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LOGANVILLE - When Randy Roecker learned that his neighbor, Leon Statz, had died from suicide, all the feelings from his own struggle with depression roaredback.

It was Oct.8, 2018.

In the parking lot at St. Peters Lutheran Church, three of Roecker's friends were discussing whathad happened that day to Statz, whose dairy farm was a few miles from town.

Roecker broke down and cried.

"You guys just don't know what it's like dealing with this," he told them.

Roecker, who is also a dairy farmer, understood the severe depression that Statz experienced when his farm was in trouble. He'dbeen through it himself.

You have this burden that you carry," he said. "I kept feeling all the time that I was a failure, that I had let everybody down.

Some parishioners at St. Peter's, where Statz was a member, knew he was battling depression. But since he was receivingout-patient treatment, they assumed he wasn't at risk of dying from suicide.

Statz had suffered from depression for years. Hefelt deeply responsiblefor keeping his third-generafarm afloat through hard times including the dairy crisis triggered after milk prices collapsed in late 2014.

Leon Statz, a dairy farmer from Loganville, died from suicide caused by severe depression.Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

In his mind, difficulties on the farm would quickly slip from bad to catastrophic, said Brenda Statz, his widow and wife of 34 years.

She and Leon hadnt lost their farm, but they had struggled some as they transitioned from dairy to beef and grain farming. For Leon, the change represented a huge failure.

He would say, Im a dairyman, not a grain farmer,'" Brenda recalled.

This year alone, about 800 dairy farmers in Wisconsin quit or were forced out of the business, a rate of more than two per day. Some left in despair, having lost not only their livelihood but the home they grew up in, whichtheir parents or grandparents had built.

"You feel like you are letting down all the previous generations of your family if you don't farm anymore," Roecker said.

At Roecker's Rolling Acres, you'd neverknow anything was amiss. It's a showcaseoperation that hashosted many foreign visitors touring Wisconsin dairy farms.

The 300-cow operation has been in Randy Roecker's family since the 1930s. He's an experienced farmer and board member of Dairy Management Inc., the national organization that promotes dairy products through ad campaigns such as Undeniably Dairy.

Thirteen years ago the farm underwenta major expansion costing about $3 million.

It was aimed at keeping the farm up to date, and tobring Randy's two children, now adults, into the operation as his parents, now in their 80s, ease out.

It's not all gloom and doom in the dairy industry," Roecker said. "But in order to survive, in any business, you have to grow. If you dont, youre falling behind."

Still, the debt, and the recession that followed the expansion, triggered financial stress that became unbearable. The farm was losing up to $30,000 a month, undermining years of hard work and careful planning for the future.

Thats when Roecker's depression kicked in.

I just felt so alone. There was nobody to help me get through all this stuff, he said. Itgot to the point where I wanted to die every day.

He couldn't turn it off at night, either.

"All of this starts playing with your mind," Roecker said. "You try to sleep, and it gets worse because its all going through your head.You feel like everythings spiraling out of control."

And, thats exactly what happened.

One time he found himself in the barn, looking up at some ropes in the hayloft. More than once he had contemplated ending his life by suicide, and it scared him.

"I never had problems with depression before, but when this hit me, it was bad," he said.

How to find help

Farm Aid: The national group, which also provides assistance to families, has a toll-free line 1-800-FARM-AID for farmers and families seeking similar assistance. It's staffed weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern time.

Upcoming workshopsThe Farm Center and University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension are hosting a series of six farm couples weekend workshops around the state from Jan. 18 to April 4. The workshops are free, but limited to 10 couples each session.

Lodging, meals, instruction and materials are provided, and financial assistance for childcare, farm labor or mileage may be available.

For more information, call the Farm Center at 800-942-2474.

Roecker was hospitalized three times for depression. Over a period of about seven yearshe battled it with therapy and antidepressant medications which, as a side-effect, can increase suicidal thoughts.

Some people knew he was struggling but didn't step up to help. His wife of 32 years, overwhelmed with the stress from the farm, filed for divorce.

"I felt like all of my friends just dropped me, that no one wanted anything to do with me," Roecker said."I felt like I was suffering alone in silence. The awareness of depression is out there, but we still have to shed this stigma of not talking about it."

With help from a therapist, he gradually started getting his life back in order. Then the 54-year-old farmer heard about Statz's death.

Dairy farmer Randy Roecker, right, talks with retired dairy farmer Hank Elfers, second from left, at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Loganville. Roecker helped organize Farm Neighbors Care events to help farmers who need support.Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Itjust put me back where I was, Roecker said. I told my therapist, that since I have gone through this myself, and there is just nobody out there helping farmers deal with this, I feel like its my calling to do something.

Roecker, Brenda Statzand fellow church member Dale Meyer, a retired police detective, organized Farm Neighbors Care events at St. Peters church.

At one of those meetings in early December, farmers talked openly about their struggles with stress, depression and financial hardships.

About 40 people, including some who were not St. Peter's parishioners, met in the church basement for a lunch of turkey sandwiches, soup and cookies served in exchange for a free-will offering.

They chatted about the wet fall harvest and how challenging it had been for farmers to get crops out of the fields. There was a light-hearted, humorous presentation from Ben Bromley, a former Baraboo News Republic columnist.

Then the discussion turned serious, with presentations from farmers, parishioners and public health officials who offered resources for anyone experiencing mental health issues.

"Leon was a member of this church. He was stressed out, but we felt that we didn't do what we should have for him," Meyer said. "And in Randy's situation, people knew about it, but nobody got around him and said 'Randy, how can we help?'"

One of the takeaway messages was that farmers could also help each other because they understood the unique challenges in agriculture, where the weather and global markets, out of a farmer's control, can turn their world upside down.

"We've had low milk prices for five years ... you burn through the equity in your farm because you're borrowing money to keep going," Roecker said. "I tell my friends in town, 'you don't know what it's like. We have no savings, no benefits.'"

The handful of meetings this year have drawn farmers from hours away and have been replicated at other churches in Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota.

"I want other farmers to be able to reach out to me," Roecker said. "I have gotten calls from people in four or five states. The biggest thing is to just listen."

For some, the notion of friends, neighbors and relatives knowing about their mental health issuesis simply too much, even if they would understand. But there are confidential services anyone can turn to for help, and that includes places that understand farmers.

The Wisconsin Farm Center, part of the state agriculture department, has a staff very familiar with farming. The Madison-based agency offers awide range of free servicesincluding help sorting out farm finances. They offer vouchers that farmers and their families can use to get counseling at clinics across the state.

"We want farmers to feel like they're being understood. You'd be surprised at how much just spending an hour with someone can help," said Angie Sullivan, the Farm Center's agriculture program manager.

The agency has a mediation service that can give farmers some relief from creditors. Also, there's help available for settling family disputes, like when different generations disagree on their farm's path forward.

Lets talk about some ways you can manage this really difficult time in your life, Sullivan said. "We can sit at your kitchen table as many times as you need us, to go over your financial picture or your transition plan."

Some of the agency's staff are ex-farmers or are still farming. Some have 30 years' experience in agricultural banking and other areas of agribusiness.

What we're seeing, unfortunately, is many farmers have not been able to pay back their operating loans for the last couple of years. Many are stressed to the limit credit-wise," Sullivan said.

The group Farm Aid offers similar assistance. Its (800) FARM-AID crisis line provides services to farm families, and its Farmer Resource Networkconnects farmers to organizations across the country.

In the last two yearswe have seen a pretty drastic increase in the number of calls, as well as the number of calls that have a crisis component, said Madeline Lutkewitte, manager of the Farm Aid crisis linebased in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

We have had a lot of calls from people in dairy farming who just havent been able to keep up with their bills and can't get loans for the remainder of the year and next spring," she said.

This winter, Wisconsin farm couples can attend workshops in Mineral Point, Wausau, Appleton, Waupun, Eau Claire and Rice Lake, aimed at helping them manage stress associated with financial problems.

The workshops, sponsored by the state agriculture department and University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, will include a segment on how to talk with children about problems on the farm, and decision-making when the farm may have to shut down.

Our mission is to keep people farming but sometimes there are no options except to leave, so we want to do whatever we can to help people be prepared for that, and to make it through that time as a couple and a family, Sullivan said.

Leon Statzs identity was in being a dairy farmer, and it showed in everything he did.

Year after year, he won awards from his cooperative,Foremost Farms, for producing high-quality milk. His wife, Brenda, displayed those awards at his funeral, thinking Leon would have liked that.

His pride was in producing a quality product, she said.

And he lived for the challenge.

So when Leon's depression became so bad that he hadnt worked in months, he sank in despair.

"His philosophy was, if you werent working, you werent worth anything," Brenda said.

He would try to help out a neighbor on their farm but would be overcome with anxiety that he might do something wrong, that some machinery might break while he was operating it.

He would leave me notes and say I am trying to do the best I can, Brenda said.

Since Leons death, she has become an advocate for farmer mental health and suicide prevention.

There aren't many reliable statistics on farmer suicide rates, but experts say that dairy farmers are especially vulnerable because theirlives are inseparable from their work cows must be milked two or three times a day, 365 days a year.

"We only went on one vacation, ever, with our kids when they were little," Brenda said.

Often, farmers experiencing depression will isolate themselves. They don't visit with neighbors as much as they used to, or they may spend more time in the barn alone. Some will make their death look like an accident.

Farmers are private people, and if they reach out for help, you had better take it seriously, Brenda said.

At the Farm Neighbors Care meetingat St. Peter's church in Loganville, ex-dairy farmer Steven Rynkowski opened up about his story and delivered a heartfelt rendition of the song"Take Heart My Friend."

For much of his adult life he had experienced episodes of depression. Then, his farm ran into trouble following an expansion that pushed him into financial difficulties.

He overdosed on alcohol and pills, maybe not a suicide attempt, but it sent him to the hospital.

Three years after his overdose, and 30 years after he started dairy farming right out of high school, Rynkowski quit the business.

"It was very hard on me because farming was my way of life," he said.

He's since helped other farmers face the end of their career.

I dont wish what I went through on anybody. But because I went through it, I am a different person, a better person. ... It's not going to be an easy road out of it, but there is life after dairy farming," Rynkowski said.

He added: My faith has a lot to do with it. You are a child of God, and you have worth well beyond farming or whatever it is you do for a living.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, at (800) 273-8255, for immediate help.

Email him at rick.barrett@jrn.com and follow him on Twitter: @rbarrettJS.

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'You have this burden that you carry': For dairy farmers struggling to hold on, depression can take hold - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Wildcat Glades Friends Group, a nonprofit that helps maintain Wildcat Park and the surrounding chert glades habitat, reported to police earlier this week the theft of items from its maintenance shed.

The entrance to the shed was destroyed sometime between Saturday night and Monday morning, with items including trail maintenance equipment, Shoal Creek Water Festival materials, a lawn mower, a chain saw, a tree trimmer, brooms and rakes stolen, said Robin Standridge, the group's executive director.

Staff with the Joplin Parks and Recreation Department replaced the shed's door and wall to secure the building, but the shed was broken into a second time sometime Monday night or early Tuesday, Standridge said.

"The items stolen were items donated to keep this park beautiful for the community," she said in a statement posted to the Wildcat Glades Friends Group's Facebook page. "This should outrage all of our supporters. We are a not-for-profit. We maintain this area out of love and respect for our community and for the beautiful habitat Joplin has been gifted."

Capt. Nick Jimenez, with the Joplin Police Department, said the theft was first reported to the department on Monday. A door to the maintenance shed had been pried open; the incident report lists items that were stolen, including two leaf blowers, two saws, a trimmer, an ice chest, tents and tools, he said.

Standridge said some of the stolen items have "Wildcat Glades" written on them. Those items, if spotted, should be reported to the Joplin Police Department, she said. The group will press for criminal charges if any suspects are identified, she said.

"We're really grateful for the outpouring of support," Standridge said in an interview with the Globe. "We're asking that people keep their eyes and ears open."

The friends group has since installed motion-sensor lights and three cameras around the old ballfields at Wildcat Park, where the shed is located, Standridge said. As an additional safety measure, it also has removed some barrier walls to make the shed a little more visible to the nearby road, she said.

"We'll just assess if those are going to be adequate," she said.

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Thief steals donated tools from Wildcat Glades shed - Joplin Globe

To protect wintering big-game animals and sage grouse species, the collection of shed antlers on all public lands west of Interstate 25 is prohibited from Wednesday through April 30.

The closures reduce disturbance of wintering wildlife during the time of year they are most vulnerable. Big-game and sage grouse species live in a basic survival mode during the winter when food is scarce. If forced to move and burn calories unnecessarily, wildlife can lose the energy they need to make it through the winter.

Additional special regulations are also in place for the Gunnison Basin. In Game Management Units 54, 55, 66, 67 and 551, it is illegal to search for or possess antlers and horns on public lands between legal sunset and 10 a.m. from May 1 through May 15.

Shed-antler collecting has become very popular over the last decade. Commercial collectors, who sell sheds for decorations, have led to a substantial increase of people searching for antlers and horns in sensitive wildlife areas. The seasonal prohibition applies to commercial and recreational collectors.

Violations may be reported at the nearest CPW office or Operation Game Thief at (877) 265-6648.

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Restrictions on shed-antler collecting begin Wednesday - The Durango Herald

The so-called retail apocalypse appears to have rocked British retail in 2019.

According to the Centre for Retail Research, more than 140,000 U.K. retail jobs, or 2,750 jobs a week, were slashed over the course of 2019.

This is the highest rate of job cuts in 25 years on high-traffic British shopping areas, known as high streets, and marks an increase of more than 20% year-over-year, compared to the 117,400 jobs that were shed in 2018, the report said.

The CRR also noted an increase in store closures. This year, 16,073 U.K. shops (about 61 per day) were shuttered, up from 14,583 total closures the previous year. About 38,100 jobs were lost due to stores going bust, including Karen Millen and Coast, but the majority of job cuts (roughly 78,600) occurred as retailers made adjustments to cut costs.

As 2020 begins, the CRR predicts further job cuts and store closings, barring government intervention. High business taxation rates are one cause for the U.K. retail sectors struggles, explains the CRR, along with high fixed costs, slow sales growth, heavy price competition and the rise of e-commerce.

Over the past decade, e-commerce has undergone a sizable expansion. According to the U.K.s Office for National Statistics, online sales now account for 21.5% of retail sales in the state. In January 2010, e-commerce made up just 7% of the U.K.s total retail sales.

As digital disruption has transformed shopping this decade, store closures and layoffs have followed for traditional retailers internationally. Retailers that failed to adjust to the new climate this decade often faced bankruptcy or complete shutdown. The 2010s saw the end of several high-profile American shoe stores, including Payless, Sports Authority and Bakers Footwear Group.

Brick-and-mortar closures arent always the hallmark of a retail apocalypse, experts say, explaining that shuttering outposts can be a sign of efficiency. Retail analysts say that shrinking store counts can lead to improved profitability at remaining locations as well as lower overall costs, as retailers adjust to the new climate.

Whether due to efficiency or not, the number of U.S. store closures jumped in 2019, according to Coresight Research. The research and advisory firm estimates reports that more than 9,200 doors closed this year as of late November, compared with just 5,800 in 2018. American retail employment, meanwhile, is expected to fall by 2% between 2018 and 2028, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, due to the rise of online sales.

Want more?

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Over 140,000 UK Retail Jobs Were Shed in 2019 As Retail Apocalypse Hits Britain - Footwear News

Banksys Scar of Bethlehem at the Walled Off Hotel (photo courtesy Bisher Qassis)

Week in Reviewis a weekly collection of news, developments, and stirrings in the art world.Subscribeto receive these posts as a weekly newsletter.

Hyperallergic broke the news that Stephen M. Ross, the Hudson Yards developer who wasscolded for his ties with President Trump, has quietly stepped down from the Sheds board of directors. The Shed confirmed Rosss resignation and said that he decidedto focus on his other philanthropic activities.

More in Hudson Yards news: In a deal with US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, the Vessel in Hudson Yards has agreed to install a specialplatform lift that willincrease accessibility for people with disabilities. The new elevator will provide access to the Hudson Yard structures upper floors, which are currently inaccessible for people with disabilities

New York City is paying more attention to small cultural nonprofits. The citys Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) has awarded $51.3 million in grants to 985 cultural organizations. The DCLA said that funding was set aside for nonprofits that directly support individual artists, collectives, and smaller cultural organizationsthroughout the city. A group of12 nonprofits including Harlem Stage, BRIC, and Bronx River Art Center will have their energy expenses paid for this year. The grants come from the citys record-breaking $212 million arts and culture budget for the 2020 fiscal year.

In Mexico City, workers of the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL), the national organization responsible for Mexicos major museums, staged a protest against the long delays of theirwages.A group of around 40 employees quietly entered the Palace of Fine Arts during an event. They silently held up their placards as many in the audience cheered and yelled contrato digno a call for dignified contracts.

As the anti-corruption protests in Lebanon continue, authorities in Beirut removed a sculpture from a central square in the city after a viral photo showed that from a certain top-angle, the statue evokes the shape of the Star of David. The sculpture was removedfollowing claims that it had been placed at the square to propagate Zionism and normalization with Israel. The artist and gallery behind the sculpture denied the allegations.

In Bethlehem, in the Occupied West Bank, Jesuss city of birth, Christians celebrated the holiday behind walls and checkpoints. To underscore this grim reality, British street artistBanksy created a modified nativity set titled theScar of Bethlehem. The new artwork reinterprets the biblicalmanger scene as occurring against the backdrop of Israels concrete barrier, which appears punctured with a blast that created the shape of a star. This is one of many projects and artworks Banksy has created in the Occupied West Bank since 2005.

The German parliament voted that trade workers in 12 professions will once again need a Meisterpflicht, or master craftsperson certificate, to start a business. Tilers, organ builders, makers of wooden toys, coopers, signmakers, parquet flooring installers, interior designers, and glass refiners will have to obtain the certificate designation before they can branch out on their own.

Libertad Guerra, formerly thedirector and chief curator of the Loisaida Center, was named executive director ofthe Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center (The Clemente) in New York Citys Lower East Side. | via email announcement

Eric Shiner, who in the past served as director of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh and a senior vice president of Sothebys, will lead theBrooklyn-based venue Pioneer Works after a year-long stint as an artistic advisor at White Cube gallery in London. | artnet

Kristen Windmuller-Luna, who wasappointed as aconsulting curator for African Arts at the Brooklyn Museum in 2018, which sparked protests and criticism, will move on to theCleveland Museum of Art to serve as curator of African arts.| Cleveland.com

Abigail Rapoport was appointedCurator of Judaica at the Jewish Museum in New York. | via email announcement

Doug Harrell has been named deputy director for finance and administration at the New Orleans Museum of Art. | Artnews

Almine Rech now represents painter Ewa Juszkiewicz | Artnews

Artists Theaster Gates and Lynette Wallworth were named 2020 Crystal Award Winners by the World Economic Forum in Geneva, Switzerland. | World Economic Forum

May Stevens (1924-2019), artist and activist | NYT

Kate Figes (1957-2019), Feminist writer | NYT

Allee Willis (1947-2019), songwriter | NPR

Emanuel Ungaro (1933-2019), fashion designer | NYT

Elizabeth Spencer (1921-2019), novelist | NYT

Johanna Lindsey (1952-2019), best-selling romance novelist | NYT

Mama Cax (1989-2019), amputee model and disability activist | NYT

Abbey Simon (1920-2019), pianist | NYT

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Week in Review: Stephen Ross Leaves The Shed's Board; Banksy Modifies a Nativity Set - Hyperallergic

NASAS Parker Solar Probe has shed new light on the previously unknown and only theorised characteristics of the sun. The probe, launched in August 2018 to study the sun up close and unlock the mysteries of its atmosphere, is designed to use Venus gravity during seven flybys over nearly seven years to gradually bring its orbit closer to the sun. (The average distance of the earth to the sun is about 150 million km.)

Parker is currently in its fourth orbit around the sun, and its present distance from the sun is about 126 million km. The closest to the sun that the spacecraft went during its initial flybys was 24.1 million km on November 6, 2018. This is already closer to the sun than Mercury is. The spacecraft will get even closer in the future, as it travels at more than 343,000 km/h, faster than any previous spacecraft.

The first results were published in a series of four papers in a recent issue of Nature. The four papers reveal new insights into the processes that drive solar windthe constant outflow of hot, ionised gas that streams outward from the sun and fills up the solar systemand how the solar wind couples with solar rotation. The mission has also examined the dust of the coronal environment and spotted particle acceleration events so small that they are undetectable from the earth.

Seen near the earth, the solar wind plasma appears to be a relatively uniform flow, one that can interact with our planets natural magnetic field and cause space weather effects that interfere with technology. Instead of that flow, near the sun, Parkers observations reveal a dynamic and highly structured system, similar to that of an estuary that serves as a transition zone as a river flows into an ocean. For the first time, scientists are able to study the solar wind from its source, the suns corona (the outermost part of its atmosphere), similar to how one might observe the stream that serves as the source of a river. This provides a different perspective compared with studying the solar wind where its flow impacts the earth.

The information Parker has uncovered about how the sun constantly ejects material and energy will help scientists rewrite the models they use to understand and predict the space weather around the earth and understand the process by which stars are created and evolve. This information will be vital to protecting astronauts and technology in space, according to NASA.

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NASA probe sheds new light on the sun - Frontline

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RICHMOND, Va. -- A Richmond homeowner had their privacy invaded Christmas morning, after someone broke into their shed and stole dozens of tools.

It was very shocking. Ive never had that happen to me before," said the homeowner.

The incident happened at a home along the 1800 block of North 20th Street in the City's East End.

The homeowner believes thieves unlocked a door to the fence surrounding their home, before breaking into the back shed Christmas morning.

Went out to the shed and it had been gone through like a movie scene," they said. There was just stuff everywhere.

The homeowner wanted to keep their identity hidden and said the suspects stole an old Honda 2000 generator.

But they said after locking things up, the suspects returned again Thursday morning.

I wake up this morning, now the 26th. Front door of the shed is wide open, I go out there and everything is gone," said the homeowner.

This time they said the suspects took tools.

Power tools, leaf blowers, tillers, edgers, hedge clippers, the whole nine yards, everything gone," they added.

This little pocket seems to be pretty safe. The neighbors are super friendly, everyone says hello to you. they added.Im more concerned that somebody will try to come back while Im here and I wont know what to do.

Richmond Police have been contacted and are investigating the incident. Anyone with information is asked to give Crime Stoppers a call at 804-780-1000.

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Dozens of tools stolen from Richmond shed: It was very shocking - WTVR CBS 6 News

Photo by Gregory Bull AP

Above: Navy Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher had his former rank reinstalled less than a week ago. Now he could soon be stripped of his status as a Navy SEAL.

A New York Times Friday story sheds more light on how members of Eddie Gallaghers SEAL Team debated ringing the alarm on what they saw as serious misconduct by their leader.

Hours of recorded interviews with Gallaghers team members, text messages between them, and a body cam recording of the moment right before Gallagher allegedly stabbed a wounded ISIS fighter were included in the trove of documents leaked to the Times.

They paint a picture of a SEAL team that struggled with confronting their volatile leader, Gallagher, before ultimately alerting senior navy officials to his alleged misconduct during a 2017 deployment in Iraq.

They claimed he had shot at civilians and was trying to encourage violent confrontations.

Much of this came out during testimony in the military trial of Gallagher earlier this year, but its the first time the general public is getting to see it.

Gallagher was acquitted on all but one count by a military jury in July, and President Trump restored Gallagher to his rank as chief petty officer in November.

Rachel VanLandingham, a professor at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles and a former Air Force JAG lieutenant colonel, is worried about the chilling effect this will have on SEALs who want to come forward with allegations of misconduct despite overwhelming pressure to keep quiet.

They definitely wanted to do the right thing, to turn in one of their own, and then you didnt have their own leadership backing them up, VanLandingham said.

In the videos leaked to the Times, Gallagher's team members described him as evil and toxic.

This past weekend, Gallagher and his wife met with President Trump in Mar-A-Lago, where Gallagher gave the president a gift.

So when they see someone being venerated, not only just getting away with just murdering people, not killing according to the rules but just killing for killings sake, and that person being venerated, the destructive effect on someones moral psyche, on their conscious, you can see it in those interviews, and thats what really struck me, VanLandingham said.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Gallagher was pardoned by President Trump. We regret the error.

KPBS' daily news podcast covering local politics, education, health, environment, the border and more. New episodes are ready weekday mornings so you can listen on your morning commute.

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New Documents Shed Light On How SEAL Team Turned In Eddie Gallagher - KPBS

According to a 2015 Nielsen survey, the most common New Years Resolution is losing weight/getting in shape.

Since the biggest gym in La Jolla history just opened a couple of weeks ago with more square feet than an average Whole Foods we asked Life Time, and the nine other cardio and strength-training facilities in town, for their advice on how to shed holiday pounds.

What follows are the answers from those who responded to the Lights e-mails and phone calls over the holidays:

1055 Wall St. (858) 410-7100. Open since Dec. 20, 2019.

Give yourself an adequate amount of time and consistency on behavior changes. A quick-fix approach is probably not the best option. In addition to a fitness program that suits you, I suggest nutritionally dense whole foods minimally processed as well as adequate amounts of water and protein. Michael Najera, Life Time fitness trainer and nutritional coach

About Life Time: Occupying the 46,000 feet formerly used by Brooks Brothers, this behemoth gym contains more than 200 pieces of equipment, organized into separate floor areas for cardio, strength training (four different equipment manufacturers), GTX and Alpha programs (featuring free weights, cardio and strength elements) and five group-fitness studios, which host 81 weekly classes. Life Time also offers personal training, nutrition counseling, micro-nutrient testing, a caf and daycare, and a spa featuring massages, facials and nail services.

7825 Fay Ave. (858) 456-2595. Open since: 1991.

Everyone should find out what affects their body and what does not. Start with eating whole foods and no processed items and work from there. Also, have a plan but sweat every day. Work with our professionals to outline a plan that you enjoy, therefore will stick with. Getting a workout buddy or a personal trainer to help with accountability will go a long way when you are just starting a new workout regimen. Kera and Brett Murphy, La Jolla Sports Club co-owners

About La Jolla Sports Club: The Villages largest locally owned and operated health club offers 75 classes per week, personal training, nutrition, micro-nutrient testing, a full gym, childcare, cryotherapy, massage, nutrition, fascia therapy services, physical therapy, IV therapy and intra-muscular shots.

565 Pearl St., Suite 110. Open since: 1994 (originally as Planet Fitness).

Losing 20 pounds is easy. All you have to do is physically burn 70,000 calories more than you consume! How is that easy? Because we arent going to beat the fat off your body with life-draining exercise sessions that leave you burned out, broken and back on the weight-gain train in a month or two. We take a more sane approach and focus on the habits and behaviors that provide for a strong, healthy, balanced life year after year. Jeremy Manning, La Jollas Finest Training owner

About La Jollas Finest Training: This cozy gym offers one-on-one personal training to people needing guidance, motivation and assistance in overcoming obstacles. Massage, assisted stretching, coordination and resistance-training are integrated to increase, and maintain, muscle mass, flexibility, balance and cardiovascular fitness.

5628 La Jolla Blvd. (858) 255-8457. Open since: January 2012.

Combine our cycling classes which burn up to 800 calories in an hour with a sensible nutrition plan and the results will speak for themselves. Ian Harding, Rush Indoor Cycling owner

About Rush Indoor Cycling: Here, youll find indoor and group cycling classes, led by a trained instructor and held in a concert-style atmosphere.

5705 La Jolla Blvd. (858) 459-1900. Open since: January 2015.

To see the quickest transformation, take our class three-to-four times a week. Each class addresses every muscle group. Class choreography is constantly updated to avoid muscle adaptation. Meghan Boyd, Studio Barre Bird Rock owner

About Studio Barre Bird Rock: This boutique fitness studio offers a 60-minute, calorie-torching, music-bumping, personalized barre workout for all fitness levels {no dance background needed}. Isolated movements incorporate cardio and stretching to lift and tone the body.

8355 Cliffridge Ave. (858) 453-3483. Open since: 1964 (originally as La Jolla YMCA).

7877 Herschel Ave. (858) 551-9622. Open since: 1988.

Joining the gym is a great first step. But at the Y, we consider ourselves so much more than just a gym. Like anything, consistency is key to helping lose weight, gain muscle and be your best. A good way to start is simply move more. Its important for kids to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day, but adults need to get at least 30 minutes, too. If you do decide to join a gym in the new year, consider the Y and its KickStart program. A wellness coach can help you attain goals in three one-on-one fitness and nutrition sessions over for your 30 days. Courtney Pendleton, YMCA of San Diego County spokesperson

About Dan McKinney YMCA: This facility offers strength machines, free weights, ellipticals, treadmills, stationary bikes, stair-climbers, two outdoor pools, a spa with sauna and steam room, massage and reiki room, day care, Peloton bikes and studios for more than 100 group exercise classes per week including yoga, cycling, Zumba, Bodypump, barre and Pilates.

About Shepherd YMCA Firehouse: This facility offers strength machines, free weights, ellipticals, treadmills, stationary bikes, stair-climbers, and studios for 30 group exercise classes per week including yoga, Bodypump, Tai Chi and Pilates.

7680 Girard Ave., Suite 200. (858) 551-7800. Open since: 2005.

There are many ways to lose weight, but the most effective approach is a combination of healthy nutrition and consistent exercise. From a nutritional standpoint, eating whole foods and consuming fewer calories than you expend will provide your body with the nourishment it needs to support your energy levels and workout recovery, while allowing for a calorie deficit that promotes weight loss. When exercising, you also should focus on high-calorie burn. To accomplish this goal, consider a mix of cardio and resistance training. Josh Lyon, 24 Hour Fitness director of fitness

About 24 Hour Fitness: This national chain offers a variety of strength, cardio and functional training equipment including free weights and a multi-functional Olympic training rig. Also found here are GX and cycle studios, and Zumba, BodyPump and POP Pilates classes.

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La Jolla fitness clubs weigh in on best way to shed pounds - La Jolla Light

How does the brain work? What is the connection between its structure and its functioning? A team of Israeli scientists from the Technion Institute of Technology, in cooperation with colleagues from the US and France, has managed to demonstrate the significance of personalized brain models, which could have a meaningful impact in the field of personalized medicine.In an academic article published Thursday in PNAS, the official journal of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, the group demonstrated that the individual map of structural neural connections, which are the physical links between regions, predicts the individual functional connectivity patterns, namely, how neural activity is spreading in the brain.As explained in a statement, the researchers took advantage of mice studies to "systematically investigate the informative content of different structural features in explaining the emergence of the functional ones."They employed structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to scan mice's brains, then built a virtual model of their brain and tried to simulate their functional organization based on the structural connectivity, finally comparing it to the results of functional MRI on the same mice.With this study, the scientists were able to demonstrate that individual variations define a specific structural fingerprint with a direct impact upon the functional organization ofindividual brains. This finding will potentially support future clinical trials focusing on personalized treatments in brain disorders such as epilepsy, depression and Alzheimers disease, in which the virtual brain may predict treatment outcome in individual patients.The study was conducted by Professor Itamar Kahn, director of the Brain Systems Organization in Health and Disease Lab at Technion. Graduate students Eyal Bergmann and Francesca Melozzi were lead co-authors. Kahn's work focuses on investigating brain function and behavior in health and disease. As explained in the American Technion Society's website, his research has applications for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and neurodevelopmental disorders including autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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Israeli scientists shed new light on how the brain functions - The Jerusalem Post