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Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is calling for the repeal of the Espionage Act. Greg Nash/Pool/Getty Images hide caption

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is calling for the repeal of the Espionage Act.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is calling for the Espionage Act to be repealed amid a federal investigation into the possible mishandling of government records and classified documents that were found at former President Donald Trump's Florida home.

"The espionage act was abused from the beginning to jail dissenters of WWI. It is long past time to repeal this egregious affront to the 1st Amendment," Paul wrote.

The statement comes less than a week after the FBI search at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. Investigators took multiple sets of classified documents from the property. The search warrant lists three laws that appear central to the federal investigation, including one that's part of the Espionage Act. So far, neither Trump nor any of his aides have been charged in the investigation.

This would be the first time in U.S. history that a former president has been known to be investigated under the Espionage Act, but it's not the first time the law has been under scrutiny, experts say. Indeed, though Trump has not been charged with any wrongdoing, holding onto classified documents is against the law.

The Espionage Act was passed in 1917, a few months after the U.S. entered World War I. The original law made it illegal for people to obtain or disclose information relating to national defense that could be used to harm the U.S. or benefit another country.

That description has helped prosecute some spies, but increasingly it has been used to threaten or put to trial those who leak sensitive information, Sam Lebovic, a history professor at George Mason University, told NPR.

During the Obama administration, eight people were charged with leaking national security secrets to the media under the Espionage Act more than all the previous administrations combined. At least six more leakers were charged during the Trump administration, according to Lebovic.

Over the years, press freedom advocates have grown concerned that administrations cherry pick what leaked information is deemed a threat to national security.

"Government officials leak classified information to the press all the time. That's how huge amounts of journalism happen," Lebovic said. "Most of it is let go and allowed to happen. Only the instances that really upset the government in power are the ones that are prosecuted."

Heidi Kitrosser, a law professor at Northwestern University, told NPR the danger with the act is that it's too vague and broad.

The law does not explicitly define what "national defense" is or what information could threaten it, she added. Although the U.S. has since created a classification system, there is still a lot of room for interpretation.

More concerning to Kitrosser, the law does not explicitly care about public interest or whether the leaker in question had good motives. That's why a broad spectrum of people can be under threat.

"If the act had a public interest defense, that would give us some kind of focal point around so that we could draw a distinction between somebody leaking information about abuse of a government program to the American media versus someone storing highly classified secrets in a resort hotel," she said.

Yes but it would be difficult for the law to be applied the same way today, Lebovic said.

The anecdote referred by Paul has to do with an early section of the law that targeted people who spoke out against the war.

Roughly 1,000 people were jailed for criticizing World War I but that effort drew intense criticism, according to Lebovic. In 1920, lawmakers repealed the harshest censorship sections of the law. Over the coming decades, the rise of the First Amendment movement also helped protect dissident speech.

That being said, Lebovic said the Espionage Act still raises some concerns about censorship and dissent.

"There's been a shift in the way censorship works, that the government no longer censors expression or opinion or speech. It now censors information," he said.

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Why Rand Paul wants the Espionage Act to be repealed : NPR

Bruno Cooke January 12, 2022

Photo by Shawn Thew-Pool/Getty Images

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US senator Randal Rand Paul and Dr Anthony Fauci sparred during a senate health hearing yesterday, prompting those who witnessed the debate to think about senator Pauls medical background. What kind of doctor is Rand Paul, and where did he go to medical school?

Dr Rand Pauls medical history is in ophthalmology, a branch of medicine and surgery that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the eye.Rand Paul received his state-issued medical licence in 1993. As of 2015, his certification, per The Week, comes from a board he incorporated and heads.

Ophthalmology covers vision services (as in glasses and contact lenses) as well as treatment and prevention of medical disorders of the eye including surgery.

In the US, ophthalmologists must complete four years of college, four years of medical school, and four to five years of additional specialised training.

Rand Paul started practising as an ophthalmologist in 1993 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He turned 30 in the same year.

He set up the Southern Kentucky Lions Eye Clinic two years later and told the National Review in 2013 he has performed more than 100 pro bono surgeries.

Born Randal Howard Paul on 7 January 1963 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Rand Paul is the middle child of five.

He grew up in Lake Jackson, Texas, and went to Brazoswood High School, where he was on the swimming team and played defensive back on the football team.

Rand Paul attended Baylor University from 1981 to 1984, during which time he completed his pre-med requirements. However, he left Baylor without completing his Bachelors degree.

Instead, he transferred to his fathers alma mater, the Duke University School of Medicine. At the time, Duke Universitys graduate school didnt require an undergraduate degree for entry.

Paul earned his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1988 and completed his residency five years later.

Paul announced on 22 March 2020 that he had tested positive for covid-19. He was the first member of the US senate to test positive.

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He announced his recovery two weeks later, on 7 April. Shortly afterwards, he started volunteering at a hospital in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where hed received his first job as a practising ophthalmologist.

Rand Pauls medical speciality is cataract and glaucoma surgeries, laser eye surgery, and corneal transplants.

He co-founded the Southern Kentucky Lions Eye Clinic in 1995. The clinic helps provide eye surgery and exams for those who cant afford to pay for them.

For more on what Dr Fauci and senator Paul had to say to each other during yesterdays hearing, read CBS News write-up of the debate.

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Bruno is a novelist, amateur screenwriter and journalist with interests in digital media, storytelling, film and politics. Hes lived in France, China, Sri Lanka and the Philippines, but returned to the UK for a degree (and because of the pandemic) in 2020. His articles have appeared in Groundviews, Forge Press and The Friday Poem, and most are readable on Medium or onurbicycle.com.

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What kind of Dr is Rand Paul, and where did he go to medical school?

U. S. Senator Rand Paul honored P31 with the Senate Small Business of the Week Award. In addition, he came to Morgantown to present a copy of the Congressional Record to Tabby Daugherty in person.

A large crowd of supporters packed into P31 on South Tyler Street Tuesday morning to show their love for local businesswoman Tabby Daugherty and her family.

Sen. Paul, a ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, noted that the awards started about a year ago to highlight success stories in an environment when about half of new ventures fail.

Not wavering from her beliefs, Ms. Daugherty requested that her pastor Brother TJ Howard lead prayer before Senator Paul presented her with the Congressional Record. Ms. Daugherty thanked her family, friends, and customers for supporting her. She recalled how her business started from modest means of making laundry detergent as a side gig until demand for it exploded.

When it became hard for her to keep up, she quit her job of fourteen years at Life Skills to focus on building her business into a full-time career. That leap of faith has benefited her greatly. Four years later, she has a storefront on South Tyler Street, her product stocked in other local stores, and an online business.

While visiting with Senator Rand Paul, supporters spoke about Tabby's entrepreneurial spirit and her giving heart.

"Tabby ( of P31 Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils and Homemade Products) keeps the essence of her favorite Proverb at the core of her life and shop, evident for all to see," said Paul.

One woman told of how the storefront is not just a shop; it is a place of refuge for those who need someone to talk to; where Tabby holds a weekly class for young women, and several come to visit because they enjoy being with her genuine heart.

P31 carries an array of natural products that are safe and effective for your family. For example, Young Living & Doterra essential oils are sold individually and in mixes and salves. The shop also carries a selection of diffusers and a variety of jewelry. Not only does Ms. Daugherty have her products, but she also encourages other entrepreneurs to showcase their handmade items, such as jewelry and honey, in her shop.

It can be challenging for locally owned businesses to thrive, so amazingly, P31 has succeeded and continued to grow and create a unique connection within the community. So, if you see Tabby Daugherty out and about in town, congratulate her on this fantastic honor!

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Senator Rand Paul honors P31 as Senate Small Business of the Week - Beech Tree News

CORBIN After honoring Bubbys BBQ late last month as a Small Business of the Week, U.S. Senator Rand Paul was in Corbin Friday to present a copy of the Congressional Record in person.

The stop was part of a two-day tour through several Kentucky communities. Several city and county officials were on hand to greet the senator at Bubbys, with his presentation being introduced by Corbin Mayor Suzie Razmus.

Razmus called Bubbys owner Mark Shepherd a selfless business owner who does so much for the community expressing her appreciation that Sen. Paul recognized Shepherds efforts.

Sen. Paul, a ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, noted that the awards started about a year ago to highlight success stories in an environment when about half of new ventures fail.

The first thing in the Senate Record was actually the Bill of Rights, Paul added. Youre in there and youll be there forever.

Shepherd said he was proud to accept the award and thanked Sen. Paul for taking the time to present it in person.

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Sen. Rand Paul presents Bubby's BBQ with Small Business of the Week Award - Times Tribune of Corbin

Erinn Baldeschwiler, a 48-year-old with metastatic breast cancer, is struggling with anxiety and depression as she nears the untimely end of her life. The last thing I want is to be terrified and scared and anxious, especially when I pass, she says.

She knows that no treatment can change the outcome of her disease. But shes fighting for access to a different kind of therapeutic: psilocybin-assisted therapy, which past research has found can ease anxiety for depression in advanced cancer patients.

Psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) and other potentially life-changing psychedelic drugs are being researched as mental-health treatments for conditions like anxiety, depression, and trauma. Advocates are optimistic that psilocybin and MDMAwhich clinical trials have shown may be effective against post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)could be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within the next few years. But Baldeschwiler and other people with terminal illnesses cant wait that long.

Im going to be dead by then, she says. Its a time issue. If you could provide an option that would provide immediate, sustained relief of depression, anxiety, and lead to a sense of peace as [someone is] going through their final dayswhy would you not want that as an option?

Read More: Inside Ibogaine, One of the Most Promising and Perilous Psychedelics for Addiction

Some are arguing that both psilocybin and MDMA should already be available to qualifying patients through the federal Right to Try law. The 2018 law states that patients with life-threatening illnesses who have exhausted all treatment options can access drugs that have passed through Phase 1 testingthe first phase of clinical trials that tests drugs in humansbut have not been approved by the FDA.

Psilocybin and MDMA fit those criteria, and so does Baldeschwiler. But the drugs Schedule 1 statusmeaning the DEA deems them to have no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse (a characterization that advocates for psychedelics dispute)is keeping them back from patients.

Baldeschwilers palliative care physician, Dr. Sunil Aggarwal, reached an agreement with a drug manufacturer to receive psilocybin. However, after Aggarwal applied to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to receive a waiver to provide the drug, the DEA refused, declaring in February 2021 that it had no authority to waive the Controlled Substances Act.

Baldeschwiler and Aggarwal are now working with Kathryn Tucker, a lawyer focused on expanding access to psychedelics for groups including terminally ill people, to compel the DEA to allow use of psilocybin under the Right to Try law, which Tucker argues should supersede the Controlled Substances Act establishing the U.S.s drug policy. The DEA is thwarting operation of duly enacted federal law, says Tucker. If a physician deems their patient to have a life-threatening condition that could be addressed with one of the eligible investigational drugs, then that physician can seek [Right to Try] access, and should be granted it. Advocates argue that the law has a particularly broad mandate. The lack of an exclusion makes it clear that there is no exclusion for Schedule 1 substances, Tucker says.

The DEA declined TIMEs request for further comment, citing ongoing litigation.

Read More: I Took A Psychedelic Drug for My Cancer Anxiety. It Changed My Life

Psychedelic medicine is still an unsettled science that will require much more research before scientists fully understand how well it works, and for whomespecially given that many of the clinical trials that have tested psychedelic drugs are very small. Psychedelic drugs come with some risks, and patients who participate in trials generally meet certain health criteria. (Clinical trials for psilocybin, for instance, exclude patients who have close relatives with a history of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.) However, advocates for expanding access argue that psilocybin- and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy fit neatly within the founding principle of the Right to Try law: patients faced with potential death should have the ability to try new drugs that could help them.

The advocates case has won them some powerful bipartisan allies. On July 20, Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) introduced the Right to Try Clarification Act, to make it clear that the legislation encompasses Schedule 1 substances so long as theyve been through Phase 1 clinical trials.

Many advocates, like retired Marine Corp Lt. Gen. Martin Steele, believe that people who are at risk of dying by suicide and have exhausted all other treatment options should also be able to receive psychedelic assisted treatment. Steele is co-founder of the nonprofit Reason for Hope, an activist group promoting psychedelic treatment access and research. He recently testified in support of a Connecticut law enacted in April establishing a pilot program to let veterans, retired first responders, and retired health care workers receive MDMA and psilocybin-assisted therapy. Nationally, people are exposed to unprecedented levels of stress and trauma, he says. We all know the current treatments are inadequate, and things are only getting worse.

Read More: Psilocybin Could be a Therapeutic Breakthrough For Addiction

Veterans with PTSD are a particular area of focus in the fight to expand psychedelic access. Currently, even in the best circumstances, our treatments probably help about half of the patients with PTSD, and many also have treatment-resistant depression, says retired Brigadier Gen. Dr. Stephen Xenakis, a psychiatrist who served in the Army and volunteers with Reason for Hope. The U.S. has a moral responsibility to offer them a treatment that can help, he says. Given that about 17 U.S. veterans die by suicide every day in the U.S., too many people are going to die if veterans are forced to wait for FDA approval.

All of us should be shouting from the rooftops that something has to change, says Lynnette Averill, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Baylor College of Medicine who has studied how psychedelics can help special-operations veterans and is part of Reason for Hope. Given the crisis that we are in, we cannot wait another yearor 2, 5, or 10for these to be fully approved.

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Dying Patients Are Fighting for Access to Psychedelics - TIME