Tag Archives: LOS ANGELES, Calif.

Survey of World’s Archives Yields First Ever Master Directory, Boosting Access to History and Scientific Data

Newly launched Guide to Public Archives equips researchers to quickly locate rich data in national, regional, local and digital archives

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Oct. 16, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Newsjunkie, the journalism site known for “Who’s Behind the News” articles, announced today the release of Guide to Public Archives, the news industry’s first comprehensive directory of historical, cultural, and scientific archives maintained for public access. The Guide is designed to serve researchers seeking information from the astonishing array of curated collections across the globe, some dating as far back as the 13th century. Over 4,000 collections are represented across 800 repositories, with more set to be added to the database next year.

Image caption: Newsjunkie.net logo.

The Guide to Public Archives provides essential thumbnail sketches about archives, libraries, and repositories worldwide, including descriptions of collections, contact information, and access requirements. By centralizing the information into one gateway service, Newsjunkie improves the discovery process, helping users find sources and services for their research.

“Professional archives preserve our collective history, and support ongoing scholarship within almost every field,” said Newsjunkie publisher Gordon Whiting. “Our guide makes the search for primary materials more fun, less tedious.”

The Guide includes archives spanning multiple disciplines and regions, from ancient census data to modern literature, photographs and recordings, to newspapers, government documents, scientific records, and specialized collections focused on particular historical periods, cultures, industries, or communities. Collections of the scale of Library of Congress and The Vatican are included, as well as numerous local and single-subject repositories.

Newsjunkie developed the Guide to Public Archives in response to growing interest from journalists who struggle to locate which archives out of thousands hold materials relevant to their assignments. The Guide streamlines the process and encourages broader engagement with facilities, artifacts and data that might not have been known to the user in the past. “We’re developing new filter tools to help navigate these spaces,” said Whiting. “The sheer number of collections and artifacts is a challenge to master, but very exciting.”

The Guide to Public Archives is available free of charge at https://Newsjunkie.net/archives/.

More information about the Guide and other resources for journalists and researchers may be found at https://newsjunkie.net/about.

About Newsjunkie:

Newsjunkie (Newsjunkie.net) is a Los Angeles-based, internationally-focused resource site for journalists, offering data and commentary on news organizations, media owners, journalism schools, and best practices in the worlds of editing, reporting, and publishing. More at https://newsjunkie.net/.

LOGO link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/25-1016-s2p-newsjunkie-300dpi.webp

NEWS SOURCE: Newsjunkie

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Newsjunkie), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/survey-of-worlds-archives-yields-first-ever-master-directory-boosting-access-to-history-and-scientific-data/

The Exit Is Just the Beginning: Mark Fujiwara Unveils Intimate Conversations with Entrepreneurs Who Found Purpose After Selling Their Companies

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Oct. 15, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — In a timely response to the growing mental health crisis among successful entrepreneurs, wealth management veteran Mark Fujiwara has released “Beyond the Hustle: Finding Higher Purpose After the Exit” (ISBN: 978-1964377582 [ebook]; 978-1964377575 [paperback]; 978-1964377568 [hardcover] Legacy Launch Pad Publishing).

Image caption: “Beyond the Hustle: Finding Higher Purpose After the Exit,” by Mark Fujiwara.

This unprecedented collection of raw, revealing interviews pulls back the curtain on what really happens after the champagne toast, as high-achieving business founders navigate the unexpected void left by selling their companies—often discovering their most meaningful work lies ahead.

“Through these candid conversations with successful entrepreneurs who’ve exited their companies, we discover that financial achievement often leads to an unexpected identity crisis,” says author Mark Fujiwara. “This book brings to light the stories that aren’t typically shared – the struggle to find meaning when the business that defined you is suddenly gone.”

The book emerged from Fujiwara’s observations as a wealth management professional working with high-net-worth entrepreneurs who, despite their financial success, struggled with purpose and mental health after their exits. The interview collection reveals common patterns of isolation, depression and anxiety that often follow a business sale, while also highlighting paths to renewal and higher purpose.

Each interview offers a raw, unfiltered look at the entrepreneurial journey from startup to exit and beyond. The conversations with mental health practitioners provide complementary perspectives on innovative treatment approaches beyond traditional medication, offering hope and practical direction for those navigating similar transitions.

“This isn’t another business book telling entrepreneurs how to exit – it’s an honest exploration of what happens after the exit,” Fujiwara explains. “By sharing these diverse experiences through intimate interviews, I hope to normalize conversations around entrepreneurial mental health and show that there are many paths to finding meaning beyond business success.”

“Beyond the Hustle” features conversations with such notable entrepreneurs as Spiritual Gangster founder Ian Lopatin and Melissa & Doug Toys co-founder Melissa Bernstein. The foreword is written by TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie. All openly discuss their struggles with such issues as depression and addiction as well as their experiences finding new purpose.

“Beyond the Hustle” is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other major online booksellers.

About Legacy Launch Pad Publishing:

Legacy Launch Pad is the leading book publisher for entrepreneurs who want to build authority and leave a legacy. The company has published numerous Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling authors whose books have been featured on such shows as Today and Good Morning America as well as in publications like The New York Times and USA Today. For more information, visit https://www.legacylaunchpadpub.com/

NEWS SOURCE: Legacy Launch Pad Publishing

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Legacy Launch Pad Publishing), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/the-exit-is-just-the-beginning-mark-fujiwara-unveils-intimate-conversations-with-entrepreneurs-who-found-purpose-after-selling-their-companies/

‘300 Crusaders’ – The First Animated Feature Film Created with Generative AI Technology

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Oct 8, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Gi Films and Georgian American Film Academy proudly announce the U.S. streaming launch of “300 Crusaders,” the groundbreaking animated epic from acclaimed filmmaker Mirza Davitaia, known for “Anton,” “The Narrow Bridge,” and “The Knight in the Tiger’s Skin.” Following its successful premiere in Georgia, the film is now available to American audiences on Fawesome and Stash TV.

Image caption: A still pic from one of the scenes from the film, “300 Crusaders.”

Critic Alan Ng of Film Threat praises the film as “a unique collision of espionage, romance, and cultural immersion wrapped in a visually striking package that proves history doesn’t have to be dry, and animation doesn’t have to be expensive to be captivating,” 300 Crusaders takes viewers deep into the mysterious highlands of the Caucasus (https://filmthreat.com/reviews/300-crusaders/).

The story follows James Aitken, a British spy who uncovers a hidden mountain village of Knights Templar descendants. Torn between duty and destiny, he faces a choice that could change the course of history.

“We used AI at every stage of the filmmaking process—from development to production,” says Davitaia. “It was an intense experience. With AI, filmmaking will never be the same again—it opens new perspectives. This is a revolution.”

Davitaia’s next project continues his exploration of the fusion between human creativity and cutting-edge technology—this time merging animation and live-action to craft a bold new cinematic language.

For media inquiries, interviews, or additional information, please contact:
Gi Films: https://www.gi-films.com/ – or, Georgian American Film Academy at: filmacademy@ug.edu.ge.

NEWS SOURCE: Gi Films

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Gi Films), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/300-crusaders-the-first-animated-feature-film-created-with-generative-ai-technology/

Mother of Two Reveals Radical Self-Care Secrets: Cindy Caprio Woulfe’s ‘In the Weeds’ Challenges Motherhood Martyrdom and Offers 30-Day Lifeline for Overwhelmed Mothers

This timely collection of 30 daily reflections and journal prompts pulls back the curtain on the less-discussed realities of motherhood

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Oct. 8, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — In response to the growing mental health crisis among modern mothers, author Cindy Caprio Woulfe has released “In the Weeds: A Guide to Saving Your Own Soul on This Crazy Journey Called Motherhood” (ISBN: 978-1964377957 [ebook]; 978-1964377964 [paperback]; 978-1964377971 [hardcover]; Legacy Launch Pad Publishing).

Image caption: Cover, “In the Weeds: A Guide to Saving Your Own Soul on This Crazy Journey Called Motherhood.”

This timely collection of 30 daily reflections and journal prompts pulls back the curtain on the less-discussed realities of motherhood, offering validation, practical strategies and permission for women to prioritize self-care while navigating the beautiful chaos of raising children.

“This is not a parenting book—there are plenty of those out there already,” says author Cindy Caprio Woulfe. “If you’re feeling overwhelmed with parenting, chances are you’ve already read one—or 10—of them.” Woulfe isn’t here to tell you how to get your baby to sleep through the night, whether to breastfeed or bottle-feed or how much screen time is too much. “This book,” she says, “is for you. Because in case you haven’t heard it in a while—you matter, too.”

The book emerged from Woulfe’s own experiences as a mother of two young boys, when she found herself sitting in her son’s tiny chair one evening, completely depleted after a long day of parenting. That moment in the tiny chair wasn’t just exhaustion – she was “in the weeds,” which inspired her to develop practical strategies for maintaining balance and preserving her sense of self while fully embracing motherhood.

Each daily reading offers a raw, unfiltered look at a different aspect of the motherhood journey, from setting boundaries and finding moments of Zen to embracing imperfection and letting go of comparison. The accompanying journal prompts readers to reflect on their own experiences and implement small but meaningful changes that can transform their daily lives.

“You can love your children and feel like this is so hard,” Woulfe says. “Your heart and hands can be full, and your soul can still feel completely drained. And that’s okay.” It’s Woulfe’s hope that her book can “be a gentle reminder that you are not alone in this beautiful chaos.” Her goal is to get moms to thrive and not just survive “this crazy journey called motherhood.”

“In the Weeds” can be read cover-to-cover or used as a 30-day practice, with each day offering a new perspective and strategy for navigating the overwhelming moments of motherhood. And it’s here to remind mothers that self-care isn’t selfish – it’s essential.

“In the Weeds” is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other major online booksellers. For more information, visit https://cindycapriowoulfe.com/.

About Legacy Launch Pad Publishing:

Legacy Launch Pad is the leading book publisher for entrepreneurs who want to build authority and leave a legacy. The company has published numerous Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling authors whose books have been featured on such shows as Today and Good Morning America as well as in publications like The New York Times and USA Today. Learn more at: https://www.legacylaunchpadpub.com/.

NEWS SOURCE: Legacy Launch Pad Publishing

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/mother-of-two-reveals-radical-self-care-secrets-cindy-caprio-woulfes-in-the-weeds-challenges-motherhood-martyrdom-and-offers-30-day-lifeline-for-overwhelmed-mothers/

From Mass Shooting Survivor to Workplace Safety Pioneer: Carly Fliesher’s Powerful ‘The Thirteenth Floor’ Transforms Corporate Trauma Response

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Oct. 1, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Essential reading for leaders navigating an increasingly complex workplace landscape: Carly Fliesher’s groundbreaking memoir “The Thirteenth Floor: How Dealing With Trauma Transformed My Approach to Employee Well-Being” (ISBN: 978-1968339890 [paperback]; 978-1968339906 [ebook]; Legacy Launch Pad Publishing), which delivers both heart-wrenching personal narrative and actionable corporate strategy.

Image caption: “The Thirteenth Floor” by Carly Fliesher.

This compelling account follows Fliesher’s evolution from Route 91 Festival mass shooting survivor to influential executive, offering organizations a proven framework for supporting employees through trauma while building psychologically safe workplaces that drive both human flourishing and business success.

“’The Thirteenth Floor’ isn’t just my survival story—it’s a roadmap for leaders who understand that caring for people isn’t separate from business success, it’s essential to it,” says Fliesher. “Every organization will face trauma. The question isn’t if, but when—and whether you’ll be prepared to respond with both compassion and strategy.”

Fliesher’s journey spans the unthinkable: surviving the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, processing PTSD while pregnant, losing her father and navigating workplace challenges during the pandemic—all while rising to Vice President level in the male-dominated transportation industry.

Her unflinching storytelling reveals the hidden costs of unsupported workplace trauma, the power of vulnerable leadership and practical interventions that transform crisis into collective resilience.

“The Thirteenth Floor” transcends typical business memoirs by weaving neuroscience, grief psychology and safety protocols into an accessible guide for creating trauma-informed organizations. Readers will discover how to recognize trauma responses masquerading as performance issues, develop comprehensive crisis response frameworks and harness community healing to build stronger teams.

“Most leadership books tell you what to do – ‘The Thirteenth Floor’ shows you how trauma survivors can become your greatest assets,” Fliesher explains. “It’s about creating workplaces where people don’t just survive difficult seasons but emerge stronger and more connected.”

Featuring insights on post-traumatic growth, gender differences in trauma recovery and the business case for psychological safety, “The Thirteenth Floor” offers leaders practical tools for supporting employees through everything from personal loss to collective crises while maintaining organizational objectives.

From the Las Vegas Strip to corporate boardrooms, Fliesher’s story proves that trauma doesn’t have to be the end of the story – it can be the beginning of unprecedented growth, innovation and human connection.

“The Thirteenth Floor” is available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and major online booksellers.

About Legacy Launch Pad Publishing:

Legacy Launch Pad is the premier book publisher for entrepreneurs aiming to establish authority and leave a lasting legacy.

The company has produced multiple Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling authors, with their books featured on programs like Today and Good Morning America and in outlets such as The New York Times and USA Today. https://www.legacylaunchpadpub.com/

NEWS SOURCE: Legacy Launch Pad Publishing

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/from-mass-shooting-survivor-to-workplace-safety-pioneer-carly-flieshers-powerful-the-thirteenth-floor-transforms-corporate-trauma-response/

Freeleven: Celebrating G4Free’s 11th Anniversary

G4Free Celebrates 11 Years of Freedom and Innovation, Launching the Smoofit Collection

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 30, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — G4Free today celebrates its 11th anniversary, highlighting over a decade of freedom and innovation. To mark the milestone, the brand is launching its Smoofit Collection, featuring comfortable, versatile pieces inspired by G4Free’s ethos: “Move Free, Feel Free, Go for Free.”

Image caption: Freeleven: Celebrating G4Free’s 11th Anniversary.

11 years ago, G4Free was built on the instinct to venture outward and began its journey driven by the pursuit of “Move Free, Feel Free, Go for Free.” We believe everyone has that innate desire to explore and to grow with freedom and sustainability.

In 2025, we proudly mark our 11th anniversary with Freeleven – a fusion of “Free” and “Eleven.” More than just a measure of time, Freeleven represents a state of growth without restriction. It stands as both a milestone and a promise: honoring our classic collections while continuously innovating for the future, growing alongside our guests and communities, and inspiring everyone to live most freely.

We first started in 2015 with a piece of outdoor gear, and today, our signature wide-leg pants have become a wardrobe essential for over 3 million customers worldwide, effortlessly transitioning from work to weekends, from casual outings to light workouts–redefining versatility and earning the reputation of “a favourite do-it-all pant.” This success has established G4Free as a leading seller of pants in this category on Amazon.

At G4Free, we design not just for everyday movement, but for emotional resonance. We support your pace, not define it. Between motion and stillness, we believe in a life that flows with rhythm, where every step brings you closer to freedom—for both body and mind.

As we embark on this new chapter, G4Free continues to push forward with innovation, beyond our classic products. Now we are introducing the new Smoofit Collection for the coming Fall and Winter. Inspired by the harmony of “airiness” and “dynamic lines,” Smoofit blends the softness of “smooth” with the structure of “fit.” With a peach-fuzz texture and silky-smooth touch, each piece is designed for comfort without compromise. Engineered with a dual-layer fabric that creates a 1-2mm air cushion, the collection balances warmth and breathability. From cozy loungewear to versatile wide-leg pants, every item embodies our commitment to freedom, breaks basics’ dullness:light but not empty, loose but not sloppy, soft but not flat.

The G4Free 11th Anniversary Campaign celebrates our enduring pursuit of freedom and exploration over the past years.

The New Arrivals — featuring wide-leg pants, joggers, sweatshirts, and jackets in the Smoofit Collection — will launch with our 11th anniversary celebration from September 30 to October 8, 2025 accompanied by exclusive promotions and coupon code: G4FREE15.

Learn more:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/G4Free/page/83118F02-F49E-4B32-9953-DDA19E604124

https://g4free.com/

https://www.instagram.com/g4free_official/

NEWS SOURCE: G4Free Activewear

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (G4Free Activewear), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/freeleven-celebrating-g4frees-11th-anniversary/

New Study Reveals Published Authors Command 2x Higher Rates and 86% Hiring Preference in Professional Services

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 29, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — A groundbreaking new study from The Evolution of Publishing Institute reveals that published authorship creates a dramatic “Author Authority Premium” in professional services, with published authors commanding overwhelmingly higher preference rates, premium fees, and enhanced credibility compared to non-author counterparts with identical qualifications.

Image caption: The Evolution of Publishing Institute.

The comprehensive survey of 100 Los Angeles residents examined hiring preferences across three key professional service categories, uncovering striking advantages for professionals who have written books.

KEY FINDINGS:

Hiring Preferences Heavily Favor Authors:

86% prefer hiring marketing consultants who are published authors (vs. 14% for non-authors)
82% prefer business consultants with published books
69% prefer financial advisors who have authored books

Significant Pricing Power:

Published authors can potentially command 2x higher consultation rates on average
Fee premiums range from 40-65% across professional service categories

Trust and Credibility Multiplier:

86% trust content more when created by book authors vs. 14% for industry experts without books
Content trust multiplier of 6.1x higher preference for author-created materials

Professional Branding Impact:

LinkedIn headlines mentioning authorship see 44 percentage point boost in effectiveness
72% find professional branding more compelling when authorship is highlighted

SPEAKING AND THOUGHT LEADERSHIP ADVANTAGES

The study also revealed substantial benefits for conference speaking and thought leadership positioning:

83% prefer CEOs who authored business books as conference speakers vs. 17% for non-author CEOs
68% view executives with published books as better qualified for thought leadership roles
Authority boost of +66 percentage points for published authors in speaking contexts

INDUSTRY IMPLICATIONS

“This data suggests that writing a book could be one of the best investments you can make in your career,” says Sara O’Neil, a board member at the Evolution of Publishing Institute. “It boosts your credibility and gives you a true edge over the competition.”

The findings indicate that books serve as powerful third-party validation of expertise, with published works creating what researchers term “credibility economics” in professional services.

STUDY METHODOLOGY AND LIMITATIONS

The survey was conducted among 100 Los Angeles residents using hypothetical scenarios comparing professionals with identical qualifications except for published authorship status. Researchers note that results are based on stated preferences rather than actual hiring decisions, and the study assumes generic “published author” status without considering book quality, publisher, or sales success.

Results may vary by specific professional service niches, and the sample was limited to Los Angeles residents.

ABOUT THE EVOLUTION OF PUBLISHING INSTITUTE

The Evolution of Publishing Institute conducts research on the intersection of publishing and professional development. More information is available at: https://publishingevolution.org/.

NEWS SOURCE: The Evolution of Publishing Institute

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (The Evolution of Publishing Institute), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/new-study-reveals-published-authors-command-2x-higher-rates-and-86-hiring-preference-in-professional-services/

EaseUS Unveils Solutions for Safe Backup and Seamless Windows 11 Upgrade Before Windows 10 Support Ends in October

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 25, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — EaseUS announces a complete backup and migration solution to help users securely protect their data and smoothly upgrade to Windows 11 before Microsoft ends Windows 10 support in October 2025.

Image caption: EaseUS Unveils Solutions for Safe Backup and Seamless Windows 11 Upgrade Before Windows 10 Support Ends.

On October 14, 2025, Microsoft will officially end support for Windows 10, leaving millions of users at a crossroads: continue using an unsupported system or upgrade to Windows 11.

To help users make informed decisions, EaseUS offers tailored solutions for two key scenarios:

Staying on Windows 10 with enhanced data protection
Upgrading to Windows 11 with seamless migration tools

For users who plan to remain on Windows 10, the biggest concern is security. Without future patches, Windows 10 systems become prime targets for cyberattacks and hardware failures. A reliable backup is critical.

EaseUS Todo Backup delivers all-round protection for both individuals and organizations:

Full system, file, disk, application, and partition backups.
Fast recovery from crashes or malware.
Incremental/differential backups to save time and space.
Flexible storage options: local, external, NAS, and cloud.

Whether you’re a home user or an IT manager, EaseUS backup software offers editions tailored to your needs:

Home Version: Simple, automated protection for personal devices.
Enterprise Version: Scalable backup management for multiple endpoints.

For users preparing to move from Windows 10 to Windows 11, the transition can be seamless with the right tools. If your device meets Microsoft’s requirements, the next hurdle is storage: Windows 11 requires at least 64GB of free space.

EaseUS Partition Master helps users:

Resize, merge, or create partitions.
Reclaim unused space.
Prepare drives for a clean installation.

When hardware falls short of Windows 11’s requirements, many users will choose to purchase a new PC. For users switching to a new PC, EaseUS Todo PCTrans simplifies the migration:

One-click transfer files, applications, settings
No need for manual reinstallations or reconfigurations
Supports both in-place upgrades and cross-device migrations

The timeline is clear: after October 14, 2025, Windows 10 users will no longer receive updates, security fixes, or technical support from Microsoft. This deadline impacts individuals, small businesses, and enterprises alike. Data migration and backup preparation cannot wait until the last minute.

Unsupported systems face rising security risks and potential downtime. Proactive preparation, whether by implementing strong backup routines or planning a migration strategy, can reduce downtime and prevent costly incidents.

HOW EASEUS HELPS:

Todo Backup: Create automated backups of files, systems, and partitions.
Partition Master: Optimize and resize disks for a clean Windows 11 install.
PCTrans: Transfer applications, user settings, and data in one click.

By preparing now, individuals and businesses can ensure a smooth transition, safeguard critical information, and avoid last-minute disruption. For more information and resources, visit: https://www.easeus.com

MEDIA ONLY CONTACT:
EaseUS Software
Rebecca Wu
+86 15108368511
rebecca@easeus.com

NEWS SOURCE: EaseUS Software

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (EaseUS Software), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/easeus-unveils-solutions-for-safe-backup-and-seamless-windows-11-upgrade-before-windows-10-support-ends-in-october/

iMobie Launches FocuSee 2.0, an AI Screen Recorder Delivering Professional-Quality Videos in 50% Less Time

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 25, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — iMobie Inc., a cutting-edge company focused on digital software solutions, announces the release of FocuSee 2.0, significantly enhancing the popular screen recording software with integrated AI capabilities.

Image caption: iMobie Launches FocuSee 2.0: AI Screen Recorder Delivers Professional-Quality Videos in 50% Less Time.

The update brings 6 powerful AI features that automatically transform raw screen recordings into polished, professional videos. No complex editing skills required: users can now produce high-quality demos, tutorials, online courses, and marketing videos in minutes instead of hours.

FROM AUTO-ZOOM TO AI SCREEN RECORDER

FocuSee has become a trusted solution for indie developers, creators, educators, and professionals, praised for simplifying video editing with its core auto-zoom feature.

“Users consistently tell us their biggest challenge isn’t recording. It’s the time-consuming editing process that follows. Most spend 50% of their time on post-production tasks like removing silence, adding captions, and polishing video,” said Frank Kong, CEO of iMobie.

He adds, “FocuSee 2.0 addresses these pain points by integrating proven AI technologies into the editing workflow. Users can now create engaging, professional videos that would typically require expensive editing software or outsourced production services. We’ve essentially automated the editing process while maintaining the simplicity our users love.”

Experience the latest FocuSee now: https://focusee.imobie.com/

WHAT’S NEW IN FOCUSEE 2.0?

Packed with advanced AI innovations and enhancements, FocuSee 2.0 brings a range of exciting upgrades designed to help users streamline the workflow.

AI Virtual Avatar: Eliminate Camera Shyness

The new AI Virtual Avatar feature creates realistic digital presenters, solving a common challenge for users who prefer staying off-camera. Users can maintain personal connections with their audience while protecting privacy. It is perfect for tutorials, marketing videos, or product demos.

AI Audio Optimization: Boost Efficiency and Sound Quality

The AI Filler Word & Silence Remover automatically detects and removes unwanted silences, stutters, and filler words like “uh” or “um,” resulting in smoother, more polished delivery. Meanwhile, the screen recording automatically adapts and aligns with the trimmed audio, so the visuals always stay in sync and consistent. Paired with AI Noise Removal & Voice Enhancer, it cleans up background noise and improves vocal clarity, providing studio-quality sound.

AI Background Removal & Subtitles: Enhance Visuals and Accessibility

FocuSee 2.0’s AI automation handles tedious editing tasks that typically consume hours. AI Background Removal to easily replace or remove video backgrounds for distraction-free visuals. AI Subtitles support speech recognition in over 50 languages, instantly generating accurate, time-synced captions to boost accessibility and viewer comprehension.

Enhanced cursor animations, a refined interface, and improved performance ensure a seamless workflow in FocuSee 2.0, further reinforcing its mission to make professional video production accessible to all.

COMPATIBILITY AND PRICE:

FocuSee works on both Windows and macOS, with prices from $24.99 at https://focusee.imobie.com/pricing.htm

ABOUT IMOBIE:

iMobie Inc. is an advanced software developer dedicated to making the digital life simpler for users worldwide. Visit: https://www.imobie.com/.

NEWS SOURCE: iMobie Inc.

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (iMobie Inc.), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/imobie-launches-focusee-2-0-an-ai-screen-recorder-delivering-professional-quality-videos-in-50-less-time/

CCHR: Psychiatric Treatment Fails to Protect Communities, Often Fuels Tragedy

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 22, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — When violent tragedies like mass shootings strike, media have quoted family members or friends who assert perpetrators were “schizophrenic” or “off medication.” The Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR) says this inadvertently implies that psychiatric intervention could have prevented the acts, but psychiatrists themselves admit they cannot predict violent behavior. And psychiatric treatment — even involuntary hospitalization and drugging — often coincides with, or worsens, violent outcomes.

Image caption: Psychiatrists claim violent tragedies occur because perpetrators miss a mental health evaluation or stop taking drugs. The reality: psychiatric intervention often precedes harm, and psychiatrists cannot predict violent behavior.

CCHR analyzed 132 acts of senseless violence between the 1980s and 2022. Of these, 43 perpetrators had been psychiatrically hospitalized — often involuntarily—and at least 106 were prescribed psychotropic drugs prior to or at the time of their crimes. The true number would be higher, CCHR says, since toxicology results and treatment histories are often withheld. One perpetrator, treated long-term before shooting and wounding 10 and injuring 19 others, admitted: “They made me worse. They made me more dangerous than anybody could f— imagine.”

Recent case in point: Charlotte, North Carolina (August 2025). A 34-year-old man fatally stabbed a 23-year-old girl on a light rail train. Authorities described it as a “missed opportunity” for evaluation and medication. But the alleged perpetrator had already been involuntarily hospitalized, prescribed drugs, and cycled through prison, where psychiatric treatment is routine.[1]

Linking violence to “schizophrenia” reinforces a stereotype disproven by research.

A National Institutes of Health-funded CATIE trial found that 19 of 20 people diagnosed with schizophrenia exhibited no violent behavior during two years of follow-up.[2]
People given the label are 14 times more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators.[3]

CCHR stresses that the real risk comes not from an unproven illness, for which there are no medical tests to confirm, but from the powerful drugs or other therapies imposed to treat it. When headlines state a perpetrator “stopped taking medication,” the implication is blame. But antipsychotics—literally “nerve-seizing” chemicals—can cause agitation, aggression, excitability, paranoia, diabetes, heart failure, and even brain shrinkage. Stopping is often a rational act of self-preservation.

Clozapine, widely forced on inmates, can cause lethal blood disorders, seizures, irritability, confusion, weight gain, hallucinations, sexual dysfunction, heart arrhythmias, and irreversible movement disorders.[4] A review of six major antipsychotics found treatment failure or relapse rates up to 93%, with widespread harm to multiple body systems.[5]

Withdrawal itself poses dangers, causing agitation, psychosis, or suicidality that never existed before and are mistaken for relapse.[6] Psychiatrist Joanna Moncrieff emphasizes that people who want to stop “should not be deemed irrational if they wish to try for a better quality of life free of the burdens of these drugs.”[7]

The Tarasoff ruling (California, 1976) gave psychiatry a “duty to warn” of dangerous behavior. Yet a psychiatrist admitted, “Violence by an individual is almost impossible to predict,” and the ruling demanded abilities “well beyond the professional powers of any therapist.”[8]

Even the American Psychiatric Association admits its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) cannot establish mental disorder in relation to competency or criminal responsibility.[9] Yet, there are more than 200 “violence risk assessments” based on such unreliable tools. These can justify involuntary detention—raising serious concerns under the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which calls for an end to forced detainment and treatment.

Case Reports of Treatment Failure:

Buffalo, NY (2022): An 18-year-old killed 10 and injured 3 after psychiatric hospitalization.[10]
Houston, TX (2024): A perpetrator, 36, shot and injured two—including a child—after at least four involuntary commitments.[11]
Duxbury, MA (2023): A mother strangled her 3 children after discharge from a psychiatric hospital and being prescribed 13 psychiatric drugs for eight months prior.[12] Her lawyer said the drugs caused homicidal and suicidal ideation.[13]

“Cases like these exemplify that the problem isn’t early release or missed medication,” said Jan Eastgate, president of CCHR International. “The real issue is psychiatric incarceration and treatment itself often fails and worsens conditions. There should be a full review of this and the poor and dangerous outcomes.”

U.S. taxpayers have poured billions into violence-prevention schemes rooted in psychiatry.

Safe Schools Act (1994): promised violence-free schools by 2000.
Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative (1999–2009): spent $2.1 billion.
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022): added over $2 billion for mental health in schools and nearly $190 million in DOJ safety grants.
2024 White House report detailed $1 billion to hire 14,000 school-based mental health staff, and $240 million for school-based programs.

Yet school shootings increased nearly 60% since the Safer Act’s passage—rising from 52 in 2019 to 83 in 2024.[14]

CCHR urges policymakers to confront that psychiatry’s model of detainment and drugging has failed to protect society. “Involuntary commitment and psychiatric drugging are not safeguards—they are risks,” Eastgate stated. “Psychiatrists admit they cannot predict violence, yet billions more are spent on programs built on a false promise that they can. It is time for accountability.”

About CCHR: It was founded in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz. CCHR is a nonprofit mental health watchdog exposing human rights abuses in psychiatry.

To learn more, visit: https://www.cchrint.org/2025/09/19/why-psychiatric-detainment-and-drugging-cannot-deliver-public-safety/

Sources:

[1] https://sfg.media/en/a/police-released-full-footage-of-iryna-zarutska-killing-in-the-us/; https://sfg.media/en/a/who-is-decarlos-brown-jr-and-why-was-he-free-after-14-arrests/; https://abcnews.go.com/US/mother-sister-charlotte-stabbing-suspect-describe-history-mental/story?id=125451590

[2] https://www.medpagetoday.com/resource-centers/mental-health-focus/predicting-violence-schizophrenia/2645

[3] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3160236/

[4] https://www.drugs.com/sfx/clozapine-side-effects.html

[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27864791/

[6] https://www.ijfmr.com/papers/2024/4/25984.pdf

[7] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7338640/

[8] https://scocal.stanford.edu/opinion/tarasoff-v-regents-university-california-30278; “Once A Killer; A Gunman Convicted of Shooting Nine People and Killing Four of Them is Trying To Be Released from a Mental Hospital,” CBS 48 Hours, July 12, 1999

[9] DSM Fourth Edition-TR (APA, 2000), p. xxxiii; Nancy Haydt, “The DSM-5 and Criminal Defense: When Does a Diagnosis Make a Difference?” Utah Law Review, Vol. 2015, Article 13

[10] https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-government-and-politics-race-ethnicity-978bddfec22344fe73e30ca34f491784

[11] https://abcnews.go.com/US/suspected-lakewood-church-shooter-criminal-history-mental-health/story?id=107179259

[12] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11728009/Lindsay-Clancy-psychiatrist-says-flat-board-wondering-whats-going-on.html

[13] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11710075/Midwife-mother-strangled-three-children-death-overmedicated-prescription-drugs.html

[14] https://www.cnn.com/us/school-shootings-fast-facts-dg

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NEWS SOURCE: Citizens Commission on Human Rights

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To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/cchr-psychiatric-treatment-fails-to-protect-communities-often-fuels-tragedy/

Vintage Americana Comes to Life at New Paul Stanley Museum in Los Angeles

Celebrating the Iconic Advertising Artistry Behind Hamm's Beer, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and More

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 11, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — A forgotten genius of mid-century advertising is finally getting his due. The newly launched Paul Stanley Museum, opening in Los Angeles in 2026, will honor the legacy of Paul Stanley Company – the creative powerhouse behind some of America’s most beloved animated beer and soda advertising signs.

Photo caption: Paul Stanley Museum – Hamm’s Beer Helicopter.

From the late 1940s through the late 1960s, Stanley’s whimsical, motorized displays were used as traveling point-of-sale merchandising units, bringing grocery and retail store aisles to life with dancing animals, bubbling beers, and twinkling lights. His unique designs for Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Hamm’s Beer, and Mother’s Cookies—often mistaken for mechanical toys—are now highly prized by collectors and historians alike.

Founded by Dr. Michael Miller, the museum will serve as the first public archive devoted entirely to Paul Stanley’s mechanical sign work. “This was advertising as kinetic sculpture,” says Miller. “Stanley’s artistry bridged engineering and charm—every piece told a story in motion.”

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE COLLECTION INCLUDE:

The original Hamm’s Beer Bear rotating helicopter display (circa 1964)
A Pepsi-Cola “winking bottle” light-up sign with moving eyes
The rare Mother’s Cookies animated Cowboy; once placed in California grocery stores
Behind-the-scenes photographs and schematics of Stanley’s San Francisco workshop

The museum also aims to educate younger generations about the handmade ingenuity of pre-digital advertising. Through interactive exhibits, restoration demonstrations, and guided tours, visitors can experience how these pieces were built – gear by gear, bulb by bulb.

“We’re not just preserving signs,” Miller says. “We’re preserving a uniquely American moment—when retail displays came alive with lights, motion, and imagination.”

The Paul Stanley Museum is set to open in Spring 2026 in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles.

For press inquiries, interviews, or early access to the private collection, please contact Dr. Michael Miller at: contact@paulstanleymuseum.com.

ABOUT PAUL STANLEY COMPANY

Operating out of San Francisco from the late 1940s to the late 1960s, the Paul Stanley Company was known for creating animated point-of-purchase displays and lighted motion signs, especially for beverage and snack companies. While little was known about the company until recent years, surviving pieces have become legendary among collectors of vintage advertising memorabilia.

Website: https://www.paulstanleymuseum.com/

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Photo Caption: Paul Stanley Museum – Hamm’s Beer Helicopter.

NEWS SOURCE: Paul Stanley Sign Museum

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Paul Stanley Sign Museum), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

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The Light Committee is First Headshot Photography Studio in Los Angeles to Earn 500 Five-Star Reviews

The Headshot Photography Studio Achieved This Milestone in the Los Angeles Area on the Map Platform for the World's Largest Online Search Engine

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 5, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Light Committee, a headshot photography studio known for providing amongst the best headshots in greater Los Angeles, has become the first such studio to achieve 500 five-star reviews on the map platform of world’s largest online search engine. It also means the studio has more five-star reviews than any other headshot photography studio in greater Los Angeles.

Image caption: The Light Committee.

The milestone was achieved at the end of August 2025. The studio verified its achievement by reviewing approximately 120 listed services on the search engine’s map platform where star-rating reviews are publicly provided. To find these service providers, a search for “headshots Los Angeles” was done. It further qualified participants using only service providers that offered a headshot service where people could physically visit a studio location for a real headshot photography session experience – not virtual or AI. Only four other studios had more than 200 five-star reviews and no others had 400 or more.

According to StatCounter, the search engine platform where The Light Committee has earned these five-star reviews has nearly 90 percent market share of the global search engine market. Furthermore, according to Search Engine Land, the search engine processes 14 billion searches daily, 417 billion monthly, and more than five trillion searches annually.

The studio has also earned many other awards and recognitions. They include “People Love Us on Yelp” and the Expertise.com Award for Best Portrait Photographers in Los Angeles and Glendale from 2019 to 2024.

In January 2025, The Light Committee moved to its current location in Glendale, Calif., in Los Angeles County. At this location, there is a large central room serving as the main studio space, a dedicated hair and makeup dressing room, a photographer’s office, and a storage room. Being located in the north downtown Glendale business district, and on the main downtown street of Brand Blvd, the location is also prime for natural light headshot sessions. The studio is a member of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the Glendale Chamber of Commerce.

ACTING HEADSHOTS LOS ANGELES

The Light Committee prides itself in offering some of the best actor headshots in Los Angeles, whether studio-lit or with natural light. Rates are amongst the most affordable in the area too, currently starting at just $150. There are also add-on options like for more looks, including a hair and make-up stylist, or adding a slate video.

CORPORATE HEADSHOTS LOS ANGELES

The photography studio offers studio-lit and natural light corporate headshots in Los Angeles. Delivering some of the most premium image quality in LA and some of the best prices, The Light Committee is providing amongst the best value in the area. All types of professionals get headshots at the studio. This includes accountants, attorneys, authors, chefs, doctors (including for headshots for medical residency applications), engineers, entrepreneurs, film directors, finance executives, psychiatrists, psychologists, real estate agents, software developers, and many more.

MODELING DIGITALS IN LOS ANGELES

The photographer also works with aspiring models to provide modeling digitals in Los Angeles. Most modeling agencies ask models to submit digitals for consideration to be represented by them. This typically includes a headshot, full body shot, profile shots of the face and body, and also some other shots like half body shots. Because most agencies have different requirements, getting a lot of shots created is usually a good idea so there are options to submit to as many agencies as possible.

ABOUT THE LIGHT COMMITTEE

The Light Committee is an award-winning headshot photography studio located at 335 N Brand Blvd, Ste 250, Glendale, CA, 91203, within the greater Los Angeles area, around 10 miles north of downtown LA. Rafael, the headshot photographer, aims to deliver value by providing affordable headshots with some of the highest quality results in LA or beyond. This includes actor headshots, corporate headshots, and modeling digitals. He also works with teams by providing mobile headshots at their offices. Learn more at https://thelightcommittee.com/.

Note: The Light Committee℠ is a service mark of a California S Corporation. Whether noted or not, references to other certain words or names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. All images produced are protected by U.S. Copyright Law.

NEWS SOURCE: The Light Committee

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (The Light Committee), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

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Gates & Garage Door Express Inc Launches Smart Access Control Upgrades for Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Aug. 19, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Gates & Garage Door Express Inc. has launched a new access‑control upgrade service across Los Angeles, offering homeowners and business owners modern electric gate systems, keyless garage entry and smart‑home integration solutions. The company says the initiative will help clients secure their properties while making access more convenient for deliveries, guests and employees.

Image caption: Gates & Garage Door Express Inc Launches Smart Access Control Upgrades for Los Angeles.

Under the new program, Gates & Garage Door Express Inc. will install and repair systems including LiftMaster MyQ, Amazon Key‑compatible openers, wireless keypads, video entry intercoms and gate remotes with mobile‑access features. Service is available throughout Los Angeles neighborhoods including Westwood, East Hollywood, Echo Park and Highland Park.

“As Los Angeles becomes smarter, so should its entryways,” Sean, general manager at Gates & Garage Door Express Inc. says. “We’re helping our clients to secure their property while making access more convenient for deliveries, guests and employees.”

There are many benefits to upgrading to smart access control which include:

Enhanced security which includes everything from real-time monitoring to restricted access.
Convenience and accessibility that includes features such as keyless entry, remote management, smart home integration and more.
Increased property value: Smart access control can be an attractive feature for potential buyers and may increase your home’s value.
Insurance savings: Some insurance companies may offer discounts for homes with advanced security features like smart gates.
No more re-keying Costs: If a key card or fob is lost, you can simply deactivate it and activate a new one without the need to rekey all locks.

Image caption: Gates & Garage Door Express offers preventive maintenance programs.

Certified technicians are trained in both residential and light commercial applications, and the upgrades meet most Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance requirements. Custom installations are also available for historic properties and multi‑tenant buildings. Same‑day appointments are offered for opener troubleshooting, garage‑door motor replacements and system diagnostics.

“I didn’t know a broken gate could be fixed same‑day. They showed up in under 90 minutes and got everything working better than before,” Ana L., a customer in Mid‑City Los Angeles, says.

It’s this same-day service and personalized customer service experience that truly sets this business apart from others in the region.

Image caption: Gates & Garage Door Express Inc. specializes in full‑service repairs and installations.

About Gates & Garage Door Express Inc.

Headquartered in Southern California, and in business for more than 20 years, Gates & Garage Door Express Inc. specializes in full‑service repairs and installations for garage doors, electric gate motors, access panels, remotes and sensor systems. The company also offers preventive maintenance programs, spring replacement, track adjustment and complete gate automation system installations.

It’s licensed, insured and known for honest pricing, fast response times and friendly, highly-trained technicians.

License#: 1081161; Phone: 818-873-7687

MORE INFORMATION:

Website: https://gatesexpress.com/

Video (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQiEmn0FYa8

NEWS SOURCE: Gates & Garage Door Express Inc.

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Gates & Garage Door Express Inc.), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

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California Parents, Guardians, and Teachers: Opt-In for School Pesticide Notifications

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Aug. 18, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — California Safe Schools, a nonprofit dedicated to children’s environmental health and safety, reminds parents, guardians, teachers and school staff at all California K-12 public schools and child care centers to file the Right to Know Pesticide Use Notification form at the start of the school year. This form is mandated under California legislation, The Healthy Schools Act.

Image caption: California Safe Schools.

Filing this form with your school office ensures you receive advance notification of any pesticide applications in or around the school site. It is a critical safeguard and part of each school’s commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment.

Under The Healthy Schools Act, a “schoolsite” is defined as:

Any facility used for public day care, kindergarten, elementary, or secondary school purposes. The term includes the buildings or structures, playgrounds, athletic fields, school vehicles, or any other area of school property visited or used by pupils. “Schoolsite” does not include postsecondary educational facilities attended by secondary pupils or private day care or school facilities.

The Right to Know Notification requires schools to provide at least 72 hours’ advance notice before any pesticide application on a campus.

Emergency Applications: In rare cases when pesticides must be used immediately to address a health or safety emergency, schools may apply them without the standard 72-hour advance notice. However, The Healthy Schools Act requires that the school district designee make every effort to provide the required notification even under emergency conditions.

Filing the Right to Know Pesticide Use Notification with your school’s Main Office ensures you will receive alerts before applications occur. This allows parents, guardians or teachers to make informed decisions on application days. Importantly, notification can be requested for any reason, not solely for known health concerns.

HISTORY

The Right to Know Pesticide Use Notification program began with the Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) groundbreaking Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Policy in 1999. This policy embraces the Precautionary Principle – the idea that if an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or environment, precautionary measures should be taken even without conclusive scientific evidence. As part of this approach, LAUSD has not used Roundup for more than 20 years, setting an important precedent in protecting children’s health. The success of the LAUSD IPM policy led directly to the passage of The California Healthy Schools Act of 2000.

The “Right to Know” notifications are a critical tool that ensures parents, guardians, teachers and staff remain informed, connected, and empowered within their school community. For more information about pesticide application policies at your school, visit your school’s website or contact the school or school district directly” said Robina Suwol, founder and executive director of California Safe Schools.

Learn More:

California Healthy Schools Act: Every Child Deserves a Healthy Schoolsite (PDF: https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/hsa_factsheet.pdf

California Healthy Schools Act (full text) (PDF): http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/99-00/bill/asm/ab_2251-2300/ab_2260_bill_20000927_chaptered.pdf

Los Angeles Unified IPM Policy (PDF): https://www.lausd.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=76990&dataid=127605&FileName=IPM_Policy.pdf

California Safe Schools – https://www.calisafe.org/

California Department of Pesticide Regulation – https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/

About California Safe Schools:

California Safe Schools (CSS) is dedicated to protecting the health and safety of students, teachers, and school staff through education, advocacy, and policy initiatives that promote safe learning environments across California. CSS spearheaded the effort to create the Los Angeles Unified School District’s celebrated Integrated Pest Management Policy in 1999 that led to California Legislation: The Healthy Schools Act. https://www.calisafe.org/.

MEDIA ONLY CONTACT:
Robina Suwol
Executive Director, California Safe Schools
Phone: 818-785-5515
Email: calisafe@earthlink.net

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NEWS SOURCE: California Safe Schools

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CCHR Addresses UN to End Coercive Psychiatry and Protect Children from Abuse

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Aug. 18, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR) addressed the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on August 11, urging the global abolition of electroshock treatment (ECT), forced drugging, psychosurgery, and other coercive psychiatric practices—especially when used on children. CCHR told the Committee that these practices constitute sanctioned abuse, often amounting to torture, and continue with impunity due to weak or unenforced penalties against perpetrators.

Image caption: The Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR) addressed the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on August 11, urging the global abolition of electroshock treatment (ECT), forced drugging, psychosurgery, and other coercive psychiatric practices – especially when used on children.

Founded in 1969, CCHR has spent over five decades documenting and exposing psychiatric abuse and advocating for rights-based alternatives to coercion. The group commended the CRPD Committee for its leadership in advancing a human rights-based approach to mental health, aligned with World Health Organization (WHO) and UN guidance.

CCHR’s Executive Director, Fran Andrews, detailed the organization’s landmark legislative victories: the first U.S. ban on ECT for children under 12 in California (1976), Texas’ ban for those under 16 (1993), and Western Australia’s 2014 prohibition for children under 14—backed by criminal penalties. The Australian Capital Territory banned ECT under the age of 12 in 2015.

Despite these precedents, ECT remains in use worldwide, including on very young children. In the U.S., children as young as five can still receive electroshock, with both the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry promoting its use in minors.

International data underscores the scope of the problem. A 2022 review found significant ECT use on 10–18-year-olds in the Czech Republic, Finland, Denmark, and Sweden.[1]

In New Zealand, a government inquiry confirmed that children were subjected to electroshock without anesthetic at the now closed Lake Alice psychiatric hospital—treatment survivors described as torture and confirmed last year by the country’s Prime Minister.

Prominent Australian psychiatrist Dr. Niall McLaren has stated unequivocally: “No psychiatrist needs to use ECT.”[2]

CCHR President Jan Eastgate testified about the alarming rise in psychotropic drugging of children worldwide. A Lancet Psychiatry report confirmed global increases in prescribing, with the U.S. leading in prevalence rates for youth. Depending on the cohort, antipsychotic prescribing for children has surged by 50% to 200% over the past two decades.[3]

Many parents remain unaware of the risks—weight gain, metabolic changes, diabetes, tremor, sedation, and even sudden death. The antipsychotic risperidone, widely prescribed to children as young as four, has been linked to severe side effects, including gynecomastia (female breast growth in boys), sometimes requiring mastectomies.

In Spain, CCHR President Salvador Fernández warned of the ongoing prescription of ADHD stimulants such as methylphenidate, despite documented risks of suicidal behavior, psychosis, and cardiovascular complications.

Eastgate also addressed deaths of children as young as 7 in U.S. for-profit psychiatric hospitals from restraint, some ruled homicides. Yet prosecutions are rare, and facilities continue to operate, profiting from insurance coverage.

A New York Times investigation in September 2025 revealed that one of the largest private psychiatric hospital chains in the U.S. has detained individuals against their will to maximize insurance billing, prompting judicial intervention in some cases.

In Spain, Fernández testified that children are still subjected to involuntary hospitalization and prolonged mechanical and chemical restraints.

CCHR’s written submission to the CRPD cited studies showing psychiatric hospitalization can raise suicide risk 44-fold, while forced psychiatric drugging increases the risk sixfold.[4] A July 2025 study found that those involuntarily hospitalized were nearly twice as likely to die by suicide or overdose within three months of discharge.[5]

A 2022 European study confirmed widespread use of mechanical and chemical restraints, with inconsistent regulations across countries.[6] In the U.S., a Harvard Law School report found that state hospitals continue to use forced ECT and other practices that may constitute torture under international law.[7]

CRPD’s press release on its 33rd session acknowledged CCHR’s evidence and concerns.[8]

Ms. Eastgate told the Committee: “Electroshock, psychosurgery, forced drugging, seclusion, and restraint are not care—they are sanctioned abuse and must end. Upholding a person’s autonomy, dignity, and liberty is non-negotiable. Rights-based alternatives must replace outdated, violent psychiatric practices.”

CCHR urged the CRPD to call for:

A global ban on electroshock.
Prohibition of forced drugging and the use of mechanical and chemical restraints.
Strong criminal penalties for perpetrators of psychiatric abuse, with full enforcement.
International adoption of WHO/UN human-rights-based mental health guidelines.
Transparent reporting of psychiatric abuse cases, with public access to enforcement outcomes.

“Decades of evidence show that coercion in mental health does not heal—it harms,” Ms. Eastgate said. “Our work with legislators, courts, and survivors proves that laws can protect, but only if they are enforced. The CRPD’s leadership is critical to ensuring countries replace coercion with compassionate, rights-respecting solutions.”

About CCHR: It is a non-profit mental health industry watchdog, co-founded in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz. With chapters across six continents, CCHR has been instrumental in obtaining more than 190 laws worldwide to protect individuals from abusive psychiatric practices.

To learn more, visit: https://www.cchrint.org/2025/08/15/cchr-addresses-un-in-support-of-global-ban-on-coercive-psychiatry/

Sources:

[1] “Electroconvulsive therapy in children and adolescents: results from a population‑based study utilising the Swedish National Quality Register,” Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 13 Dec. 2022, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10682289/

[2] https://www.cchrint.org/2023/04/11/uk-legislators-call-for-ban-electroshock-treatment/, citing Niall McLaren, “No Psychiatrist Needs to Use ECT,” 27 June 2017, https://www.madinamerica.com/2017/06/no-psychiatrist-needs-use-ect/

[3] “Editorial: Psychotropic overprescribing to youth: scope of the problem, causes, and possible solutions,” Frontier Psychiatry, 6 May 2024, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11107288/

[4] “Disturbing findings about the risk of suicide and psychiatric hospitals,” Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiology (2014), 49: 1353-1355, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00127-014-0912-2

[5] “A Danger to Self and Others: Health and Criminal Consequences of Involuntary Hospitalization,” Federal Reserve Bank of New York, staff reports, July 2025, https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/research/staff_reports/sr1158.pdf?sc_lang=en

[6] “Current trends in restrictive interventions in psychiatry: a European perspective,” Cambridge University Press, 22 June 2022, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-advances/article/current-trends-in-restrictive-interventions-in-psychiatry-a-european-perspective/287C3187376FA5C987106BE108603819

[7] “WHEN DOES MENTAL HEALTH COERCION CONSTITUTE TORTURE? …” Fordham International Law Journal, Vol 45:5, 2022, https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/ilj/vol45/iss5/2/, pp. 785-786

[8] “Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Opens Thirty-Third Session,” Meeting Summaries, 11 Aug. 2025, https://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/meeting-summary/2025/08/committee-rights-persons-disabilities-opens-thirty-third-session

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NEWS SOURCE: Citizens Commission on Human Rights

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Microsoft Lens is shutting down, but a 100% Free PDF scanner app awaits

PDFgear Scan could be the best alternative to Microsoft Lens because it matches the core functionalities users rely on

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Aug 14, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Microsoft has confirmed that Lens, its popular free mobile scanner app, will be retired starting September and be removed from app stores by mid-November this year, says PDFgear. As a result, millions of Lens users will soon be looking for an alternative, ideally one that offers the same experience and remains free to use.

Image caption: PDFgear Scan.

WHAT HAPPENED TO MICROSOFT LENS?

Over the past decade, Microsoft Lens has evolved from its beginnings as Office Lens on Windows Phone to amass over 92 million downloads, becoming a widely trusted mobile app known for its simple, powerful, and free scanning and conversion features.

The reason Microsoft is retiring Lens is part of its strategy to consolidate standalone utilities into its AI-driven app, Microsoft 365 Copilot. On its support page, it recommended that users migrate to the Copilot app, which also offers a built-in scanning feature. However, Copilot lacks key Lens features many users rely on, including direct saves to PowerPoint, Word, and OneNote, business card scanning to OneNote, read-aloud, and Immersive Reader integration.

ARE THERE FREE LENS ALTERNATIVES THAT TRULY WORK?

Apparently, the best alternative to Lens is not Microsoft’s own Copilot. People naturally prefer a dedicated scanning app over a multi-purpose AI platform where scanning is only a secondary function. While options like Adobe Scan, Apple Notes, and Genius Scan exist, most of them lock key tools behind paywalls or lack advanced capabilities like OCR and auto classification.

Among them, PDFgear Scan is the exception. It is a feature-rich, dedicated scanner app that turns paper documents into clean, editable digital files. Even better, it’s completely free, with no ads and no usage limits.

The company also addressed concerns about why its popular PDF editor and scanner app are offered for free.

IS PDFGEAR SCAN THE BEST FREE SCANNER TO SWITCH TO?

PDFgear Scan should be the best alternative to Microsoft Lens because it matches the core functionalities users rely on Lens while adding advanced capabilities that go far beyond basic scanning.

Smart Scanning: Automatically detects edges and crops, with specific scanning modes for contracts, receipts, IDs, and bar codes.

AI-Powered: The built-in AI can analyze scanned content and provide instant answers and summaries through chat.

PDFgear Scan is available for free download on Google Play and App Store.

Microsoft killing off Lens reflects big tech’s tendency to fold standalone tools into large AI platforms at the cost of speed, simplicity and users experience. In contrast, small, focused developers like PDFgear can seize the opportunity and stay competitive by excelling in a specific domain and putting users’ real needs first.

Learn more about PDFgear: https://www.pdfgear.com/

ABOUT PDFGEAR

PDF GEAR TECH PTE. LTD. is a company dedicated to creating innovative software solutions that simplify document management. With a focus on user experience and cutting-edge technology, PDFgear aims to empower users worldwide with PDF tools that enhance productivity and collaboration.

NEWS SOURCE: PDFgear

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (PDFgear), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/microsoft-lens-is-shutting-down-but-a-100-free-pdf-scanner-app-awaits/

‘The Real Superheroes of Beverly Hills’ Get Glitzy Debut at Comic-Con

Nation's biggest pop culture event was launchpad for new illustrated novel

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Aug. 6, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The glittering facade of Beverly Hills just got a serious makeover in the pages of “The Real Superheroes of Beverly Hills” illustrated novel. Writer and longtime comic-book scribe Steve Stern (“Zen Intergalactic Ninja”) said, “It’s the story of four students at Beverly Hills High who receive some wild powers during a cosmic event at Griffith Observatory, are immediately outed by a tabloid reporter, and then given their own reality TV show.” He added with a smile, “What could possibly go wrong?”

Image caption: “The Real Superheroes of Beverly Hills” illustrated novel debuted at Comic-Con.

Jim Fletcher, who for years was Creative Director of DC Direct, the collectible merchandise division of DC Comics, teamed up with his daughter Leila to provide the illustrations for the novel. “We set out to explore what heroism looks like when filtered through the lens of fame, vanity and the age of social media,” Fletcher said.

“The Real Superheroes of Beverly Hills” is published by 1First Books. Publisher Ken F. Levin, who is also an Executive Producer of the Amazon Prime megahit “The Boys,” said, “With its unique concept, this illustrated novel is a great new addition to our growing imprint, and it received a highly enthusiastic reception at Comic-Con.”

Stern and Fletcher have a long history. The two met decades ago when Fletcher created the packaging art for the “Zen Intergalactic Ninja” videogames from Konami and action figures from Just Toys, as well as illustrated all of the covers for the “Zen” series published by Archie Comics.

A genre-bending mix of action, humor, and satire that offers a fresh take on the superhero genre, “The Real Superheroes of Beverly Hills” is also suitably action-packed, with a revenge-seeking psychopath who employs an army of AI-enhanced henchmen to disrupt events at the Beverly Hills Hotel — as well as at Comic-Con itself.

Stern, himself a resident of Beverly Hills, said, “We wanted to really have fun at some of the iconic locations that figure into the book.”

What’s in the future for “The Real Superheroes of Beverly Hills”? “Everyone who got a copy at Comic-Con invariably asked, ‘Is this a reality TV show?’” Stern added. “And my answer was always, “Hopefully, it will be.”

Follow Steve online at:

https://www.facebook.com/stephen.stern1

https://www.instagram.com/stern8506/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-stern-61a970bb/

NEWS SOURCE: Author Steve Stern

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Author Steve Stern), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/the-real-superheroes-of-beverly-hills-get-glitzy-debut-at-comic-con/

Former Seminarian Shares Journey from Religious Life to Freedom in the Relaunch of His Book ‘Uncollared’

LOS ANGELES, Calif., July 23, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — At the age of 13, David F. Yep left his home in Rockford, Illinois to embark on what would become a 13-year journey in Catholic seminary life. It’s a journey he brilliantly breaks down in “Uncollared: Your Heart Knows the Way, Re-Learn How to Listen to It” (ISBN: 979-8992585452 [ebook]; 979-8992585469 [paperback]), which has just been relaunched with a fresh introduction by Elevate Press.

Image caption: “Uncollared: Your Heart Knows the Way, Re-Learn How to Listen to It,” by David Yep.

Born the sixth of eight children, Yep was a contemplative young boy who would climb trees with his lunch and books, deep in thought for what seemed like hours. He went from this suburban childhood to the Immaculate Conception Apostolic School in New Hampshire, and later to religious formation in Germany, Spain, Italy and Austria.

“Uncollared” details Yep’s journey and presents 12 lessons in freedom that emerged from hisexperiences in religious life and beyond.

In the book, Yep details his first days in seminary, when he entered a strictly regimented lifestyle. “From that moment on, every minute of every day was scheduled,” he writes, “from the amount of time we had to shower and dress ourselves, to the activities we took part in during the day, to the ever-so-short ‘free times’ we were allowed.”

His experiences included picking strawberries with immigrants in Germany and organizing youth programs across Austria. “I wanted to change the world, and dedicate my life to the service of others,” Yep writes of his initial calling.

However, after years of internal struggle, his path changed: “My heart was pretty clearly telling me that I did not want to live without marriage and sex.” When he finally left religious life, he recalls, “I was flying home to a country I hadn’t lived in for a decade. I was going home to a family who I had left a long time ago, both them and I growing and morphing massively while being apart.”

“Uncollared,” Yep emphasizes, is not as much about the answers as it is about learning to ask yourself the right questions. He writes, “It is a lesson for anyone who wants to evolve, a letter to anyone who feels stuck, a message for anyone who asks themselves whether there is something more to life.”

“Uncollared: Your Heart Knows the Way, Re-Learn How to Listen to It” is available now on Amazon.

About Elevate Press Publishing

Elevate Press publishes memoirs and prescriptive non-fiction by top entrepreneurs. For more information, visit https://elevatepresspub.com/.

NEWS SOURCE: Elevate Press

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Elevate Press), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/former-seminarian-shares-journey-from-religious-life-to-freedom-in-the-relaunch-of-his-book-uncollared/

PDFgear Scan, Finally, a Completely Free AI Scanner App for All

Scanning, editing, OCR, and AI chat in one app

LOS ANGELES, Calif., July 21, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — PDFgear today launched PDFgear Scan, the world’s first free AI-powered scanner app. The app turns paper documents into clean, editable digital files like PDF or Word in seconds. More impressively, it comes with no ads, usage limits, and no cost. With this launch, PDFgear Scan sets a new benchmark for mobile scanning by combining AI with truly free access for everyone.

Image caption: PDFgear Scan, Finally, a Truly Free AI Scanner App for All.

WHAT SETS PDFGEAR SCAN APART?

All-in-One: Scanning, editing, OCR, and AI chat in one app
Completely Free: No cost, no features behind paywall
No Ads or Limits: Fast, clean and distraction-free
AI-Powered: Instantly analyze and answer questions

KEY FEATURES AND UPDATES

Smart Scanning: Auto-detects edges and crops for sharp and high-quality results. With dedicated scanning modes for contracts, receipts, IDs, and bar codes.

OCR and Editing: Convert scans to editable text with powerful OCR, add e-signatures, and export as PDF, Word, and more.

Receipts to Expense Reports: Automatically classify receipt items into expense reports to simplify budgeting and reimbursements.

AI Analyze Scans: The built-in AI can analyze scanned content, answer questions, and provide step-by-step explanations for tasks like math, homework, or instructions.

Filters and Signatures: Multiple filters to enhance the quality. Create and insert signatures.

Doc Management and Sharing: Add, rotate, delete, and reorder pages with ease. Share scanned documents in formats like PDF, Word, Images, or long images.

HOW PDFGEAR KEEPS AI PRACTICAL?

PDFgear pioneered AI integration in 2023 with the first AI PDF chatbot. Now, PDFgear Scan again brings that innovation to its mobile scanner app. Users can ask questions, get summaries, extract key details, or solve school academic questions by interacting with scans.

ANOTHER FREE APP? PDFGEAR’S ONGOING MISSION

When PDFgear launched its first product, the PDFgear PDF editor, it did what others wouldn’t: a premium PDF editor for completely free. That move quickly earned PDFgear a strong user base and decent reputation.

“Many scanner apps claim to be free, but flood users with ads or pressure them to pay at every turn,” said a PDFgear spokesperson. “PDFgear Scan continues our ongoing mission to provide simple, useful, and accessible tools that get things done without drama or frictions.”

So far, PDFgear hasn’t charged users anything, which often leads to the question: How is it free? The company has made its position clear that PDFgear is not chasing quick profits. Instead, it is focused on delivering real value.

Though optional premium features may be added in the future, core tools will remain free and accessible to all.

AVAILABLE NOW

PDFgear Scan is available for download on Google Play for Android, the App Store for iOS, and from the PDFgear Scan official website.

PDFgear Scan Website: https://www.pdfgear.com/scanner-app

ABOUT PDFGEAR

PDF GEAR TECH PTE. LTD. (“PDFgear”) is a company dedicated to creating innovative software solutions that simplify document management. With a focus on user experience and cutting-edge technology, PDFgear aims to empower users worldwide with PDF tools that enhance productivity and collaboration.

NEWS SOURCE: PDFgear

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/pdfgear-scan-finally-a-completely-free-ai-scanner-app-for-all/

Edimakor Celebrates its 1st Anniversary: Join the Festivities with Exclusive Gifts and Discounts!

LOS ANGELES, Calif., July 16, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — In celebration of its first anniversary, Edimakor, the creative video editing software trusted by content creators around the world, is thrilled to launch a limited-time Sales Promotion Event. This special campaign gives users the chance to enjoy exclusive discounts and win exciting gifts. The event is officially live on Edimakor’s website — welcoming both new and loyal users to join the celebration.

Image caption: Edimakor Celebrates 1st Anniversary.

A CELEBRATION OF CREATIVITY AND COMMUNITY

This special event is designed to celebrate Edimakor’s growing user base and thank its global community for their continued support. Whether you’re a YouTuber, educator, business professional, or someone just starting their creative journey — Edimakor’s event is all about giving back and helping creators level up their video projects with powerful, AI-driven tools.

HOW TO JOIN THE EDIMAKOR PROMOTION EVENT

Edimakor is celebrating its 1st anniversary with an exciting Candle Lighting Event, packed with guaranteed prizes, creative fun, and special offers for users worldwide. Participation is quick, easy, and open to everyone!

EVENT DURATION: JULY 15 – JULY 31, 2025 (PST)

How to Participate:

Visit the official Edimakor event page to get started.

Then follow these three simple steps to light the anniversary candle and claim your reward:

Enter your email in the pop-up window and click “Send Card” to light the candle to 30% brightness.
Subscribe to Edimakor’s official YouTube channel — the candle lights up to 60%.
Share the event on social media — the candle is fully lit, and your prize is unlocked!

PRIZES YOU CAN WIN (100% GUARANTEED):

14-day free use coupon
7-day free use coupon
50% OFF coupon
40% OFF coupon
30% OFF coupon

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Prizes are randomly assigned by the system.
Coupons cannot be combined with other discounts.
All rewards are valid only during the event period.
Edimakor reserves the final interpretation rights for the event.

This anniversary event is Edimakor’s heartfelt thank-you for your support over the past year — and an open invitation for all creators to join the next exciting chapter in creative video editing.

DON’T MISS OUT – START CREATING AND WINNING

In summary, the Edimakor Sales Promotion Event offers a limited-time opportunity to enhance your creative toolkit while joining a vibrant and growing community of creators… Ready to dive in?

Join the event here: https://edimakor.hitpaw.com/sales-promotion.html#winGift
Learn more about Edimakor features: https://edimakor.hitpaw.com/

ABOUT EDIMAKOR

Edimakor is an all-in-one video editing solution designed to make video creation easy, fast, and accessible. Packed with AI features like auto subtitle generation, AI text to speech, AI video generator, AI image generator and so on. It enables everyone — from beginners to experts — to create high-quality videos without complex software.

With a simple interface, powerful functions, and a growing user community — Edimakor is helping redefine the way people tell their stories through video.

Follow on Social:

Stay updated on upcoming releases, tips, and community events:

Twitter/X: https://x.com/HitpawEdimakor

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HitPawEdimakorOfficial

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edimakor_official

NEWS SOURCE: HitPaw Edimakor

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (HitPaw Edimakor), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/edimakor-celebrates-its-1st-anniversary-join-the-festivities-with-exclusive-gifts-and-discounts/

CCHR Cautions Veterans: Psychedelics Reflect a Dark History of Exploitation, Harm and Failed Science

LOS ANGELES, Calif., July 14, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR) is warning Congress and the public that new legislation to legalize psychedelic drugs for U.S. veterans is a dangerous repeat of history—when defenders of the nation were used as test subjects in unethical psychiatric experiments.

Image caption: Psychiatry and the U.S. military’s shameful history of drug experiments on troops is well-documented, yet often ignored.

A newly introduced federal law would expand funding to fast-track psychedelic treatments for veterans. Legislators say it’s needed because one veteran suicide is too many.[1] CCHR agrees but says masking deep wounds with mind-altering drugs is a betrayal of those who served, and a review of the drugs shows many can induce suicide that veterans may not be informed of.

“This is not real help — the psychiatric-pharmaceutical industry will exploit our veterans as guinea pigs to prop up a $10 billion psychedelics business,” the watchdog states.

Psychiatry’s shameful history of drug experiments on troops is well-documented—yet often ignored. A December 2024 National Security Archive release revealed 1,200 once-secret records exposing the CIA’s mind-control programs in the 1950s and 1960s, which used unwitting subjects to test hallucinogens like LSD.[2] The Federal Practitioner noted the project was “rife with violations of research ethics and human rights.”[3]

Between 1955–1975, over 7,000 soldiers were exposed to more than 250 chemicals — including nerve agents like BZ and LSD[4]—in chemical warfare tests like Operation Delirium at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland. Researchers even developed BZ, a hallucinogen 100 times more powerful than LSD, to incapacitate enemy minds, but used U.S. soldiers to test it.[5]

The Conversation reported in April 2024: “The full range of mechanisms, safety risks, and long-term effects of psychedelics are not known. Conflicts of interest… can contribute to an overly optimistic opinion by researchers, the public, and policymakers. This may pose safety risks to the public if legislative changes that increase access are made prematurely, as witnessed with tobacco and opioid industries in the past.”[6]

History shows what happens when psychiatric “wonder drugs” are marketed. The first SSRI antidepressant was sold in the 1980s and 90s on the claim that it corrected a “chemical imbalance.” Pharmaceutical companies touted antidepressants as wonder drugs that could make the world a happier place. However, studies now confirm SSRIs can make patients agitated, violent or suicidal.[7]

In 2022, Prof. Joanne Moncrieff and colleagues from the University of London’s landmark study found “no evidence of a connection between reduced serotonin and depression,” exposing the myth.

EVIDENCE OF HARM, NOT CURE

Real-world studies show psychedelics can do more harm than good:

A 2023 study in PLOS One found that one-third of users experienced severe anxiety, fear, social disconnection, depersonalization, and derealization. Transient visual distortions experienced after taking a psychedelic substance were reported by 40–60% of users. While largely referring to illicit uses of the drugs, the authors stated that the “variety of profoundly challenging experiences that can occur following the use of psychedelics” can also occur following use in guided settings.[8]

Another 2023 study discussed how ~40% of participants in an earlier study on psilocybin experienced moderate to severe anxiety, panic, or distress.[9]

In another 2023 study, 7 out of 15 participants described challenging derealization experiences subsequent to taking psychedelic drugs as: “having daily out-of-body-experiences,” “reality felt thin or unstable,” “[being] completely disconnected from the universe,” and “…like, there was something wrong with my normal world.”[10]

Studies provide decades of evidence indicating that a “bad trip” can cause intense fear and panic, which sometimes lasts for weeks or months after taking the psychedelic drug. Serious anxiety issues can develop even years later.[11]

The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology found ketamine linked to flashbacks, amnesia, delirium, and violence.[12]

Vice’s “Killer High” series revealed multiple cases in just three years where LSD use was linked to sudden, brutal killings. The article “Killer High: Exploring the Phenomenon of LSD-Fueled Murder” highlighted how even seemingly ordinary, stable people turned homicidal while under the influence.[13]

“Veterans need real help addressing trauma, injuries, and reintegrating into civilian life,” says Jan Eastgate, president of CCHR International. “They don’t need mind-bending chemicals that risk harming them further—all while lining the psychiatric-pharmaceutical industry pockets.”

CCHR, established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and professor of psychiatry, Dr. Thomas Szasz, provides a Fact Sheet on Psychotropic Drugs Create Suicide, Failing Service Members & Veterans.

To learn more, visit: https://www.cchrint.org/2025/07/11/psychedelics-for-vets-exploitation-failed-science/

Sources:

[1] https://correa.house.gov/news/press-releases/correa-bergman-push-to-amend-military-veterans-funding-bill-prepare-va-for-administration-of-psychedelic-therapies;

[2] https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/dnsa-intelligence/2024-12-23/cia-behavior-control-experiments-focus-new-scholarly

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9896363/

[4] https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/u-s-soldiers-used-as-human-guinea-pigs-in-top-secret-chemical-testing-program; https://www.cnn.com/2012/03/01/health/human-test-subjects/index.html

[5] https://www.ranker.com/list/edgewood-arsenal-human-experiments/melissa-sartore; https://ahrp.org/dr-harris-isbells-experiments/; https://pages.uoregon.edu/munno/OregonCourses/REL253F12/REL253Notes/BZStory.htm

[6] https://theconversation.com/how-corporate-involvement-in-psychedelic-research-could-threaten-public-safety-226689

[7] https://web.archive.org/web/20210211031717/https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18324545-300-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-wonder-drugs/

[8] https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0293349

[9] https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-41145-x

[10] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-41145-x

[11] “LSD Toxicity Treatment & Management: Approach Considerations, Prehospital and Emergency Department Care, Inpatient Care,” Background, Pathophysiology, Etiology, 3 May 2017; “Treatment with psychedelics is psychotherapy: beyond reductionism,” The Lancet Psychiatry, published online December 12, 2023, citing Calder, A.E. and Hasler, G., “Towards an understanding of psychedelic-induced neuroplasticity,” Neuropsychopharmacology 2023, 48: 104-12

[12] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6315094/

[13] https://www.vice.com/en/article/acid-lsd-fuelled-murder-homicide/; https://www.vice.com/en/article/prescribed-ketamine-turned-these-men-violent-allege-lawsuits/

MULTIMEDIA:

Image link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/25-0714-s2p-cchrtroops-300dpi.jpg

Image caption: Psychiatry and the U.S. military’s shameful history of drug experiments on troops is well-documented, yet often ignored.

NEWS SOURCE: Citizens Commission on Human Rights

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/cchr-cautions-veterans-psychedelics-reflect-a-dark-history-of-exploitation-harm-and-failed-science/

EKC PR Client Michael Naizu’s Film ‘Bound For Glory,’ Starring Janel Parrish, Named Finalist in Gold House’s AAPI Renaissance Rally

LOS ANGELES, Calif., July 10, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Janel Parrish (“Pretty Little Liars,” “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”) will star in the feature adaptation of “Bound For Glory,” an emotionally resonant indie drama from rising AAPI filmmaker Michael Naizu, EKC PR announced today.

Image caption: “Bound For Glory,” an upcoming indie feature from EKC PR client Michael Naizu, starring Janel Parrish and named a finalist in the Gold House AAPI Renaissance Rally.

After its short-film version was licensed to JoySauce, a platform for Asian-American storytelling, the project is now green-lit and begins production this September in Los Angeles and Pittsburgh.

Naizu (“Christmas Is Canceled,” “Hacks”) makes his directorial feature debut and co-directs with his brother John Wilcox, who shot and edited the original short. Their aim: a grounded, artfully shot film about creative survival, cultural identity, and reinvention in modern Los Angeles.

Named a Finalist in the Gold House AAPI Renaissance Rally with Seed&Spark, “Bound For Glory” stands out in the push to amplify nuanced, character-driven Asian-American stories rarely explored by Hollywood.

Produced by PinkHouse Productions, the film blends the soul of “Swingers,” “Good Will Hunting,” and “Perfect Days.” At its core lies a semi-autobiographical tale of a struggling artist forced to choose between compromising his voice for success or risking everything to tell the story that might save him. It’s part love letter, part breakup note to Hollywood.

Charlie Waddell is Executive Producer. Michael Naizu, Derik Young, and Redd Coltrane produce, with MLB analyst Sean Casey and Katy & Julia Wu as co-producers. The film is financed entirely outside the traditional studio system.

Parrish brings her signature wit and authenticity to Ariella Graves, a woman forging her own path beyond her father’s shadow. Bound For Glory promises to be one of the year’s most emotionally honest and timely indies.

Janel Parrish: “So happy to be working with Michael Naizu again, this time to tell his beautiful and compelling story. It means so much to collaborate with AAPI storytellers and help bring narratives to life that reflect who we are and why representation matters.”

Michael Naizu: “This is a story I’ve wanted to tell my whole life—deeply personal, rooted in my search for identity and purpose in a cut-throat industry. Making it now with my brother John, best friend Derik, and Janel Parrish brings everything full circle. With Bound For Glory backed by trailblazer Gold House, I can’t wait to roll cameras and bring this story to life.”

Michael Naizu is repped by Luber Roklin Entertainment. Janel Parrish is repped by Innovative Artists and Authentic Management.

Learn more: https://seedandspark.com/fund/bound-for-glory-1#story

Media Contact:
Eileen Koch
EKC PR
310-441-1000
eileen@ekcpr.com
https://www.eileenkoch.com/

NEWS SOURCE: EKC PR

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (EKC PR), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/ekc-pr-client-michael-naizus-film-bound-for-glory-starring-janel-parrish-named-finalist-in-gold-houses-aapi-renaissance-rally/

CCHR Warns Troubled Teen Camps Must Be Banned as Deaths Spur Closures

Despite closures since 2019, CCHR says the troubled teen industry still endangers kids' lives, and tougher bans and oversight of both facilities and the youth transport system are needed to ensure no child dies for profit

LOS ANGELES, Calif., July 7, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Despite dozens of closures of abusive “troubled teen” programs in behavioral and psychiatric centers, including wilderness camps in recent years, a leading mental health industry watchdog warns that children’s lives remain at risk unless stronger laws ban the worst offenders and the secretive youth transport practices that feed them. The Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR), a nonprofit mental health industry watchdog, says that while public outrage and media exposure have forced some notorious facilities to close, the underlying problems that enable these abusive programs still persist—and more children will die if lawmakers do not act. Two teen suicides occurred last month in a North Carolina behavioral facility, forcing its closure.[1]

Image caption: CCHR says while public outrage and media exposure have forced some notorious facilities to close, the underlying problems that enable these abusive programs still persist – and more children will die if lawmakers do not act.

“These so-called ‘therapy’ camps have a disturbing history of traumatizing vulnerable young people while charging desperate families tens of thousands of dollars,” said Jan Eastgate, international president of CCHR. “When a child dies in these programs, that should be the last death. We need permanent bans—not just temporary closures.”

Wilderness therapy camps, residential treatment centers, and other “troubled teen” programs often market themselves as life-saving alternatives for youth struggling with behavioral or emotional challenges. But critics say that behind the glossy brochures is an industry built on secrecy, harsh discipline, and abusive staff.

“Many of the methods used in these camps would violate the Geneva Convention if applied to prisoners of war,” wrote journalist Maia Szalavitz in Help at Any Cost: How the Troubled Teen Industry Cons Parents and Hurts Kids.[2] Her book, along with years of survivor accounts and investigations, has shown how children are subjected to extreme isolation, physical restraints, humiliation, and medical neglect.

Other recent closures have been prompted by tragic deaths, including a 12-year-old boy who died within 24 hours of admission to a wilderness program in North Carolina after being restrained.

Numerous youth facilities and wilderness camps across the U.S. have faced criminal charges, lawsuits, and license revocations following deaths, suicides, or widespread abuse. Many charged fees ranging from $30,000 to more than $100,000 per child per year.[3]

State audits have exposed repeated failures. A 2022 Salt Lake Tribune investigation in Utah—long known as a hub for these programs—found thousands of inspection reports detailing rampant abuse, sedation, and neglect even after an oversight law was passed in 2021.[4]

Utah Senator Mike McKell, who spearheaded the law admitted the state had been “learning the hard way,” that this was inadequate, citing at least seven preventable deaths since 2021. He led the amendment to the law this year, creating a children’s ombudsman and new whistleblower protections.[5]

In Maryland, legislators led by Delegate Vaughn Stewart passed the Preventing Abduction in Youth Transport Act this year to curb some of the worst practices, including the forcible removal of children from their homes at night by “secure youth transport” companies. The law prohibits dangerous restraint use by these companies. This often-unregulated youth transport industry has been described by journalists as “authorized kidnapping,” with children handcuffed or restrained as they are shuttled to remote facilities far from home. Survivors, including prominent advocates, Paris Hilton, attorneys and CCHR, say this practice can leave children deeply traumatized before they even reach a program.[6]

CCHR points to a deeper issue fueling the troubled teen industry’s survival: the widespread psychiatrizing of normal childhood and adolescent behavior.

“Too many of these kids are labeled with vague or unscientific mental health diagnoses simply for acting like teenagers,” said Eastgate. “This creates a pipeline to often harmful treatments—and big profits.”

Psychiatrist Allen Frances, who chaired the task force that revised the fourth edition of the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (DSM), famously admitted that the expansion of psychiatric labels has been excessive. ADHD diagnoses alone have tripled over the past two decades.

“Human nature just doesn’t change that quickly,” Frances said. “Our kids haven’t suddenly become sicker; it’s just that diagnoses are applied to them more loosely.”

This diagnostic inflation has proven lucrative. In the U.S., the troubled teen segment alone is estimated to be worth $50 billion.[7] Between 2017 and 2021, total medical spending for pediatric mental health conditions jumped by over 45%, with these conditions now making up nearly half of all pediatric medical spending—around $31 billion in direct child costs and $59 billion in related household expenses.[8]

CCHR says that while some private equity firms are quietly exiting the troubled teen market amid mounting lawsuits and bad press, the industry continues to operate largely in the shadows—propped up by misleading advertising, false diagnoses, and an unregulated transport network.

“Every state must investigate these programs thoroughly, shut down any that endanger children’s lives, and permanently ban the worst practices,” said Eastgate.

The watchdog says that true reform must hold facilities accountable for abuse and deaths, end the use of psychiatric labels to funnel youth into profit-driven programs, and shut down the loopholes that allow dangerous operators to rebrand and reopen under new names.

“The recent closures show that change is possible when families, survivors, the media, and lawmakers work together,” said Eastgate. “But as long as one child can still be abused or die in these behavioral-psychiatric camps, this fight isn’t over. No child’s life should ever be gambled away for profit.”

CCHR is a nonprofit mental health watchdog established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and Professor of Psychiatry, Dr. Thomas Szasz. It has helped enact more than 190 reforms worldwide to protect individuals from abusive or coercive psychiatric practices.

To learn more, visit: https://www.cchrint.org/2025/07/03/deaths-spur-closures-but-troubled-teen-camps-must-be-banned/

Sources:

[1] https://avlwatchdog.org/asheville-academy-trails-carolina-owner-faced-financial-upheaval-before-deaths/

[2] https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/inside-americas-disturbing-wilderness-therapy-32203146

[3] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2043610619900514

[4] https://www.kuer.org/politics-government/2021-03-03/new-regulations-for-the-states-troubled-teen-industry-win-final-legislative-approval

[5] https://ksltv.com/politics-elections/lawmakers-push-for-tougher-oversight-after-several-deaths-in-utah-teen-treatment-centers-2/743747/

[6] https://www.cchrint.org/2025/02/14/maryland-bill-targets-psychiatric-transport-abuses/; https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb0497?ys=2025RS;

[7] https://www.dw.com/en/troubled-teen-industry-in-the-usa-the-prison-school-scandal/a-69963580

[8] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2815870

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NEWS SOURCE: Citizens Commission on Human Rights

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HotDeals Launches New Rewards Points System: Unlock Exclusive Benefits and Earn Big

LOS ANGELES, Calif., July 3, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — HotDeals has just unveiled its brand-new HD Membership & Rewards Points system, offering users more opportunities to earn, redeem, and enjoy exclusive perks. With this exciting upgrade, every interaction, purchase, and check-in becomes more rewarding. Whether you’re a daily shopper or an occasional user, this system has something for everyone.

Image caption: HotDeals Rewards Points.

EXCLUSIVE MEMBER BENEFITS: UNLOCK VIP PRIVILEGES

By signing up for HotDeals’ HD Membership, users can immediately access a wide range of exclusive privileges, including special discounts, shopping rebates, and the chance to receive free gift cards. The platform offers an enhanced and personalized shopping experience designed to make every member feel special and appreciated.

As a member, you will also enjoy real-time discount alerts, ensuring you never miss out on the latest deals. The more you interact and engage with the platform, the more benefits you can unlock. From shopping incentives to exclusive offers, the HD Membership ensures that the more you invest in the platform, the greater your rewards.

POINTS CENTER: EARN AND REDEEM REWARDS EASILY

The new Points Center takes user engagement to the next level. HotDeals’ system allows users to accumulate points through a variety of activities, making your time spent on the platform more valuable than ever. Whether you’re checking in daily, completing tasks, or making purchases, your efforts are rewarded with points that can be redeemed for a wide selection of gift cards. These gift cards can be used for cash discounts at participating stores, bringing you savings on your favorite products.

HOW TO EARN REWARDS POINTS?

There are several ways to earn rewards points through HotDeals’ newly introduced system:

Daily Check-in
Simply check in daily to earn points. For those who check in for 3 or 7 consecutive days, even greater points rewards will be available. This simple action helps you accumulate points over time, bringing you closer to valuable rewards.
Complete Daily Tasks
You can also earn points by completing daily tasks on the platform. These tasks are designed to be fun and engaging, offering users a straightforward way to increase their points balance. The more tasks you complete, the more points you earn!
Shop at Participating Stores
Shopping at participating stores through the HotDeals platform is another great way to earn points. Simply make a purchase at any eligible store, and you’ll automatically receive points. It’s a fantastic way to turn your shopping experience into an even more rewarding one.

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH REWARDS POINTS?

Once you’ve accumulated enough points, you can exchange them for gift cards on the platform. These gift cards can be used for cash discounts at the corresponding stores, allowing you to save even more on your favorite products and services.

The more you engage with the platform, the more rewards you can reap. Whether it’s saving money while shopping or unlocking exciting offers, HotDeals’ Rewards Points system ensures every member has something to look forward to.

WHY CHOOSE HOTDEALS’ REWARDS POINTS SYSTEM?

Personalized Experience: The HD Membership & Points System tailors rewards and benefits to your specific activity, ensuring a unique and gratifying experience every time you use the platform.
Easy Earning and Redeeming: With multiple ways to earn and an easy-to-use points redemption system, HotDeals ensures that accumulating and using your rewards is seamless.
Exclusive Rewards: Members have access to special privileges, including real-time discounts, rebates, and free gift cards, enhancing your shopping experience.

JOIN THE HD MEMBERSHIP TODAY!

With so many ways to earn, redeem, and benefit from your actions on HotDeals, there’s never been a better time to join the HD Membership. Start today to unlock exclusive offers, earn rewards, and experience a whole new level of shopping enjoyment.

Sign up now to begin your journey towards unbeatable discounts, free gift cards, and a highly rewarding platform experience.

About HotDeals

HotDeals.com is a leading global savings platform that connects users with real-time promo codes, exclusive offers, and handpicked discounts from more than 200,000 online stores. Covering popular categories such as electronics, travel, fashion, and beauty, HotDeals makes it easy for shoppers to find the best deals and maximize savings on every purchase. By streamlining the online savings experience, HotDeals turns everyday shopping into smarter, more rewarding spending.

Learn more: https://HotDeals.com/.

NEWS SOURCE: HotDeals

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (HotDeals), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/hotdeals-launches-new-rewards-points-system-unlock-exclusive-benefits-and-earn-big/

Paul Stanley Sign Museum to Open in Los Angeles, Celebrating Whimsical Advertising History

Showcasing Rare Motion Displays from the Golden Age of Consumer Product Advertising

LOS ANGELES, Calif., July 2, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The world of vintage advertising is getting a new home. Opening in 2026, the Paul Stanley Sign Museum, a nonprofit organization, in Los Angeles will pay tribute to the visionary work of Paul Stanley & Company, the San Francisco-based design firm behind some of the most imaginative and visually striking point-of-sale advertising displays ever created.

Image caption: The Paul Stanley Sign Museum to open in Los Angeles, celebrating whimsical advertising history.

Founded by designer Paul Stanley in the late 1940s at 180 First Street in San Francisco, the company became renowned for its large-scale, animated floor displays for vendors of beer, soda, cookies, and other consumable products. These whimsical, motion-based installations were eye-catching, colorful, mechanically simple – and brilliantly effective.

“These displays were so inventive and visually powerful that they left a lasting impression on shoppers,” said Dr. Michael Miller, founder of the museum. “They’re among the most unique advertising pieces ever built.”

Each installation was custom-designed and tailored for specific clients, often sharing mechanical patterns while maintaining distinct themes and visual identities. With their blend of theatrical motion, merchandising genius, and timeless charm, Paul Stanley’s designs helped define mid-century American in-store marketing.

Many original displays, design sketches, and blueprints have been preserved and will now be featured in a permanent public collection at the museum.

Museum Highlights Will Include:

– Rare animated advertising displays from the 1950s-1960s

– Original design documents, motion blueprints, and concept art

– Brand showcases featuring Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Mother’s Cookies, Hamm’s Beer and more

– A digital archive and oral history narrative chronicling Paul Stanley’s design legacy

About the Paul Stanley Sign Museum:

Opening in Los Angeles in 2026, the Paul Stanley Sign Museum is the only museum exclusively dedicated to the work of Paul Stanley & Company; one of the most inventive advertising firms of the 20th century. The museum celebrates a golden era when consumer marketing was bold, mechanical, and unforgettable, reviving a lost chapter in American commercial art.

Learn more: https://www.paulstanleybeersigns.com/

Follow on social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulstanleymuseum/

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Image caption: The Paul Stanley Sign Museum to open in Los Angeles, celebrating whimsical advertising history.

NEWS SOURCE: Paul Stanley Sign Museum

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/paul-stanley-sign-museum-to-open-in-los-angeles-celebrating-whimsical-advertising-history/

CCHR wants electroshocking children prohibited under child abuse laws

LOS ANGELES, Calif., June 30, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Child and adolescent psychiatrists have issued a policy statement urging broader access to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for children and adolescents despite growing international condemnation of the practice on minors. Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Human Rights Office have called for an outright ban on ECT for children, explicitly stating: “ECT is not recommended for children, and this should be prohibited through legislation.”[1] The Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR), a mental health industry watchdog, condemned the statement as “medically reckless, legally dangerous, and morally indefensible.” CCHR is demanding federal and state lawmakers move urgently to outlaw the electroshocking of children, classifying it as a form of child abuse.

Image caption: Through US Freedom of Information Act requests, CCHR uncovered that children as young as five have been electroshocked. The full scope remains hidden due to the lack of national transparency requirements on ECT usage.

ECT, also known as shock treatment, sends up to 460 volts of electricity through the brain to induce a grand mal seizure. This disruption of the brain’s electrical activity alters its structure and function, an especially serious risk to the developing brains of children. Yet child psychiatrists not only call for expanded use of ECT on minors but also oppose “any efforts—legal, legislative, and otherwise—to block access to ECT.”

Through US Freedom of Information Act requests, CCHR uncovered that children as young as five have been electroshocked. The full scope remains hidden due to the lack of national transparency requirements on ECT usage.

Internationally, some countries have already banned ECT entirely (e.g., Slovenia and Luxembourg). In the U.S., California prohibits it under age 12, and Texas under 16. In Western Australia, ECT on minors under 14 is illegal, with criminal penalties—including jail time—for administering it to children. CCHR was instrumental in helping secure that law, along with state bans in the US.

Disturbingly, a child and adolescent psychiatry group has also called for more research involving ECT on youth, potentially exposing children under age 13 to an unproven and highly invasive procedure. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) restricts its use to individuals aged 13 and older for limited diagnoses.

The psychiatry group’s statement fails to disclose that brain damage is a known risk of ECT. Yet, the American Psychiatric Association concedes that “ECT can result in persistent or permanent memory loss.” The joint WHO/UN report adds: “People being offered ECT should also be made aware of all its risks and potential short- and long-term harmful effects, such as memory loss and brain damage.”[2]

In June 2024, the California Supreme Court ruled that an ECT device manufacturer must warn doctors of the risks of brain damage and permanent memory loss.[3] In 2018, a US District Court judge found there was sufficient evidence for a jury to conclude that an ECT device could cause brain injury.[4]

Neuropathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu—known for discovering chronic traumatic encephalopathy (brain diseases or damage) in football players—publicly condemned ECT, stating: “The amounts of electrical energy introduced to the human brain by ECT machines can be nothing but harmful and dangerous…. The patient who receives ECT therapy will manifest permanent and cumulative brain injury, which can be progressive over time and result in chronic encephalopathies and brain degeneration.”[5]

Despite pediatric psychiatry’s claim that ECT is “safe and effective,” the FDA has never required manufacturers to prove ECT’s safety or efficacy through clinical trials.[6] Internationally renowned researcher Prof. John Read reports that only 11 placebo-controlled trials of ECT have ever been conducted—all prior to 1985, and all deeply flawed. “None found any benefit beyond the end of treatment,” he stated. Further, children’s developing brains are “particularly susceptible to the memory loss caused by ECT.”[7]

Legal precedent exists for holding professionals and psychiatric facilities accountable for misleading parents about the safety and nature of treatment. In June 2024, an Arizona jury awarded $2.5 million in punitive damages to the family of a teen girl who suffered coercion and abuse at a troubled teen treatment facility. They successfully argued that they were misled by marketing materials portraying the program as therapeutic and safe, when it was abusive.[8]

CCHR says that this same legal framework must apply to misleading promotion of ECT’s benefits to desperate parents. Failing to disclose the full risks of ECT should be subject to the same scrutiny and liability as cases in the troubled teen treatment industry.

CCHR asserts that electroshocking should not only be banned nationwide, but if administered to children, should be held accountable under child abuse laws.

Jan Eastgate, president of CCHR International, stated, “The electroshocking of children is without moral or scientific justification and should be indefensible under the law. As international bodies condemn it, and legal rulings establish precedent for holding programs accountable for misleading parents, the U.S. must act. We urge lawmakers at all levels to ban ECT, especially on minors, and define it as a form of child abuse.”

CCHR, which was established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and professor of psychiatry, Dr. Thomas Szasz, recommends parents watch its documentary, Therapy or Torture: The Truth About Electroshock, with expert opinions about how ECT damages minds.

To learn more, visit: https://www.cchrint.org/2025/06/27/despite-calls-for-ban-us-child-psychiatry-pushes-electroshock/

Sources:

[1] World Health Organization, OHCHR, “Guidance on Mental Health, Human Rights and Legislation,” pp. 58 & 59

[2] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychiatry-through-the-looking-glass/202311/is-it-time-to-ban-electroconvulsive-therapy-for

[3] https://www.wisnerbaum.com/blog/2024/june/wisner-baum-prevails-in-landmark-win-for-patient/

[4] “ECT Litigation Update: Are Patients Being Warned of Brain Damage Risk?” MAD, 13 June 2019

[5] https://www.wisnerbaum.com/defective-medical-device-injuries/ect/

[6] https://www.wisnerbaum.com/defective-medical-device-injuries/ect/; https://www.cnet.com/health/fda-approved-vs-fda-cleared-whats-the-difference/

[7] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychiatry-through-the-looking-glass/202311/is-it-time-to-ban-electroconvulsive-therapy-for

[8] https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/column-troubled-teen-industry-scrutiny-builds-litigation-follows-2024-07-12/; https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2024/07/19/spring-ridge-academy-students-arizona-describe-harsh-treatment-after-lawsuit/74461275007/

MULTIMEDIA:

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NEWS SOURCE: Citizens Commission on Human Rights

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/cchr-wants-electroshocking-children-prohibited-under-child-abuse-laws/

CCHR Demands Nursing Home Chemical Restraint Ban and Full Accountability

LOS ANGELES, Calif., June 23, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Federal health authorities are sounding the alarm over the chronic use of antipsychotic and psychotropic drugs in America’s nursing homes. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has prioritized enforcement actions to reduce psychotropic prescribing—especially among seniors with dementia. With over 15,000 facilities nationwide housing more than 1.2 million elderly residents, mental health watchdog Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR) warns the unchecked drugging of seniors constitutes systemic elder abuse.[1]

Image caption: “Psychotropic drugs are being used to sedate, restrain, and silence, and, as such, are a tool of oppression. CCHR asserts that this practice meets the legal definition of elder abuse and must be treated as a criminal offense.” – Jan Eastgate, President CCHR International.

CCHR is urging lawmakers to adopt the recommendations of a United Nations human rights expert, Claudia Mahler, who called for prohibiting chemical restraints—drugs used to control behavior—in aged-care settings. Mahler’s report criticized the drugging of seniors in care facilities, asserting that older persons are “more likely to be deprived of liberty in care facilities than in prisons.” She further warned that antipsychotic use in dementia can double the risk of death.[2]

Although the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes reported a reduction in antipsychotic use among long-stay residents—from 30.1% in 2011 to 14.5% by the end of 2021—those figures obscure concerning patterns of diagnosis manipulation. For instance, some nursing homes labeled seniors with schizophrenia, a diagnosis virtually unheard of in the elderly, to continue prescribing antipsychotics despite federal restrictions.[3]

Federal Warnings Ignored, Harm Continues

Warnings about the dangers of these drugs have spanned decades. In 2007, FDA safety official Dr. David Graham estimated at least 15,000 nursing home residents die each year due to antipsychotic use.[4] Dr. Peter Gøtzsche, a Danish physician and internationally recognized expert on pharmaceutical safety, places the toll from psychiatric drugs—including neuroleptics, benzodiazepines, and antidepressants—at approximately 209,000 deaths annually among Americans 65 and older. Sleep medications may contribute to an additional 320,000 to 507,000 deaths per year. Even short-term use has serious consequences. Studies show that for every 100 dementia patients prescribed newer antipsychotics over just ten weeks, one will die. Combining a benzodiazepine with a neuroleptic can increase mortality risk by as much as 65%.[5]

Despite federal regulations dating back to 1987 that prohibit psychotropic use for staff convenience or discipline, enforcement has been lax. In 2005, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a black-box warning linking antipsychotics to death in dementia patients prompting some prescribers to sidestep restrictions by re-diagnosing patients.[6] Between 2015 and 2019, schizophrenia diagnoses among nursing home residents rose 194%—an implausible increase, attributed to efforts to preserve prescribing authority.[7]

In 2021, a New York Times investigation revealed that 21% of residents were still being given antipsychotics, often based on unsupported or false diagnoses. In 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launched new measures to identify facilities inflating diagnostic codes to justify drug use—but the problem persists.[8]

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising has also fueled drug overuse among seniors. A 2021 study found that television ads heavily influenced seniors’ prescription decisions, especially in areas with high Medicare enrollment. Between 2006 and 2017, $528 million was spent promoting one antipsychotic.[9] In June 2025, the End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act was introduced to ban DTCA.

Psychotropic drug use in long-term care facilities is a human rights crisis. Studies show that roughly 16% of nursing home residents experience abuse, yet only 1 in 24 cases is reported. Disturbingly, up to 40% of staff admit to having psychologically abused residents.[10]

Reforms Urgently Needed

The ongoing harm inflicted on elderly residents is not an isolated lapse but a failure of oversight, ethics, and accountability, tantamount to elder abuse. CCHR urges U.S. legislators and regulators to implement such reforms as:

Prohibit the use of antipsychotics and other psychotropics for behavioral control in seniors.

Enforce civil, financial, and criminal penalties for physicians and facility administrators who violate this prohibition.

Prohibit doctors from accepting gifts, payments, or perks from pharmaceutical companies while treating patients.

End DTC advertising

End pharmaceutical industry funding of the FDA to restore independent oversight.

Abolish the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as the central authority for mental health diagnoses, due to its authors’ longstanding ties to drug manufacturers.

“What’s happening in nursing homes today is not care—it’s chemical control and a national disgrace,” said Jan Eastgate, President of CCHR International. “Our seniors are not being treated—they’re being sedated for convenience, often at the cost of their lives.”

About CCHR: CCHR, established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and professor of psychiatry Dr. Thomas Szasz, urges Congress and state legislatures to outlaw chemical restraints in aged care and demand accountability from prescribers and nursing homes. “The nation’s elderly deserve compassion and safety, not sedation, and dignity not death by prescription,” Eastgate said.

To learn more, visit: https://www.cchrint.org/2025/06/20/profiting-from-elder-harm-end-psychiatric-drugging-nursing-homes/

Sources:

[1] Poliakoff & Associates, P.A., “Nursing Home Oversight and Antipsychotic Drug Use,” 12 June 2025, https://gpoliakoff.com/nursing-home-oversight-and-antipsychotic-drug-use/

[2] “‘Chemical Restraints’ Deprive Older People of Liberty,” Human Rights Watch, 19 Sept. 2022, https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/09/19/chemical-restraints-deprive-older-people-liberty

[3] “Brown Study Challenges Common Perceptions of Antipsychotic Use in Nursing Homes,” Brown University School of Public Health, 5 Sept. 2024, https://sph.brown.edu/news/2024-09-05/nursing-homes-antipsychotics

[4] Testimony by Dr. David Graham, House Hearing, 110th Congress – The Adequacy of FDA to Assure the Safety of the Nation’s Drug Supply General, 13 Feb. 2007, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-110hhrg35502/pdf/CHRG-110hhrg35502.pdf, p. 66

[5] Peter C. Gøtzsche, “Prescription Drugs Are the Leading Cause of Death,” Brownstone Institute, 16 Apr. 2024, https://brownstone.org/articles/prescription-drugs-are-the-leading-cause-of-death/

[6] “Phony Diagnoses Hide High Rates of Drugging at Nursing Homes,” The New York Times, 16 Sept. 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/11/health/nursing-homes-schizophrenia-antipsychotics.html

[7] “Long-Term Trends of Psychotropic Drug Use in Nursing Homes,” Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, 11 Nov. 2022, https://oig.hhs.gov/reports/all/2022/long-term-trends-of-psychotropic-drug-use-in-nursing-homes/

[8] “Phony Diagnoses Hide High Rates of Drugging at Nursing Homes,” The New York Times, 16 Sept. 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/11/health/nursing-homes-schizophrenia-antipsychotics.html

[9] “Physicians Treating Alzheimer’s Disease Patients Should Be Aware that Televised Direct-to-Consumer Advertising Links More Strongly to Drug Utilization in Older Patients,” Jour. Alzheimers Dis. June 2021, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8293633/

[10] “Elder Abuse Statistics,” 19 May 2025, https://www.retirementliving.com/nursing-care-facilities/elder-abuse-statistics

MULTIMEDIA:

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NEWS SOURCE: Citizens Commission on Human Rights

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‘LA Carnival on the Shaw’ Honors Juneteenth and Celebrates Caribbean American Heritage Month with Third Annual Event

Los Angeles Carnival Brings the Caribbean Back to Crenshaw with Masquerade, Music and Merriment

LOS ANGELES, Calif., June 18, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — “LA Carnival on the Shaw” returns to the community for the third year, honoring Junteenth and celebrating Caribbean American Heritage Month. Produced by Marikel International, the music, masquerades and multicultural merriment will parade along Crenshaw Blvd., Sunday, June 29th, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The initiative was launched in 2023 as a bold catalyst to engage, activate and revitalize businesses on Crenshaw, affectionately known as ‘The Shaw.’

Image caption: “LA Carnival on the Shaw” returns for the third year, honoring Junteenth and celebrating Caribbean American Heritage Month, Sunday, June 29th, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Select merchants along the parade route will add their special flavor to the festivities by hosting ‘Carnival Vibe Spots’ in front of, or inside their establishments. The first Vibe Spot will be an ‘Assembly Lime/Fiesta’ from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at Obama Blvd. as revelers, masqueraders, drummers, and DJ’s set the carnival tone. At 6:00 p.m. the parade will extend parallel to the Metro K-Line into Liberation Plaza in Leimert Park. “LA Carnival on the Shaw” is free and open to all.

The roster of exciting carnival masqueraders includes Danza Azteca, LA Success Steel Orchestra, Peace Players Youth Drummers, the spectacular group Ajudisgua, Ko’s Korean Drum and Dance, Samba N’ Motion, and the iconic 100 Drums, featuring international master drummers from the Leimert Park drum community! This vivacious gathering of costumed revelers, entrepreneurs, artisans and musicians supported by ‘Carnival Vibe Spots’ will spread peace, love and positive vibes along Crenshaw.

Then as daylight simmers to night, 100 beautiful flags will infuse the evening with magic, rhythm and a timely call for peace and community healing. The procession culminates with a grand drum circle in Liberation Plaza, at 4349 Crenshaw Blvd, Leimert Park. And to keep the party going, head to ‘The District’ at 3888 Crenshaw Blvd., for the Official Vibe Spot Extravaganza that closes out LA Carnival on the Shaw, 2025.

“It’s so important to bring our communities together during these challenging times. Los Angeles Carnival has always been diverse, and this year is no different. Cultural inclusivity is what brings joy and healing and makes our city so great!” expresses Los Angeles Carnival founder, Marie Kellier. “This year’s gathering of participants will reflect a cross-section of traditions in costume, art, dance and music for the entire family to enjoy. Los Angeles is an incubator for international creativity and Los Angeles Carnival is a proud reflection of that legacy. LA Carnival on the Shaw is being designed to evolve into a monthly arts, entertainment and business experience, preparing our Crenshaw community for the LA28 Games and Cultural Olympiad.”

Since 1998 Los Angeles Carnival has brought together a multigenerational mix of Caribbean immigrants and friends and pioneered the longest running Caribbean carnival in Southern California. Rooted in festival and carnival arts of the region, the event celebrates Caribbean heritage and integrates the hopes, values and creativity of Los Angeles itself. Its mission is to bring innovation to Caribbean cultural practices; and to share the experience with a diverse cross-section of communities in Los Angeles and beyond.

For sponsorship, special events and advertising contact the Los Angeles Carnival corporate offices at (213) 656-3663 or (213) 761-4475, or email lacarnivalarts@gmail.com.

For more details and information about attending LA Carnival on the Shaw, visit https://www.losangelescarnival.com/ or email Los Angeles Carnival at lacarnivalarts@gmail.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: Makeda Smith / makeda@jazzmynepr.com / 323-380-8819

NEWS SOURCE: Marikel International

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Marikel International), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/la-carnival-on-the-shaw-honors-juneteenth-and-celebrates-caribbean-american-heritage-month-with-third-annual-event/

California Safe Schools – A Global Voice for Environmental Health Honors Youth Heroes

LOS ANGELES, Calif., June 17, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — For more than 27 years, California Safe Schools (CSS) has been a leading advocate for environmental health, dedicated to upholding the highest standards for clean air, water, and soil, and advancing the fundamental right to a safe and healthy environment. Founded by Robina Suwol, a bold and visionary leader in the field, CSS is rooted in the principles of the Precautionary Principle and the public’s Right to Know—ensuring that transparency, accountability, and prevention are central to environmental decision-making. The organization has played a pivotal role in shaping policies that safeguard schoolchildren, educators, families, and communities from toxic exposures.

Image caption: California Safe Schools.

From its roots in Los Angeles to its growing influence, CSS has become a global voice for environmental health—helping to shape policies and inspire environmental movements across the world.

In 1998, CSS led the creation of the most protective school pesticide policy in the nation, in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District—the second-largest school district in the United States. This landmark policy, prioritizing “no harm” long-term pest management, public disclosure, and stakeholder participation, set a successful precedent that has become a national and international model for creating safe learning environments.

“California Safe Schools remains a leader in community-driven environmental reform, advancing science-based policies, accountability, and a strong public voice for a healthier, more just future,” said Rhonda Jessum, Founder and Director of Our Right to Know.

Today, CSS continues to help communities address environmental threats with practical, forward-looking solutions, working alongside long-time community leaders, regulatory and enforcement agencies, policymakers, and a new generation of youth leaders. Its reach now extends far beyond California, inspiring policies and programs throughout the country and worldwide.

“To further demonstrate California Safe Schools’ commitment to children’s health, CSS partnered with the Department of Toxic Substances Control to launch the statewide Toxic Crusaders Program,” said Mui Koltunov, Ph.D., Research Scientist at DTSC and Director of the program. “This initiative educates students about environmental contaminants and empowers them to develop real-world solutions.”

Robina Suwol, Founder and Executive Director of CSS, emphasized the organization’s enduring mission. “Safeguarding the health of students, educators, and communities is not merely an aspiration—it is a moral imperative. At California Safe Schools, we are proud to empower the next generation of leaders—young people who are transforming awareness into action and working to build a safer, healthier world for all, both within our schools and throughout the communities they serve.”

YOUTH HONOREES – 2025 CSS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HEROES

Cassandra Sam

Cassandra graduated with honors as Salutatorian and served as Associated Student Body Vice President at Bassett High School. Her involvement with the Toxic Crusaders program began in 2018, sparking a strong interest in environmental health. That experience led to an internship with the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and, most recently, a volunteer assistant role with the 2024 Toxic Crusaders program. “These experiences broadened my horizons through diverse environments and opportunities,” she shared. This fall, Cassandra will attend the University of California, Irvine, where she plans to major in Biology. Inspired by her work with Toxic Crusaders, she hopes to pursue a career in the healthcare field.

Alexander Thai

Alexander will begin his senior year at Rosemead High School this fall, bringing with him a deep commitment to public and environmental health. His participation in the Toxic Crusaders Program sparked a strong interest in protecting communities from the harmful effects of toxic chemicals and inspired him to learn more about the intersection of science, health, and environmental justice. Through this experience, Alexander developed a passion for advocacy and a desire to make a lasting difference. Looking ahead, he plans to pursue a career in the medical field, where he hopes to combine his scientific interests with his dedication to creating healthier, safer communities for all.

Jean Kim

Jean, a junior at Valencia High School, is a dedicated student enrolled in the school’s prestigious Medical Science Academy, where she explores her passion for health and science. She has actively participated in the Toxic Crusaders Program for four years and recently completed an internship with the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), where she gained valuable insight into environmental health and regulatory work. Motivated by her experiences, she is eager to deepen her understanding of environmental issues and play an active role in advancing meaningful solutions to protect both people and the planet.

Learn more online at: https://www.calisafe.org/.

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CCHR Urges U.S. Reform as Global Court Momentum Builds Against Forced Psychiatry

LOS ANGELES, Calif., June 16, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — In what is being widely reported as a landmark human rights decision, Italy’s Constitutional Court in May 2025 struck down part of the country’s decades-old psychiatric law—Article 35 of Law 833/1978—declaring some of its provisions for involuntary detainment unconstitutional. The ruling affirms that individuals subjected to compulsory psychiatric hospitalization must have the right to challenge such detention in court with legal representation.[1] The Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR), based in Los Angeles, hailed the decision as an essential step towards achieving human rights in the mental health field. CCHR said its chapters worldwide are intensifying efforts to urge courts and lawmakers to follow suit and ultimately abolish forced psychiatric hospitalization and treatment. The group called on the United States to replicate—and expand—such protections.

Image caption: The growing international rulings, government acknowledgements, and awards highlight a turning tide—and now is the time for the United States to implement legal reforms that respect the rights, liberty, and dignity of all individuals in mental health settings. – CCHR International.

In the U.S., the practice of forced psychiatric detainment has sharply escalated. According to David Cohen, professor of social welfare at UCLA’s Luskin School, involuntary psychiatric detentions have increased at a rate three times higher than population growth in recent years.[2]

A 2023 report, Involuntary Civil Commitment: Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Protections, posted on Congress.gov, underscores that such commitments “implicate constitutional concerns and constraints under the Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution,” particularly regarding the liberty interests of confined individuals. Yet, it notes the U.S. Supreme Court has never conclusively ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees all such protections.[3]

While the Italian court ruling is significant, CCHR notes that it stops short of banning Trattamento Sanitario Obbligatorio (TSO), the Italian legal framework for compulsory psychiatric hospitalization.[4] The U.S. similarly authorizes involuntary psychiatric treatment through legislative orders. In both countries, forced interventions remain legal despite mounting ethical criticism.

Coercion in mental health settings has increasingly drawn global condemnation. Critics argue that forced psychiatric treatment fundamentally violates human dignity and autonomy. A 2023 study in BMC Psychiatry concluded that coercion is incompatible with human rights and “should be avoided as far as possible.”[5] That same year, The Lancet warned that coercive psychiatric practices override patients’ fundamental rights, and that approaches to reduce coercion are possible, and the cost of implementing them is minimal compared to the damage caused by forced interventions.[6]

Italy’s decision follows another recent victory involving CCHR efforts in Europe. In Hungary, CCHR collaborated with legal experts to secure a Constitutional Court ruling that found Parliament had failed to provide legal avenues for individuals unlawfully detained in psychiatric facilities to seek compensation. Following sustained advocacy by CCHR Hungary, others, the Court and the President of the Republic, a new regulation was enacted on December 20, 2024, guaranteeing—for the first time—the legal right to compensation for victims of unlawful psychiatric detention.[7]

CCHR’s international work continues to gain recognition. On June 2, 2025, New Zealand CCHR volunteer Victor Boyd was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit by King Charles III. The honor recognized his 50-year campaign with CCHR to expose coercive psychiatric practices, particularly those used against children at the now-closed Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital’s Child and Adolescent Unit. Boyd’s relentless advocacy through CCHR helped prompt a formal government acknowledgement of the abuse and torture carried out by a psychiatrist heading the unit. The award is endorsed by the New Zealand Prime Minister and the Parliamentary Cabinet.[8]

Momentum is also growing at the global policy level. The World Health Organization (WHO) released its Guidance on Mental Health Policy and Strategic Action Plan in April 2025, recommending the prohibition of involuntary psychiatric practices—including forced hospitalization and treatment—and affirming individuals’ right to refuse such treatment. The WHO and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have repeatedly called for mental health systems to move away from coercion and adopt rights-respecting, support-based alternative approaches.

These international reforms are grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which Italy ratified in 2009. The CRPD explicitly rejects coercive interventions in mental health care. Its General Comment No. 1 affirms that all individuals—regardless of disability status—retain full legal capacity and must be supported, not substituted, in making decisions about their lives and health.[9]

About CCHR: Since its founding in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and professor of psychiatry, Dr. Thomas Szasz, CCHR has worked alongside survivors, whistleblowers, and international legal experts to expose systemic psychiatric abuse and advocate for transparent, non-coercive mental health care. The growing international rulings, government acknowledgements, and awards highlight a turning tide—and CCHR says now is the time for the United States to implement legal reforms that respect the rights, liberty, and dignity of all individuals in mental health settings.

To learn more, visit: https://www.cchrint.org/2025/06/13/italys-court-ruling-builds-against-forced-psychiatry/

Sources:

[1] “CCHR Encourages Italy to Complete Full Mental Health Reform After Court Ruling on Forced Treatment,” European Times, 5 June 2025, https://europeantimes.news/2025/06/cchr-italy-full-mental-health-reform-court-ruling-forced-treatment/

[2] https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/656273520/new-who-mental-health-guideline-condemns-coercive-psychiatric-practices; “Study finds involuntary psychiatric detentions on the rise,” UCLA Newsroom, 3 Nov. 2020, https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/involuntary-psychiatric-detentions-on-the-rise

[3] Hannah-Alise Rogers, “Involuntary Civil Commitment: Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Protections,” Health Care; Law, Constitution & Civil Liberties, 24 May 2023, https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47571

[4] “CCHR Encourages Italy to Complete Full Mental Health Reform After Court Ruling on Forced Treatment,” European Times, 5 June 2025, https://europeantimes.news/2025/06/cchr-italy-full-mental-health-reform-court-ruling-forced-treatment/

[5] Eva Brekke, et al., “Patients’ experiences with coercive mental health treatment in Flexible Assertive Community Treatment: a qualitative study,” BMC Psychiatry, 18 Oct. 2023, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37853402/

[6] Beate Wild, et al., “Reduction of coercion in psychiatric hospitals: how can this be achieved?” The Lancet, Dec. 2023, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(23)00214-4/fulltext

[7] https://www.cchrint.org/2025/05/17/apa-faces-outrage-child-deaths-mental-health-failure/

[8] “King’s Birthday Honours: Advocate dedicates award to survivors of abuse in care,” RNZ, 2 June 2025, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/562817/king-s-birthday-honours-advocate-dedicates-award-to-survivors-of-abuse-in-care; “Abuses in psychiatric care: The shameful story of the Lake Alice Child and Adolescent unit in Aotearoa New Zealand,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry, 2023 Sep;57(9):1193-1197, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10466991/; https://www.cchrint.org/2021/07/01/cchrs-work-acknowledged-nz-inquiry-lake-alice-psychiatric-child-torture/

[9] “CCHR Encourages Italy to Complete Full Mental Health Reform After Court Ruling on Forced Treatment,” European Times, 5 June 2025, https://europeantimes.news/2025/06/cchr-italy-full-mental-health-reform-court-ruling-forced-treatment/

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NEWS SOURCE: Citizens Commission on Human Rights

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Summer Shopping Trends 2025: Smarter, Greener, and More Personalized – HotDeals Helps Shoppers Stay Ahead

LOS ANGELES, Calif., June 13, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — As the 2025 summer shopping season kicks off, consumers are embracing new behaviors shaped by smarter spending, personalized experiences, and a heightened focus on sustainability. HotDeals, a leading online coupon and deals platform, is helping shoppers navigate these evolving trends with curated offers that match their needs.

Image caption: Summer Shopping Trends 2025: HotDeals Helps Shoppers Stay Ahead.

SMARTER SHOPPING HABITS

In 2025, consumers are becoming more strategic in their purchasing decisions. With economic challenges and an ever-growing variety of options, shoppers are prioritizing value and efficiency. Whether it’s comparing prices, waiting for the best sale events, or using technology to help make informed choices, shoppers are more mindful than ever about how and where they spend.

HotDeals plays a crucial role by offering a one-stop shop for verified discount codes, seasonal deals, and exclusive promotions from a variety of retailers. By centralizing the latest offers on one platform, HotDeals makes it easy for users to find the best savings without the hassle of searching multiple sites.

PERSONALIZED SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

The rise of personalization is one of the most significant trends of 2025. Shoppers are no longer satisfied with generic offers; they want discounts tailored to their preferences, shopping habits, and needs.

HotDeals addresses this shift by organizing deals into specific categories and brand preferences, enabling users to quickly find offers that match their shopping interests — whether they’re looking for clothing, tech gadgets, or household essentials. Personalized recommendations, based on browsing history and user profiles, ensure that every shopping session brings value, convenience, and relevance.

CONSCIOUS, ECO-FRIENDLY SHOPPING

As sustainability becomes a core value for many shoppers, eco-friendly products and ethical brands are increasingly in demand. More than just a passing trend, green consumerism is here to stay. From choosing recyclable packaging to supporting brands with transparent supply chains, 2025’s consumers are making choices that reflect their desire to protect the planet.

HotDeals is responding to this growing demand by featuring discounts from sustainable and eco-conscious brands. For example, The Body Shop, known for its commitment to cruelty-free beauty products, remains a favorite among green-conscious consumers. By using a The Body Shop discount code available on HotDeals, shoppers can save on ethical beauty products without compromising their environmental values.

HotDeals also partners with brands that focus on reduced carbon footprints, recycled materials, and fair trade practices, making it easier for consumers to make purchases that align with their environmental values while staying within budget.

HOTDEALS: HELPING SHOPPERS STAY AHEAD

As shopping behaviors evolve, HotDeals continues to adapt by offering a streamlined, user-friendly platform that connects consumers with the best deals, tailored to their values and shopping needs. Whether it’s a smart savings strategy for a summer vacation, a personalized shopping experience, or finding eco-friendly discounts, HotDeals is there to help users make the most of their money.

“At HotDeals, we understand that shoppers today want more than just a good deal,” said Lucy Liu, PR Representative at HotDeals. “They want smarter ways to shop, deals that align with their preferences, and products that support their values. We’re proud to be part of this movement, helping consumers make informed, thoughtful purchases.”

ABOUT HOTDEALS

HotDeals.com is a premier platform that helps users find top coupons, deals, and discounts from over 200,000 online retailers globally. Covering a wide range of categories including fashion, electronics, beauty, and travel, HotDeals makes shopping easier by offering real-time updates, exclusive offers, and AI-driven coupon recommendations. Committed to providing trustworthy deals, HotDeals ensures a smooth shopping experience while helping consumers save more with every purchase.

Learn more: https://HotDeals.com/

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NEWS SOURCE: HotDeals

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CCHR Demands Urgent Reform to Stop Child Abuse in Youth Behavioral Facilities

LOS ANGELES, Calif., June 9, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Amid a surge of reported abuse and deaths in psychiatric and behavioral residential programs for youth, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR) is urging immediate and sweeping federal intervention. CCHR warns that continued inaction by state and federal agencies endangers lives and enables a mental health system where vulnerable children and adolescents are subjected to trauma, neglect, and avoidable harm.

Image caption: “Children should not be warehoused, abused, or silenced. What is happening now is a humanitarian crisis hiding in plain sight.” – Jan Eastgate, President, CCHR International.

In December 2024, Congress passed the bipartisan Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, calling for a study by the National Academies of Sciences into the state of youth in institutional programs. However, the legislation granted a three-year window to complete the investigation—a delay CCHR deems unconscionable now, given ongoing reports of harm.

“Children are dying. Others are being restrained, secluded, forcibly drugged, or sexually abused,” said Jan Eastgate, President of CCHR International. “How many more cases of tragedy must occur before regulators respond with urgency? A three-year timeline is a death sentence for some of these children.”

A 2024 peer-reviewed study in Psychiatric Services confirmed that the use of seclusion and mechanical restraints remains widespread in U.S. psychiatric hospitals, despite the documented trauma and risk of death. The study called on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and The Joint Commission to implement reforms to end the practice.

A previous New York Times investigation estimated at least 86 deaths in youth behavioral programs from 2000 to 2015, noting that children in these institutions are often subjected to conditions that would be unlawful for prisoners—including isolation, and physical and chemical restraint.[1]

In just the past few weeks, a string of new incidents has surfaced from across the U.S. involving youth facilities, including:

Two girls, aged 12 and 13, died by suicide in May in a North Carolina behavioral treatment facility, forcing its closure.[2]
Reports of hundreds of prolonged restraint incidents in a single California psychiatric facility within months.[3]
A teenage boy was repeatedly sexually abused by staff at a New Mexico behavioral facility.[4]
Seclusion and restraint of children as young as five; Vermont state authorities confirmed over 500 cases.[5]
New legislation was passed in Maryland restricting the use of physical restraints during youth transport to psych facilities.[6]

Although multiple federal investigations have led to substantial fines and civil settlements, CCHR asserts these penalties have failed to deter misconduct, patient harm, and deaths. “Financial penalties are clearly not enough. Many of these settlements are treated as the cost of doing business,” Eastgate noted. CCHR also emphasizes that current tools used by government agencies—such as consent agreements or Corporate Integrity Agreements (CIAs)—do not work. These measures allow institutions with a history of serious violations to remain operational after promising internal improvements. “Voluntary promises are violated again and again, and children suffer the consequences,” Eastgate said. “These agreements create a dangerous illusion of accountability.”

The organization is calling on Congress and the Administration to take such actions as:

Accelerate the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act investigation.
Withhold CMS and Medicaid funding from facilities with substantiated abuse records.
Freeze new licenses or bed expansions for companies under investigation.
Establish criminal penalties for executives and staff found complicit in systemic abuse.
Prohibit the use of further Corporate Integrity or improvement agreements for known violators.

In June 2024, a U.S. Senate Finance Committee report into several for-profit youth behavioral hospital chains described the harms children experienced resulted, in part, from financial models that prioritize revenue over safety. The Committee urged “bold intervention” to prevent further tragedies.

Prominent legal professionals agree. KBA attorney Kayla Ferrel Onder stated: “More effective oversight systems need to be in place to protect patients. This includes stricter penalties for facilities found guilty of abuse or fraud. Jail time for executives and significantly larger financial penalties may be necessary to curb misconduct prevalent in the behavioral healthcare industry.”[7]

Attorney Tommy James cites horrendous physical abuse and emotional trauma in behavioral residential facilities, stating, “those responsible must be held accountable.”[8] Another attorney, Kayla Ferrel Onder said the abuse is so extensive that it reflected a “systemic failure,” which needs to stop.[9]

CCHR maintains an extensive record of documented youth abuse in psychiatric facilities, including seclusion, restraint, sexual assault, and forced drugging. “Children should not be warehoused, abused, or silenced,” said Eastgate. “What is happening now is a humanitarian crisis hiding in plain sight.”

Quoting lawmakers who have supported the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, Rep. Ro Khanna stated: “The industry has gone unchecked for too long.”[10] Senator Tommy Tuberville added: “We need more sunlight… to stop the waste, fraud, and abuse in the system.”

“This is not a policy debate—it is a moral imperative,” Eastgate concluded. “We are calling on legislators, prosecutors, and health agencies to act now. No more broken promises. No more promises of avoidable deaths. No more children forgotten in the system.”

About CCHR: The government-acclaimed watchdog and award-winning advocacy group was established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and Professor of Psychiatry, Dr. Thomas Szasz.

To learn more, visit: https://www.cchrint.org/2025/06/06/children-abused-dying-in-psychiatric-hospitals-while-u-s-agencies-stall/

Sources:

[1] Alexander Stockton, “Can you punish a child’s mental health problems away?” The New York Times, 11 Oct. 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/10/11/opinion/teen-mental-health-care.html

[2] Jeffery Collins, “Residential treatment school closes in North Carolina after deaths of 2 girls,” AP News, 3 June 2025, https://apnews.com/article/therapy-school-closes-north-carolina-asheville-academy-9854c3ca7cda11cc06f05d9fccef4112

[3] “California watchdog finds for-profit psychiatric hospital abused patients,” San Francisco Chronicle, 19 May 2025

[4] “Suit alleges teen repeatedly abused by worker at former youth residential treatment center,” Santa Fe New Mexican, 29 May 2025, https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/suit-alleges-teen-repeatedly-abused-by-worker-at-former-youth-residential-treatment-center/article_be37888c-4bbe-41db-bd35-c76f3c8eb6c1.html

[5] “Youth in Vermont custody have been physically restrained hundreds of times in recent years,” VT Digger, 22 May 2025, https://vtdigger.org/2025/05/22/youth-in-vermont-custody-have-been-physically-restrained-hundreds-of-times-in-recent-years/

[6] https://legiscan.com/MD/text/SB400/id/3232730

[7] https://kbaattorneys.com/acadia-abuse-behavioral-health-facilities/

[8] Erica Thomas, “Tuskegee youth facility dubbed ‘House of Horrors’ in latest lawsuit,” 1819 News, 27 Aug. 2024, https://1819news.com/news/item/tuskegee-youth-facility-dubbed-house-of-horrors-in-latest-lawsuit

[9] “Letter: The alarming pattern of abuse at Acadia Healthcare facilities,” Springfield Daily Citizen, 29 May 2025, https://sgfcitizen.org/voices-opinion/letters/letter-the-alarming-pattern-of-abuse-at-acadia-healthcare-facilities/

[10] https://www.cchrint.org/2024/12/27/paris-hilton-congress-praised-for-teen-behavioral-treatment-abuse-prevention-and-oversight/ citing https://khanna.house.gov/media/press-releases/khanna-merkley-cornyn-tuberville-and-carter-joined-paris-hilton-celebrating

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Image caption: “Children should not be warehoused, abused, or silenced. What is happening now is a humanitarian crisis hiding in plain sight.” – Jan Eastgate, President, CCHR International.

NEWS SOURCE: Citizens Commission on Human Rights

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Ally Walker, Star of ‘Sons of Anarchy,’ Debuts New Metaphysical Thriller ‘The Light Runner’

LOS ANGELES, Calif., June 6, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Red Rabbit Press LLC. presents “The Light Runner” (ISBN: 978-1966981060). Ally Walker has captivated audiences with unforgettable roles—from June Stahl in “Sons of Anarchy” to Dr. Sam Waters in “Profiler.” Her versatility has made her a standout presence in film and television, with memorable performances in “Universal Soldier” and “While You Were Sleeping.” After recent appearances in ‘Ghosted, Longmire, and Colony,” Walker now brings her storytelling prowess to the page with her debut novel, “The Light Runner.”

Photo Caption: “The Light Runner” by Ally Walker.

With “The Light Runner,” Walker delivers a metaphysical thriller that bends reality, unravels secrets, and challenges perception.

At Bainbridge Psychiatric Hospital, the lines between truth and illusion are dangerously thin. Dr. Ella Kramer, a psychiatrist haunted by her own past, is assigned to Captain Oliver Haskell, a decorated war hero whose fractured mind may hold the key to solving his wife’s brutal murder. As she delves deeper into his unraveling psyche, she begins to uncover disturbing patterns among the other patients—patterns that suggest Bainbridge is far more than it seems.

Walker’s cinematic storytelling shines through in the novel, earning praise from her peers. Actress Sarah Wayne Callies, “The Walking Dead,” called it “propulsive, thoughtful, incisive—a thriller that stands out in a crowded field.”

A masterful weaving of past and present, actor Tim DeKay “Oppenheimer” described it as “a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of the prisons we build for ourselves, both within and without.”

Katey Sagal “Sons of Anarchy, Married with Children.” praised the novel’s immersive storytelling, saying, “The imagery is vivid and other-worldly, and the storytelling makes it impossible to put down. The characters are unique and compelling, making the whole ride fun.”

Walker’s ability to create cinematic storytelling is a standout feature of “The Light Runner.” Robert Davi (Profiler, Die Hard) emphasizes her deep understanding of character and narrative, declaring, “Ally Walker has planted her flag in the crime genre… vivid storytelling, pacing, and character development—true cinematic storytelling.”

Beyond the unraveling mystery, “The Light Runner” bridges psychological suspense with metaphysical intrigue. Christine Lahti (Chicago Hope) calls it “a fantastical page-turner… a thriller that bridges two worlds and begs the question—how will you fight to keep your humanity?”

Walker crafts a thriller that grips, unsettles, and refuses to let go.

“The Light Runner” releases June 6, 2025. For more information, visit https://allywalkerofficial.com/.

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Photo Caption: “The Light Runner” by Ally Walker.

NEWS SOURCE: Red Rabbit Press LLC.

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Red Rabbit Press LLC.), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

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CCHR Warns: Millions of Children Exposed to Risky Psychiatric Drugs

LOS ANGELES, Calif., June 2, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — A federal assessment of children’s health has identified the widespread prescribing of psychotropic drugs to U.S. youth as a “public crisis” driven by industry profit motives, flawed science, and systemic conflicts of interest. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found that stimulants, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anti-anxiety drugs were leading the surge.[1] According to the Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR), a mental health industry watchdog, this is fueling a psychotropic drug market that reaps $22.6 billion annually.

Image caption: “Profit-driven psychiatry is putting children at risk with no science to justify diagnoses or drugs.” – Jan Eastgate, President of CCHR International.

CCHR advised parents to become better informed about the risks of psychotropic drugs, including benzodiazepines or anti-anxiety drugs prescribed to children. CCHR offers a 16-page educational booklet, Psychiatric Drugs & Your Child’s Future, and the documentary Dead Wrong, which features bereaved parents who lost children to psychiatric drug effects, especially antidepressants—black box-warned for suicide in 2004, more than 15 years after Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.

HHS reported that prescriptions for stimulants rose 250% between 2006 and 2016. By 2022, 11% of all children—and nearly 25% of boys—had a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), despite no medical test to confirm the behavioral symptoms. Long-term trials of ADHD drugs show no academic, behavioral, or social benefit beyond 14 months—and a loss of height averaging one inch. Teen use of antidepressants increased 1,400% between 1987 and 2014, and over 2 million prescriptions were written for adolescents in 2022 alone.[2]

Antipsychotic drug use among children grew 800% between 1995 and 2009, with 66% prescribed off-label—including for ADHD and “aggression.” Antipsychotics in adolescent boys may cause up to 5x more gynecomastia (male breast growth); 4x more extrapyramidal effects (movement disorders); and 6–8x more weight gain than placebo. Meanwhile, serious side effects—including seizures, cardiac issues, male breast growth, and prolonged withdrawal syndromes—are widely documented.[3]

CCHR, which has tracked what it calls mass-prescribed drug child abuse since its founding in 1969, said the situation is even more dire than the HHS report reveals. Using data from IQVia’s Total Patient Tracker Database for 2020, CCHR found:

1 million 0–17-year-olds were prescribed ADHD stimulants,
15 million were on antidepressants,
15 million were taking anti-anxiety drugs, including highly addictive benzodiazepines, and
829,372 were prescribed antipsychotics known to cause neurological damage.[4]

Combined, over 6.1 million children and teens were drugged—representing more than 8.2% of the U.S. youth population.[5]

Psychotropic polypharmacy is especially prevalent among youth covered by Medicaid. A 2024 study found a rise in multiple drug use in this group, increasing the risk of adverse medical outcomes. Researchers reviewed 126,972 Medicaid recipients who had received at least one psychotropic drug and had continuous coverage for 90+ days. The prevalence of polypharmacy rose from 4.2% in 2015 to 4.6% in 2020, with higher rates among those in foster care (10.8% to 11.3%), the Children’s Health Program (2.2% to 2.8%), and low-income households (2.1% to 2.8%).[6]

The problem is exacerbated by drug misuse. In 2018, almost 16% of U.S. college students said they misused prescription stimulants.[7] A 2023 survey of college students who reported using prescription stimulants revealed that about 21.7% had taken a higher-than-prescribed dose in the past three months.[8] Many students mistakenly believe one ADHD stimulant to be no more harmful than coffee, assuming it is safe because it’s prescribed by doctors.[9]

Youth drug overdoses on prescription drugs is also a serious risk. In 2019, 4,777 U.S. youth died from drug overdoses; 727 involved benzodiazepines and 902 involved psychostimulants. In 2020, 2,928 nonfatal benzodiazepine overdoses were reported among youth aged 15 to 24. Among these, 29% had a prescription in the previous month and 42% within six months. Intentional overdoses were more likely among those with recent prescriptions. Fifty-six percent of benzodiazepine overdoses were intentional compared with 40% of stimulant overdoses.[10]

The FDA issued a black box warning in 2020 for benzodiazepines, citing “risks of abuse, misuse, and addiction, which can lead to overdose or death.”[11]

A 2022 study in Pediatrics found that a quarter of insured teens who overdosed on anxiety or ADHD drugs had received a recent prescription.[12]

HHS linked the rise in drug use to broadened diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), expanded in 2013 by panels with financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry. This contributed to a 40-fold increase in childhood diagnoses such as ADHD and bipolar disorder. Yet, no psychiatric-defined disorder meets the scientific definition of a disease. Former U.S. National Institute of Mental Health Director Thomas Insel stated: “Unlike our definitions of ischemic heart disease, lymphoma, or AIDS, the DSM diagnoses are based on a consensus about clusters of clinical symptoms, not any objective laboratory measure.”[13]

CCHR, established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and professor of psychiatry, Dr. Thomas Szasz, has achieved significant reforms in this area, including a 2004 federal law prohibiting schools from forcing students onto psychotropic drugs as a requisite for their education. Jan Eastgate, President of CCHR International, said: “Profit-driven psychiatry is putting children at risk with no science to justify diagnoses or drugs.” CCHR stresses that the nation’s child mental health system requires a complete overhaul—eliminating treatments that expose children to suicide, addiction, physical harm, and institutional profiteering.

To learn more, visit: https://www.cchrint.org/2025/05/30/federal-report-confirms-psychotropic-drugging-children-national-crisis/

Sources:

[1] “Making Our Children Healthy Again,” Make America Healthy Again Commission (MAHA), 22 May 2025, p. 54

[2] MAHA Report, pp. 16-17

[3] MAHA Report, pp. 54-56

[4] https://www.cchrint.org/psychiatric-drugs/children-on-psychiatric-drugs/

[5] https://www.childstats.gov/AMERICASCHILDREN/tables/pop1.asp

[6] “Psychotropic Polypharmacy Trends Rise Among Child, Adolescent Medicaid Beneficiaries,” Psychiatric Times, 21 May 2024

[7] https://news.osu.edu/misuse-of-stimulants-remains-a-top-concern-on-college-campuses/

[8] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1125729/us-college-student-prescription-stimulant-overuse/

[9] “Are You Surprised By the 4 Most Abused Study Drugs?” Detox.com, 28 Feb. 2018

[10] https://www.clinicaladvisor.com/news/teens-overdosing-prescribed-anxiety-adhd-medications/; https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9097826/

[11] https://www.cchrint.org/2023/08/30/mental-health-watchdog-highlights-global-benzodiazepine-risks/; “FDA requiring Boxed Warning updated to improve safe use of benzodiazepine drug class. Includes potential for abuse, addiction, and other serious risks,” FDA, 23 Sept. 2020

[12] https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-055226

[13] “The NIMH Withdraws Support for DSM-5,” Psychology Today, 4 May 2003

MULTIMEDIA:

Image link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/25-0602-s2p-cchrcrisis-300dpi.jpg

Image caption: “Profit-driven psychiatry is putting children at risk with no science to justify diagnoses or drugs.” – Jan Eastgate, President of CCHR International.

NEWS SOURCE: Citizens Commission on Human Rights

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/cchr-warns-millions-of-children-exposed-to-risky-psychiatric-drugs/

Cayden – The Virtual Artist Reimagining Emotional Pop, Drops Debut Single ‘Esperanza’

LOS ANGELES, Calif., May 29, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Meet Cayden: not just the future of pop music, but a voice from another world literally. Hailing from a richly imagined parallel universe, Cayden makes his debut on Earth with the release of “Esperanza,” an emotionally charged single that blends cinematic pop production with an urgent call for compassion, Sixth P Media announced today.

Image caption: Cayden – The Virtual Artist Reimagining Emotional Pop Drops Debut Single “Esperanza.”

Rooted in Latin-inspired melodies and moody, atmospheric soundscapes, “Esperanza” channels the heartbreak of separation experienced by displaced families. Cayden’s vocal performance carries themes of loss, longing, and quiet resilience—inviting listeners into a story that feels both otherworldly and deeply human.

But Cayden isn’t just here to sing—he’s here to spark change. The single anchors a 12-week social impact campaign on TikTok and Instagram, rallying creators, musicians, and nonprofits to amplify stories of survival, hope, and justice. From mass deportations to mental health and climate displacement, the campaign uses storytelling to illuminate shared struggles and inspire collective healing.

Hashtags like #CaydenEsperanza and #HumanNotIllegal will serve as digital threads connecting thousands of user-generated stories around hope.

More than a virtual performer, Cayden represents a new kind of artist one who crosses dimensions and emotional boundaries alike. His voice, enhanced with advanced technology and grounded in live vocal performances, underscores the project’s commitment to emotional authenticity. The result? A character who may be virtual, but whose message is undeniably real.

ABOUT THE SONG: “ESPERANZA”

“Esperanza” – Spanish for hope – is an emotive anthem about separation, survival, and the strength to hold on. From its first haunting note, Cayden’s performance channels the heartache of marginalized communities around the world, offering not just recognition, but resonance.

A WORD FROM THE CREATORS

“Cayden isn’t just about cutting-edge animation,” says co-creator Elizabeth Daro. “He’s an artist who travels between worlds—real and imagined—to give voice to stories that often go unheard. His mission has always been emotional connection.”

“Esperanza” is now streaming on all major platforms. Join the movement. Share your story. #CaydenEsperanza

LEARN MORE ONLINE AND STREAM MUSIC AT:

https://www.tiktok.com/@caydenthealien

https://music.apple.com/us/album/esperanza-feat-rae-d-single/1809897725

https://open.spotify.com/album/5UcN7pnIaFCrGw1Me00uXy

For press inquiries or interviews with the creators, contact: Lizzy Molina / Lizzy@sixthp.com

ABOUT SIXTH P MEDIA:

Founded by Lizzy Molina in 2015, Sixth P Media is a creative agency specializing in brand storytelling and strategy across music, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle sectors. With a foundation rooted in both creativity and data, we help companies craft bold narratives, amplify their digital presence, and turn ideas into movements.

Our team of passionate thinkers works hands-on with each client to develop campaigns that resonate, content that converts, and designs that disrupt. From launching chart-topping singles to building athlete-driven campaigns and producing viral social rollouts, we bridge culture and commerce with precision and heart. At Sixth P Media, we believe vulnerability fuels connection and the most powerful brands are built on truth, intention, and imagination. VISIT: https://www.sixthp.com/.

NEWS SOURCE: Sixth P Media

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Sixth P Media), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/cayden-the-virtual-artist-reimagining-emotional-pop-drops-debut-single-esperanza/

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