarily attracted to children; it’s not something that mimics a product that’s sold to children.”

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Should the government crack down on the way edibles are packaged?

Government warns sellers of edible cannabis: Stop using packaging that mimics foods popular with kids

Jerry "J-Man" Joyner is an outspoken advocate for the marijuana industry and the host of a TV show and podcast called Weed & Whiskey.

Feel free to contact him directly:

Jerry "J-Man" Joyner

Host of Weed & Whiskey

(cell) 214-762-7101

j-man@weedandwhiskey.tv

www.iamjman.com

He's also available for Skype and Zoom interviews.