Unreleased Air Jordan 4, Air Jordan 5 golf shoes revealed by Pat Perez – Golf.com

Go wild, golf sneakerheads! Theres more Jordan Brand coming to the linksland. Following a frenzied rush for Jordan 11s in the fall, Pat Perez teased out the latest unreleased kicks in a series of photos on Instagram of new Air Jordan 4 and Air Jordan 5 golf shoes.

AJ 4 golf shoe anyone? Once again killed it @jumpman23. My first Jordan ever has come to life for golf. Im amazed and humbled, Perez wrote on Friday in a caption of several photos of the Jordan 4s. He apparently walked out with a pair, which surfaced on his Instagram on Super Bowl Sunday. He showed off the iconic White Cement color as well as a pair of Air Jordan 5s. 4 or 5? he wrote in the caption, sparking envy from his 115,000 followers.

Word had spread last summer that the Air Jordan 5 Golf Fire Red would be released at select retailers and online atNike.comon February 15th, 2020, with retail price is set at $200. With February 15th right around the corner, its worth keeping your eye out for this drop.

If youre jonesing for Jordans in the meantime, its worth checking out the only pair of Jordan golf shoes currently for sale, the Jordan ADGs (available here). Or, of course, you could try snagging a pair of the original Jordan 4s or 5s, which date back some 30-plus years.

GOLF.com will have details on the release when they become available.

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Jordan says he will support McCarthy for Speaker if majority flips next year | TheHill – The Hill

Rep. Jim JordanJames (Jim) Daniel JordanThe Memo: Trump threatens to overshadow Democrats in Iowa Jordan says he will support McCarthy for Speaker if majority flips next year Collins Senate bid sets off game of musical chairs for GOP MORE (R-Ohio), a founding member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, pledged Thursday to throw his support behind House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthyKevin Owen McCarthyWhite House, Republicans blast Pelosi for ripping up copy of Trump speech Trump credits economic progress to environmental rollbacks Sunday shows preview: Lawmakers prepare for final vote on impeachment; 2020 Democrats make final push before Iowa causes MORE (R-Calif.) for Speaker if the House majority flips next year.

I think everyone understands that if we take [the House] back, Kevin is going to be the Speaker. The presidents been clear about that, Jordan told The Hill Thursday.

When asked specifically if he planned to support McCarthy, a one-time political rival, Jordan replied: Yeah, when you lead the team back, I think you deserve you earned it so thats understood by just about everyone.

The early and ringing endorsement comes as Jordan, the ranking member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, is looking to jump leadership roles to the top GOP spot on the House Judiciary Committee.

Jordan is not hiding his interest in the post.

I would love that opportunity, but thats up to the leader and the steering committee, Jordan said.

Still, Jordans support marks how far McCarthy has come in converting a once vocal critic into a loyal supporter.

Jordan, who maintains strong influence in the conservative Republican group, previously ran against McCarthy for the role of minority leader after the 2018 midterms, losing the race with a 159-43 vote.

The conservative caucus, which has been a thorn in the side of GOP leader in the past, really showed its might in 2015 after the group forced then-Speaker John BoehnerJohn Andrew BoehnerJordan says he will support McCarthy for Speaker if majority flips next year Collins Senate bid sets off game of musical chairs for GOP A time for war, a time for peace and always a time to defend America MORE (R-Ohio) to resign and blocked McCarthy from taking over his role.

But now, Jordan is indicating that the Freedom Caucus will support McCarthy.

When you take back the majority, the person who's in charge of the team taking it back, I think that the team comes together, Jordan said Thursday, asked if the Freedom Caucus would also support McCarthy.

Kevin's done a good job of keeping the team together and this entire impeachment process so I think everyone appreciates him, he added.

Republicans arent expected to win back the House this fall.

The GOP lost 40 seats in the 2018 midterms and would need to gain roughly 20 seats to take back the majority.

If they do, it would be a huge political victory for McCarthy that would make him a difficult candidate to defeat in a leadership election.

Still, Jordans remark highlights how far the relationship between McCarthy and Jordan has blossomed since Jordan became the top Republican on Oversight at the start of the 116th Congress.

Jordan had initially sought to become the ranking member of the Judiciary panel at the start of this Congress, but he ended up getting the role on Oversight afterRep. Mark MeadowsMark Randall MeadowsLoeffler works to gain traction with conservatives amid Collins primary bid The Memo: Trump threatens to overshadow Democrats in Iowa Jordan says he will support McCarthy for Speaker if majority flips next year MORE (R-N.C.)suddenly dropped out of the race.

The Oversight role gave Jordan, a fierce defender of President TrumpDonald John TrumpDemocratstear into Trump's speech: It was a 'MAGA rally' READ: Speaker Pelosi's response to Trump's State of the Union address Pelosi hammers Trump's speech: 'A manifesto of mistruths' MORE, the platform to combat Democrats investigation efforts into the White House.

Since then, McCarthy also has given Jordan other opportunities to elevate his profile during the Democrat-led House impeachment inquiry.

McCarthy even had Jordan temporarily join the House Intelligence Committee as the panel conducted the fact-finding phase of their probe into Trumps contacts with Ukraine.

Jordans endorsement comes at a time when he appears to be a serious contender for the ranking member role on the Judiciary role that will be vacated since Rep. Doug CollinsDouglas (Doug) Allen CollinsLoeffler works to gain traction with conservatives amid Collins primary bid Senate Democrats outraise Republicans, but GOP has cash edge The Hill's Campaign Report: Four-way sprint to Iowa finish line MORE (R-Ga.), who currently holds the role, has announced he is running for a Georgia Senate seat in 2020.

It is not yet clear if McCarthy is supporting Jordan moving over to Judiciary, but his opinion on it will matter.

McCarthy controls four votes on the Republican Steering Committee. And while top Republican leaders and regional representatives make up the panel, it is also filled with allies of the California Republican.

Whoever McCarthy throws his support behind has a strong chance of gaining a particular committee seat or committee leadership role. In the coming weeks, the panel is expected to interview potential candidates and vote on who will replace Collins.

And the way forward for Jordan appeared even more clear Thursday.

One GOP lawmaker told The Hill earlier this week that Rep. John RatcliffeJohn Lee RatcliffeJordan says he will support McCarthy for Speaker if majority flips next year Collins Senate bid sets off game of musical chairs for GOP Hillicon Valley: EU pushes back against US on Huawei | Interior Department grounds drones over cybersecurity concerns | Warren releases plan to fight election disinformation | House ethics panel warns against posting deepfakes MORE (R-Texas) and Jordan appear to be the two horses in the race.

But when asked Thursday about whether he was eyeing the ranking member role, Ratcliffe replied: Im not interested.

Ive already told Jim that I hope he will consider pursuing it, the Texas Republican told The Hill as he was walking into the Senate impeachment trial.

Another potential contender, Rep. Mike JohnsonJames (Mike) Michael JohnsonWhite House, Republicans blast Pelosi for ripping up copy of Trump speech Jordan says he will support McCarthy for Speaker if majority flips next year Collins Senate bid sets off game of musical chairs for GOP MORE (R-La.), also threw his support behind Jordan.

Jim is a trusted friend of mine and one of the MVPs of our party. He has earned the position of ranking member, and I fully support him for the position, Johnson told The Hill.

If Jordan did ultimately jump to the Judiciary role, it could pave the way for Meadows to move to the top GOP role on Oversight.

Still, it remains unclear whether Collins will give up his role without a fight.

Collins, who formally announced his bid Wednesday, would have to relinquish his role under House GOP conference rules, which prevent chairs or ranking members from keeping their posts if they are running for higher office.

But there is a chance Collins could appeal to McCarthy for a waiver as he seeks to challenge Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), newly appointed to the seat, in a special election this November.

I have not filed for one I didnt know you had to file, Collins told reporters on Wednesday. Those are questions that we've been talking about before, and, you know look those will be handled very soon.

Scott Wong and Juliegrace Brufke contributed.

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Israeli Control of the Jordan Valley Is Good for Jordan – Mosaic

Unlike some previous proposals for the creation of a Palestinian state, the recent U.S. peace plan leaves the easternmost area of the West Bank under Israeli control. This arrangement also strengthens the security of the Kingdom of Jordan, writes Efraim Inbar, which has itself long seen the Palestinian national movement as a threat:

Israel and Jordan share various interests, including support for the American presence in the region, opposing pan-Arab and pan-Islamic movements and, of course, fighting the rise of radical Islam, Sunni or Shiite. Amman also sees eye to eye with Jerusalem on the issue of the Iranian threat. Israel assists Jordan by deterring extremists from threatening it, while Israel, for its part, sees Jordan as a buffer state between it and the extremist entities east of the kingdom.

Jordan is certainly not interested in a neighboring political entity that could develop another Hamas-controlled Gaza. Israeli military control of the Jordan Valley is convenient for Jordan, as it protects Amman from the west.

Since the [two countries] signed a peace agreement in 1994, Jordans dependence on Israel has increased. Israel supplies it with increasing quantities of water, far beyond its obligation under the deal, and it also supplies it with natural gas. . . . Moreover, it is hard to imagine that Saudi Arabia, other Persian Gulf countries, or Egypt will go to great lengths to prevent an Israeli annexation of the Jordan Valley.

Read more at Israel Hayom

More about: Israeli Security, Jordan, Jordan Valley, Trump Peace Plan

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Israeli Control of the Jordan Valley Is Good for Jordan - Mosaic

Pat Perez Reveals An Air Jordan 4 And Air Jordan 5 Outfitted With Golf Spikes – Sneaker News

Basketball and golf may not have too much in common at a quick glance, but if you dial into some of MJs favorite pastimes, youll find that the star athlete spent quite a bit of time on the green. And as the Nike umbrella continues to turns its own classics into golf staples, its fitting that Jordan Brand do the same. Revealed only earlier, two pairs were caught by way of Pat Perez: a Jordan 4 in the iconic White Cement and an Air Jordan 5 in Fire Red. Though of a years separation, both share similarly reconfigured soles the AJ5, however, the most resemblant of lifestyle with its icy blue tread. Adjacent, the AJ4 spikes to a much more aggressive degree, mostly forgoing its bottoms traditional color blocking as well. Grab a good look at these here, and sit tight if youre looking for a release as theyve yet to be confirmed for retail.

Source: @patperezgolf

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Pat Perez Reveals An Air Jordan 4 And Air Jordan 5 Outfitted With Golf Spikes - Sneaker News

Gary Payton explains what was his approach when guarding Michael Jordan in the 1996 NBA finals – Basketball Network

Michael Jordan is, without a doubt one of the greatest if not the greatest offensive players in NBA history. There was a particular factor of fear involved among players who had to guard him, but one of the rare ones that were able to slow him down was Gary Payton. That was especially evident during the 1996 NBA finals when the Seattle Supersonics played the Chicago Bulls. Despite the fact, Bulls won that series, Paytons defense on Jordan was a topic for discussion.

In an interview for Sonicsgate, Payton talks about the preparation and the mindset he had when going up against Jordan during that series. Unfortunately for the Sonics but also all the NBA fans, Sonics head-coach George Karl didnt let Payton guard Jordan until game four because of a calf injury. Karl didnt want to risk it even though he knew Payton is his best defender, and it was Payton who had enough courage to confront his coach and said he would gladly take that assignment upon himself. The Sonics were down 0-3 in the series, and they had nothing to lose.

I went to his office, and I said, look, we dont have anything else to lose. Whether you gonna let me guard him or not, I will switch every play that you do anyways that go off him. He said, do what you gotta do.

Payton tried to do everything that was in his power to slow down Jordan, who was averaging over 30 points per game in the first three wins for the Bulls, and he was relatively successful. In the next three games, Jordan averaged only 21 points shooting extremely poor from the field, but fortunately for the Bulls, they had several other players who stepped up at the right time.

I tried to frustrate him as much as possible. Its not easy because I knew I couldnt frustrate him; he is the greatest basketball player that ever played to me. I think what I did was tire him out. I made him work for it a little bit more. He wasnt really used to working so hard to get the basketball, and after you get the ball with about 8 or 9 seconds, you still got somebody right into you, and the referees werent calling the calls. They were letting us play.

Jordan averaged only 27.3 points per game for the entire series, which was his lowest scoring output in all of the six finals he played in. Despite the fact Payton was relatively successful in guarding Jordan, the Sonics couldnt secure game seven, and even if they did, chances of them winning that series werent great. Payton said defending Jordan was an incredibly hard task but a great challenge which he appreciated. Even though he known as a great two-way player, it was after those finals against the Bulls people started to recognize Payton as a great defender.

It was a great challenge for me, and I loved it, and that is when everybody really started recognizing that I was a great defensive player. It also happened I won the defensive player of the year award that year.

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Mud-brick village survived 7,200 years in the Jordan Valley – Haaretz

Theres a reason why prehistoric homes are rare in the archaeological record. Building stones get repurposed, while others were flimsy to begin with, being made of wood and straw, or mud-bricks that succumbed to weather and decay. Yet archaeologists in Israel have identified homes and food-storage silos made of sun-dried mud-brick going back 7,200 years in Tel Tsaf, a site in the Jordan Valley, Prof. Danny Rosenberg of the Zinman Institute of Archaeology, University of Haifa, who led the Tel Tsaf project together with Dr. Florian Klimscha from the Landsmuseum in Hanover, and colleagues report in PLOS One.

The mud-bricks were cemented and coatedusing plaster made of mud or lime (and other types too), the team wrote. Based on organic findings, they deduced that the ceilings may have been made of wood or reeds, and postulate based on modern simple architecture that the roofs were flat.

The structures at Tel Tsaf are far from being the oldest mud-brick known to science. Jericho has remnants of even older mud constructs dating to the period known as the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A, around 12,000 to 10,800 years ago. The denizens of ancient Jericho used mud-brick to heighten their city wall, much good it did them.

Other examples are legion: many biblical sites were also known for use of mud-brick, and Ebla in Syria had a massive mud-brick city wall up to 6 meters (20 feet) thick that probably dates to around the time of Tel Tsaf. Both have somewhat survived.

In short, mud-brick constructions were common in the Levant (and elsewhere). But archaeological study of the prehistoric development of building with mud from the technique to what it might tell us about the people, their culture, their technology and their choices has been hampered by the fact that mud-brick disintegrates in the rain.

That begs the question of how exactly the mud-bricks of a village, albeit a substantial one, survived anywhere in the Levant for more than a few years, let alone 7,200 years in Tel Tsafs case. Although the Middle East has some quite harsh deserts, it isnt the Atacama, which gets literally zero rain. These days, precipitation in the Jordan Valley and Tel Tsaf averages about 200to 250 millimeters (over 8 inches) a year, Rosenberg says.

Indeed, the walls survival is especially astonishing given that the mud-bricks of Tel Tsaf were sunbaked, not hardened by firing, he notes. But the fact is, they survived. We think its because they were plastered not with lime but with mud plaster with various additives we are currently studying, and the villagers kept replastering them inside, outside, on the roof, he suggests. In a word, maintenance.

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In addition, the site of the village had to have become covered very rapidly, because even after all these years the excavators found some still-standing walls, he says. And now that Tel Tsaf is exposed to the elements and the winter of 2019-2020 has been unusually rainy, by Israeli and Jordan Valley terms the bricks are falling apart fast. We are seeing it before our very eyes, Rosenberg says,and adds: "This one reason why, in the new project, we are trying to excavate as little as possible, although the amounts of first-hand and innovative data we are retrieving is enormous.".

The archaeologists also believe that disintegrating bricks were recycled no good resource went to waste.

Once upon a time on the shore of a giant lake

Back in the Middle Chalcolithic, Tel Tsaf was a large village sprawling over a hill south of the Sea of Galilee, just a few kilometers from Tel Beit She'an, who also had a layer more or less contemporary with Tel Tsaf. Its location explains why the villagers chose to build their homes and facilities of friable sun-dried locally available mud, liberally tempered with local plants, rather than hardy stones.

They didn't have any, that's why, Rosenberg and his colleagues explains to Haaretz. "There is no rock for building in that area in the Jordan Valley, only the sediment from the bottom of the ancient Lisan lake. The whole site is practically mud brick debries and remains of walls and installations made od mud," Rosenberg says.

Tel Tsaf arose on what had been the bottom of a narrow, elongated prehistoric lake, Lisan, of which only two shrunken relics remain: the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea.

Lake Lisan existed between about 70,000 to 15,000years ago, the time of the Ice Age. Much of Europe was covered in glacial ice, but in the Levant it was relatively wet.Come the Holocene, as ice retreated in the north, the Levant aridified.

Throughout Tel Tsafs not-very-long lifetime possibly as little as 500 to 700 years, a mere eyeblink in these parts the people used the same recipe for their bricks, Rosenberg and the team deduced. The villagers tempered the mud with a lot of organic material, although the archaeologists are still working on discovering what material exactly.

The ostrich conundrum

The locals didnt import stone for building. That would have been enormously difficult given that latter-day beasts of burden such as the horse and donkey hadnt been domesticated yet, and the camel was unknown in the prehistoric Middle East.

But items in graves found at Tel Tsaf indicate that they did import some much lighter and very fine things.In fact, no other known site of this period exhibits long-distance connections of such dimension, Yossi Garfinkel of Hebrew University and his team wrote six years ago in Plos One.

Rosenberg concurs. One of the grave discoveries was of a middle-aged woman with 1,668 ostrich eggshell beads arranged in six rows around her waist. What was the source of those beads? Were there ostriches in Israel in the Chalcolithic? Maybe there were, maybe there werent. As Rosenberg points out, they have not found a single bone of ostrich, but did find over 2,500 beads from the hardy off-white eggshell. Eggshell-bead-making waste was also found. The evidence indicates that, for whatever reason, ostrich eggs were imported to Tel Tsaf, where they were worked into beads.

It bears adding that ostriches and other local versions of typically African fauna did once live in Israel but went extinct whether because of overexploitation, habitat encroachment or climate change.

Moreover, the Tel Tsaf woman with the ostrich egg waistband had been buried under the floor of a mud-brick silo and had a copper awl, the earliest-known cast metal artifact found in the southern Levant. As previously reported by Garfinkel, Rosenfeld himself and others, that awl suggests cast metal technology reached the region as early as the late sixth millennium B.C.E. According to analysis, the ore originated far, far away possibly the Caucasus.

The dating of the crude tool may indicate that cast metal technology was introduced to the southern Levant centuries before the onset of the full-blown Middle Chalcolithic, or Copper Age, they wrote previouslyin Plos One.

Other evidence of the villages long-distance trading ties, millennia before writing developed, include obsidian, also known as volcanic glass,that would have originated in Anatolia, Turkey, or Armenia; fragments of decorated ceramics from Mesopotamia; pretty green stones (not gemstones); and shells from everywhere conceivable the Red Sea, the Mediterranean and even from the Nile River, Rosenberg says.

Barley economy

The Middle Chalcolithic period, when Tel Tsaf flourished, was pre-money. They had to have been bartering for these exotic imports, begging the question of what they had to give.

A clue may lie in its silos, Rosenberg explains: The village seems to have waxed fat on agriculture. In fact, Tel Tsaf made headlines in 2017 after the discovery of a 7,200-year-old clay model of a food-storage silo, which the archaeologists interpreted as a remnant from a ritual propitiating the gods to preserve the crops or harvest.

The real silos were also naturally made of mud-brick and may have had capacities of 15 to 30 tons of grain storage capacity far beyond the possible needs of any given nuclear family. Food storage facilities are known from even earlier, the Neolithic period. But earlier examples discovered were smaller.

Separate work by Dr. Rona Avissar-Lewis on childhood in the prehistoric and biblical-era Levant suggests that nuclear families were no bigger than todays, with an average of probably about three children. This was not because of prescient contraception techniques, but because the child mortality rate was about 75 percent. Even if the whole clan lived together, how much could they eat? The amount of storage isno less than amazing, Rosenberg says.

Asked how they could have waxed so fat from farming in an area with pitiful average precipitation a year, he explains that they had water aplenty from the Jordan River, local streams and springs. Also, the weather was warm: Blistering hot in summer, really, but plants do love the combination of warmth and water. So do mosquitoes, but such is life.

Apropos life, among the many discoveries at Tel Tsaf since its discovery in the 1950s are the bases of four large buildings built around courtyards a popular Levantine style that persists to this day. While study of their diet continues, bones indicate avid consumption of the cow and the pig, distaste for which would only develop much later (apparently about 3,000 years ago).

When and why the peoples of the Levant ceased to dine on swine is not really known. Some postulate that the reasons may have less to do with divine thunderbolts and more to do with the dawning realization that chickens are scrumptious, easier to raise, need less water per kilogram, lay eggs which pigs do not and are easier to pick up and hustle away when the enemy comes marauding. Previous to these revelations, it seems the domestication of poultry was motivated mainly by the desire to bet on fighting roosters.

The archaeologists also found some evidence that the locals ate fish from the Jordan River. They also found a surprisingly large amount of olive pits, considering that the Jordan Valley climate is not supportive of olive trees. The small bitter fruits likely were also imported.Dr. Rosenberg is also looking into the diet of the Tel Tsaf villagers as possibly proto-Mediterranean diet.

The bottom line is that ancient Tel Tsaf seems to have been big, strong and filthy rich by the standards of the day. Yet while Jericho is touted as being one of the longest-surviving towns on Earth, Tel Tsaf was deserted after mere centuries. Suddenly it was gone, we dont know why, says Rosenberg. Its part of the mystery. We dont have a clue yet. Stay tuned.

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Mud-brick village survived 7,200 years in the Jordan Valley - Haaretz

Molly’s Love Island Ex Jordan Speaks Out As She Enters Casa Amor ‘I’m Dealing With It In My Own Way’ – Capital FM

5 February 2020, 11:50

Molly Smith has her sights set on Callum Jones in Casa Amor, but it's emerged she had been dating 2018 contestant Jordan Adefeyisan, who has been hit hard by their break-up.

Casa Amor's Molly Smith used to be in a relationship with 2018 Love Island contestant Jordan Adefeyisan, who has now broken his silence about his ex entering the villa, saying he's 'dealing with it in his own way' and asks people not to talk to him about it.

Love Island Fans Defend Shaughna Phillips Over Trolls' Comments About Her Legs

Addressing his 100k Instagram followers, he wrote: "So everyone's aware that my 'ex' is going on Love Island."

"I'm getting messages regarding the matter and I'm truly not interested."

"All I can do is wish her luck and I hope she finds what she's looking for in life."

"I'll say it again. Please do not contact me regarding Molly."

"I'm dealing with it in my own way. I've got great people around me."

"She's made the decision to go on for whatever reason and I'm respecting that."

"No further comment."

The 25-year-old model from Stockport knows all too well what goes down in Casa Amor after he entered the show two years ago with five other boys set to shake things up, flirting up a storm with Georgia Steel, but ultimately getting dumped before finding love.

Though Molly and Jordan were in a relationship, there's no trace of one another on Instagram

Molly, 25, meanwhile, has wasted no time going about getting what she wants, managing to get into bed with Callum Jones on the first night in Casa Amor, who has been coupled up with Shaughna Phillips from the start of the series.

They have since kissed and Callum's told fellow islanders about their magnetic sexual energy, saying he wants to 'rip her clothes off' when he looks at her, so, if anyone sees Jordan, they might want to urge him to change the channel!

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The workout with Julian Edelman that changed Jordan Matthewss mindset – The Boston Globe

MIAMI Jordan Matthews never caught a pass or played in a game for the Patriots, yet he looks back on his brief tenure in New England as a blessing.

In that short amount of time, man, I learned so much about football, said Matthews, now a receiver with the 49ers. Its like taking a masters class in football when I was with Coach Belichick.

Matthews said he came to Foxborough with a receivers mind-set and said he always had a heightened sense of awareness when it was third down and in the red zone. All other situations took a backseat.

Then I remember sitting in one of those senior meetings, and we went through like a whole week in OTAs, just talking about second-down philosophy, said Matthews. By the end of that week, I had such a heightened level of awareness about second down. OK, were trying to get this many yards, this play. And this many on this play.

It was just like I was learning the game within the game, and so I really ... those moments impacted me and taught me about what it really does take to win in this league.

The lessons kept coming even after Matthews was released in camp in 2018 following a hamstring injury. The professor was Julian Edelman.

Julian was suspended after I got released, but I was still training in Boston, said Matthews. I went to go train one day, and when I want to go run routes, I just had like a T-shirt, shorts, and cleats. Julian comes out, hes got on a helmet, shoulder pads, cleats, got his whole equipment. Im like, This guy is getting prepared for the season. Im working to come out here and stay in shape on some routes. Hes getting ready for Week 5 when hes able to return.

That one afternoon changed Matthewss training habits forever.

So now, when I go run routes up at Vanderbilt or wherever Im at training, Ive got a helmet and shoulder pads on because of that moment, man. I dont even know if hell see this interview, but Jules had a huge impact on me and I cant thank him enough.

JIM MCBRIDE

Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globejimmcbride.

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The workout with Julian Edelman that changed Jordan Matthewss mindset - The Boston Globe

Gamecocks’ Jordan Burch drama will end Wednesday on National Signing Day II – Charleston Post Courier

The end is here as far as the 2020 recruiting season is concerned.

National Signing Day is Wednesday, though most of the signing day drama occurred in December during the early signing period. The signing period actually runs until April 1, but practically all unsigned prospects for the 2020 class will get it done Wednesday. And that will include one of the nations elite high school players, 5-star defensive end Jordan Burch of Hammond School.

Burch actually committed to South Carolina on National Signing Day on Dec. 18, but he did not sign his letter-of-intent at the time, saying he wanted to wait and sign with his high school teammates on National Signing Day II, which is Wednesday.

However, since then, he has taken an unofficial visit to LSU, the team he listed as No. 2 on his list behind USC. At least one national recruiting analyst projected a flip by Burch to LSU. But Burch had an official visit left with USC and he took that over the weekend.

The Gamecocks coaching staff actually kick-started the weekend by turning out en masse for Burchs basketball game Friday night at Heathwood Hall. And they had Burch and his mother to themselves since LSU coaches had already used their once-a-week contact Jan. 27 while Burch was still in Baton Rouge.

Burch and his mother went from the basketball game to USC to begin their weekend. Burch attended the USC basketball game Saturday against Missouri, sitting behind the Gamecocks bench, and went through the typical official weekend routine of meeting with coaches, touring facilities and the campus and hanging out with the players.

Burch and his teammates plan to sign at Hammond at 1 p.m. Wednesday. One of his teammates, defensive tackle Alex Huntley, has been committed to the Gamecocks since June.

Another USC target was on campus over the weekend. Wide receiver Ger-Cari Caldwell of Northwestern visited the Gamecocks and has narrowed his decision to USC and Tennessee. He will have an announcement ceremony Wednesday at 10 a.m. at his school.

The Gamecocks also are expected to add running back ZaQuandre White (6-2, 205) of Iowa Western JC. The former Florida State linebacker from Fort Meyers, Fla., committed to the Gamecocks in December, but Will Muschamp never followed up with his Spurs Up tweet signifying a taken commitment. However, GamecockCentral reported last week the Gamecocks do plan to sign White on Wednesday.

Two other commitments, punter Kai Kroeger and kicker Mitch Jeter, dont plan to sign Wednesday at this point due to class numbers, but they plan to enroll in June, go on scholarship in August and count on the 2021 class.

Clemson will have a quiet Wednesday. The Tigers signed all of their 2020 class in December.

Quarterback Hunter Helms of Gray Collegiate took an official visit to a Power-5 program over the weekend, according to his father. He did not disclose the name of the school, but Helms will weigh that trip against a preferred walk-on offer from Clemson. Hes also had an offer from South Florida. He plans to make his announcement Wednesday morning.

Saluda wide receive Dallan Wright committed Sunday to Virginia Tech. He visited earlier in the week.

Cornerback Tyrik McDaniel of Dutch Fork committed to Old Dominion.

Gray Collegiate offensive linemen Caleb Moore (Limestone) and Wheslen McLeod (S.C. State) committed last week.

Swansea wide receiver Michael Jones committed to Limestone.

Dillon quarterback Jateil Lester committed to North Greenville.

Offensive lineman Colby Todd of Aynor and defensive lineman Trey Irby of Dutch Fork committed to Newberry.

Cardinal Newman offensive lineman James Reedy plans to join USC as a preferred walk-on.

Laurens quarterback Ryan Campbell committed to Presbyterian.

USC also held a junior day Saturday that included some of the Gamecocks top targets for 2021 and 2022.

Defensive tackle Marlin Dean (6-6, 265) of Elberton, Ga., was at USC. He has not been rated by the recruiting networks, but his offers include USC, Florida State, Auburn, Georgia, Colorado, West Virginia, East Carolina, Georgia State and Georgia Tech.

Dean's interest in USC goes beyond football.

They had the No. I International Business school in the world, not just the country, but the world, Dean said. That was one thing I wanted to kind of major in, and they really hit me up with that outside of football.

But there was plenty of football talk as well between Dean and Gamecock defensive line coach John Scott, recruiter Mike Bobo and head coach Will Muschamp. He came away enlightened on how the Gamecocks run their defensive front.

The way they run their defense, theres just something different, Dean said. They rotate defensive linemen. They have a continuous rotation, and thats something I could work with. They said they see me working good on their defense. They said I have quick hands and Im very explosive off the ball, and Id fit right into their program the way they develop their athletes.

After the visit, the Gamecocks find themselves sitting in a good position with a top prospect from a program that usually is locked in with UGA.

I feel good about them. They are going to be one of my top picks, Dean said. They are up there. I learned a lot more about it. They are in the top three.

Dean also has Georgia and Georgia Tech in his top three.

Four-star linebacker Trenilyas Tatum of Jonesboro, Ga., visited USC on Saturday and got his first up-close contact with Muschamp, who is taking over the Gamecock linebackers this season and will be recruiting for that position with a little more involvement.

Tatum has experienced that with Muschamp and it helped to make for a positive visit.

I liked everything about it, Tatum said. I loved it. It was nice. The hospitality all the coaches had, they really enjoyed all the players being there. Coach Muschamp is a good coach. He actually communicates with the players."

Tatum said after his visit he ranks the Gamecocks at the top of his list, though he still has a lot to think about. Some of his other offers are Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Maryland, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Tatum is ranked by the 247Sports composite as the No. 15 outside linebacker in the country and the No. 20 recruit in Georgia.

Gaffney defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins is one of the top players in the 2021 class, and he also was in for an unofficial visit with the Gamecocks.

It was a great atmosphere, Ingram-Dawkins said. The moment I stepped in, it was just great. The coaches, seeing the school and just seeing how it is. Great facilities. I know every school is going to have great facilities. But South Carolina came with good coaches and they just welcomed me home, like I was at home the moment I came in. That alone made it great.

Ingram-Dawkins spent a lot of time with Muschamp and defensive line coach John Scott, and he got a detailed accounting of their plans for him.

They were just showing me the defense that they run and telling me how I would fit in with my play style, where I would be lining up and how I would be rushing the quarterback and stuff, he said. He (Muschamp) was telling me that they like me and Im a big priority for the program.

This was Ingram-Dawkins second unofficial visit to USC. Hes also been to Clemson and Virginia Tech. Besides USC and Virginia Tech, he has offers from Syracuse, West Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Coastal Carolina. Ingram-Dawkins is ranked the No. 5 prospect in the the Palmetto State and the 27th defensive tackle in the country.

Wide receiver J.J. Jones of Myrtle Beach emerged as one of the states top offensive players in 2019 and will be one of the top prospects in the state in 2020. His offer list includes North Carolina, Louisville, Penn State, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, NC State, Tennessee and others.

USC has been showing a lot of interest, and Saturday he was in for a visit. The Gamecocks have not yet offered.

Dillon wide receiver Ahmari Huggins-Bruce also visited USC. The Gamecocks have not yet offered and he doesnt have them in his top list at this point. He just picked up an offer from South Florida.

Defensive end Kaseem Vauls of Irmo attended the USC junior day on Jan. 25. Vauls moved to Irmo from Charlotte prior to last season and was one of the best defensive players in the state. He had 41 tackles with 18 tackles for loss and 17 sacks.

Vauls is looking for his first offer and hes hoping he took that first step Saturday with the Gamecocks.

My day went good over there, Vauls said. I was talking to the defensive line coach and linebackers coach, and I think it went very good. I think I will be looked at as an outside linebacker there. They like my size and my speed, my aggression, stuff like that.

USC offered 2022 linebacker Kobe McCloud of Tampa. Fla. Some of his other offers are Syracuse, Indiana, Iowa State, Miami, Pitt, Bowling Green and Southern Miss. Hes the brother of former Clemson receiver Ray-Ray McCloud, and has another brother (Jordan) who is a quarterback at South Florida.

USC offered 2022 safety Alfonzo Allen of Hollywood, Fla. Hes rated the No. 2 safety in the class nationally by 247Sports.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney made a stop at Gonzaga High in Washington, D.C., last week to visit quarterback Caleb Williams. Williams visited Clemson for the junior day Jan. 25.

Clemson offered wide receiver Mario Williams of Plant City, Fla. He also has a USC offer and many more major Power 5 offers. Hes a 4-star recruit, according to the 247Sports composite, and the No. 6 wide receiver nationally.

USC commitment defensive back Demarko Williams of Atlanta was offered by Tennessee and Maryland.

USC and Clemson are both targeting cornerback Nyland Green of Covington, Ga., who picked up offers from Alabama, LSU, Nebraska and Florida State recently. He visited Georgia over the weekend and was at Tennessee the previous weekend.

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Gamecocks' Jordan Burch drama will end Wednesday on National Signing Day II - Charleston Post Courier

AGT: The Champions finalist Angelina Jordan tears up talking about her late grandfather: I wish he would be here [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW] – Gold…

Not only is Angelina Jordan your favorite Golden Buzzer act of Americas Got Talent: The Champions Season 2, but she also won our recent poll that asked who deserved to win. Gold Derby sat down with this 14-year-old winner of Norways Got Talent as she embarked on her AGT journey, and things got rather emotional as she spoke about her late grandfather. I wish he would be here and he would hear me perform and I could just hug him for just one second, Angelina revealed in our exclusive video interview (watch above).

SEEAmericas Got Talent superfans: AGT: The Champions voting explained once and for all

Angelina explained that she chose to sing Bohemian Rhapsody in the season premiere because it means a lot to her. Its about the fears that youre going to lose somebody in your life. But still you have hope. I love that song. It always reminds me about my grandfather that passed away about a year and a half ago. Her haunting rendition of the Queen classic wowed judge Heidi Klum so much that she pushed her Golden Buzzer.

The talented tyke was only seven years old when she won the Norwegian version of Got Talent in 2014. What was it like to hit superstardom at such a young age? It was amazing. It was like my dream come true, she recalled. I always wanted to sing on the stage for all the people in the world, and I won the show! It was so unbelievable.

Following her big victory, Angelina published a book when she was nine to let people know why she performs barefoot on the stage. I gave my shoes to a little girl on the streets who was making money by weighing random strangers. She had scars on her feet and it was really cold, Angelina continued, and thats why whenever I sing on the stage Im always reminded about all the children that dont have any parents and clothes and shoes.

She will next be seen in the season finale of Americas Got Talent: The Champions, airing Monday, February 10 on NBC. (See the other Top 10 acts.) Do you think Angelina has what it takes to join magician Shin Lim on the Champions winners list?

SIGN UP for Gold Derbys free newsletter with latest predictions

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AGT: The Champions finalist Angelina Jordan tears up talking about her late grandfather: I wish he would be here [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW] - Gold...

Jordan Reed is the top cap-savings cut candidate at TE this offseason – Redskins Wire

No team can save more money by making a cut at the tight end position this year than the Washington Redskins thanks to Jordan Reeds contract.

As noted in the tweet above from Spotrac, Reed leads the way in all potential savings at $8.5 million if cut.

Reed is on the book for a cap hit north of $9 million in each of the next two years as he heads into his age-30 season. He missed all of this past year after suffering an injury in the preseason, in addition to the obvious missed time in the years prior.

There is a reality where the high-upside tight end decides to hang up his cleats outright this offseason after another concussion.

While the Redskins arent hurting in projected offseason cap space right now (about $40 million), they could free up another sizeable chunk.

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Jordan Reed is the top cap-savings cut candidate at TE this offseason - Redskins Wire

Jordan Clarkson has been everything the Utah Jazz hoped for, and then some – Salt Lake Tribune

Portland, Ore. As much as Thursday night was supposed to be a coronation of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, given their selections as reserves for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, it was newbie sixth man Jordan Clarkson who stole the show for the Jazz in what would wind up a six-point loss to the Nuggets.

His 13-point first half pushed Utah out front, even as Mitchell struggled to get the ball to meet the net. And after Denver seized control with a 27-1 run, it was Clarksons 24-point outburst in the fourth quarter that rallied the Jazz and gave them a shot in a game that had appeared too far gone just minutes before.

Clarksons acquisition by the Jazz from the Cavs had initially prompted questions about his fit within coach Quin Snyders highly intricate and somewhat regimented scheme. After all, the thinking went, Clarkson was a freelancer, an empty-calories scorer, an unrepentantly shameless gunner. And yet, when a Cleveland-based reporter inquired about the fit after Thursdays game, noting that Clarkson had not exactly been known as a system guy with the Cavs, Snyder interrupted, dismissing outright any notion of friction stemming from having to rein in the bad tendencies of his new guard.

I love him. I love him. Look, write it down I love him, Snyder interjected. Sometimes a system needs to be malleable. Hes unselfish, he attacks the rim and gets to the line. If a system is defense, hes embraced that. I think hell continue to learn some of the things that we want from our group, but I want him to be instinctive.

The 27-year-old was born in Tampa, Fla., but attended high school in San Antonio. Selected 46th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards on behalf of the L.A. Lakers. Acquired by the Jazz on Dec. 23, 2019; in the final season of a four-year, $50M contract. Has averaged 15.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists on 46.0% shooting (34.9% from 3) in 18 games with the Jazz.

Indeed, Clarksons ability to be unpredictable has bolstered a previously moribund second unit. In 18 games played with the Jazz since the trade, he has scored 15.1 points per game while shooting 46% from the field.

It was all on display at the Pepsi Center off-the-bounce wizardry; shiftiness and slitheriness navigating the Nuggets defenses; irrational confidence beyond the arc (where he nailed 7 of 12 tries).

For his part, Clarkson said the freedom that Snyder has afforded him on the court went a long way in trying to bring the Jazz back against the Nuggets.

When Ive got space, coach is just telling me, Let it go, he said. I was just trying to do what I could do to impact the game. I was just trying to pull us into the game where wed have a shot at the end.

Snyder, meanwhile, had no issues with the guards arguably-impetuous missed 3-pointer that effectively ended Utahs last gasp.

He brought us back in the game. So if he makes that shot It seems like hes being aggressive, and thats what I want. He was terrific, Snyder said. You can always be critical of a decision here, a decision there sometimes when youre critical, a guys making shots. Theyre out there playing. He battled his tail off, he was aggressive, I thought he was really good.

Afterward, Clarkson spoke publicly for the first time about the death of league icon Kobe Bryant a man that he not only called a teammate but considered a friend.

Bryants death in a helicopter crash Sunday shook the Jazz guard, and he acknowledged that the subsequent days have been an emotional struggle.

Kobe being one of my teammates, my mentor, it just hit me hard. I havent really spoke on it or said anything; Im still just trying to process it. He was like Superman to me, Clarkson said. Its tough. But I know he would want us to keep going, keep hoopin and keep pushing.

He certainly did that Thursday, earning further respect from his teammates for almost single-handedly powering them through.

We wouldnt have been there without him, said Mitchell. I really respect him and his approach, cause we could have just easily hung it up and called it quits on the second night of a back-to-back.

He was huge, added Gobert. He hit big shot after big shot and gave us a little hope at the end.

Snyder was impressed, too. Not merely because of what Clarkson did, but also because it made him recognize what Clarkson may yet be able to do.

The opportunity to continue to get better is there for him offensively as well, Snyder said, which is a heck of a statement given what he did tonight.

Tipoff Saturday, 8:30 p.m. MTTV AT&T SportsNetRadio 1280 AM, 97.5 FMRecords Jazz 32-16; Blazers 21-27Last meeting Jazz, 121-115 (Dec. 26)

About the Jazz Utahs late-third/early-fourth collapse vs. Denver on Thursday included 12 consecutive missed shots, leading to 19 straight Nuggets points. Donovan Mitchell, who scored just four points against the Nuggets, had team-highs of 35 points and seven assists the last time the Jazz faced the Blazers. Reserve forward Georges Niang remains fourth in the league in 3-point percentage, at 44.5%About the Blazers All-Star guard Damian Lillard ranks fourth in the NBA in points per game (29.0), sixth in assists (7.8) and second in 3-pointers made per game (3.8). Portland blocks the second-most shots per game (6.5) of any team in the league, trailing only the Lakers. The Blazers will be on the second night of a back-to-back after playing at the Lakers on Friday night.

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Jordan Clarkson has been everything the Utah Jazz hoped for, and then some - Salt Lake Tribune

Rep. Jim Jordan is raising big campaign bucks, Rep. Tim Ryan isnt: See what Northeast Ohio Congress members – cleveland.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Jim Jordans enhanced profile as one of President Donald Trumps most vocal public defenders is paying off for the Champaign County Republicans political fundraising, helping him to collect nearly $1.4 million during the last quarter of 2019, more than either of Ohios U.S. Senators raised in that period. Much of it came in small donations from people all over the country.

Republicans transferred Jordan to the House Intelligence Committee during its probe into Trumps decision to withhold congressionally approved aid to Ukraine while asking its president to investigate the family of a political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. Jordan also figured prominently in the House Judiciary Committees impeachment debate.

Trump liked Jordans performance enough to make him part of the White House defense team during U.S. Senates impeachment trial, and Jordan has said hes interested in becoming the House Judiciary Committees top Republican when Georgias Doug Collins leaves the job to run for U.S. Senate.

Jordan, who unsuccessfully challenged Californias Kevin McCarthy for the House Republican Leaders job in 2018, collected $10,000 from McCarthys political action committee during the years last quarter, suggesting the two have reconciled. Slightly more than $43,000 of Jordans quarterly fundraising came from political action committees, Federal Election Commission records show.

Campaign spokesman Kevin Eichinger said Jordan eclipsed his past record of small dollar donations as a result of people seeing all the unfairness going on in Washington, and those people wanting to support the few that are standing up against that unfairness.

One of Jordans largest individual donations during the quarter came from the CEO of a Cleveland aerospace company that the Pentagon has accused of profiteering. The House Oversight and Reform Committee, where Jordan is the top Republican, held a hearing last May where its members criticized the company after a Defense Department Inspector Generals report that found it overcharged taxpayers by $16.1 million on $26.2 million in contracts between January 2015 and January 2017. The CEO of TransDigm Group Inc., Kevin Stein of Chagrin Falls, donated $5,600 to Jordan.

Jordan also spent lots of of money during the quarter - $926,590 - much of it on fundraising - and ended the year with $2,108,539 in the bank. His expenses included hiring temporary staffers with security backgrounds who accompanied him to some of his appearances outside of Ohio and Washington.

Since Congressman Jordans profile has been on the rise, requests for appearances nationwide have also been on the rise, so we have brought on some temporary help, when needed, to assist in the logistics of out of state travel, Eichinger said.

Niles-area Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, who spent much of last year traveling the country in an unsuccessful pursuit of the Democratic presidential nomination, had the least money in the bank of any area member of Congress: $98,342, FEC filings indicate.

Of the $137,883 that Ryan collected in the years last quarter, around $106,000 came from political committees, many associated with organized labor or defense contractors. He also transferred almost $17,000 from his presidential campaign to his congressional re-election committee. His campaign reported $80,178 in operating expenses during the quarter.

Heres how much other members of Congress who represent Northeast Ohio had in the bank going into 2020:

Sen. Rob Portman: $3,806,088.55 in the bank

Almost $170,000 of the $540,168 that the Cincinnati Republican collected during the quarter came from political committees. He got $10,000 from Sen. Jerry Morans Free State PAC, and $5,000 each from PACs representing UBS Americas and the AFLAC insurance company. His individual donors included J.M Smucker Chairman Timothy P. Smucker and NiSource President and CEO Joseph G. Hamrock of Westerville, who each gave $2,800.

The biggest chunk of the $104,923 Portman spent in the quarter was more than $15,000 for fundraising consulting. He spent more than $10,000 on printing, and nearly $3,000 on Toledo Mudhen minor league baseball tickets for a political event. Portman will next face re-election in 2022.

Sen. Sherrod Brown: $1,307,393.76 in the bank

After winning his third term in 2018, the Cleveland Democrat wont be up for re-election again until 2024. The $272,939 that Brown collected in the last quarter of 2019 included $2,200 from ScottsMiracle-Grow Company Chairman and CEO James Hagedorn, $1,500 from M/I Homes president Robert H. Schottenstein, and $2,000 from officials of Chicago-based Hecate Energy, including former Democratic National Committee Chair David C. Wilhelm of Bexley.

The $47,745 he got from political committees included $5,000 from a PAC for Scotts Miracle-Gro PAC, $2,500 for a PAC from Whirlpool Corp., and $2,000 from AK Steel Corporations PAC.

A large share of Browns $147,878 in disbursements were for fundraising and digital consulting. His campaign also spent $5,025 for Cleveland Indians tickets.

Rep. Dave Joyce: $1,267,158.82 in the bank

The Bainbridge Township Republican collected $410,447 in the quarter. His donors included Park Ohio President Matt Crawford, who gave him $5,600, Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, who each gave $2,800, and former Invacare CEO Mal Mixon and his wife, Barbara, who each gave $2,800.

The more than $188,000 that Joyce collected from from political committees included $10,000 from House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthys Majority Committee. As the top Republican on a subcommittee that funds the Interior Department, Joyce also got contributions from committees that represent several American Indian tribes.

The more than $200,000 his campaign spent in the quarter included more than $86,000 on fundraising consulting, a $25,000 donation to the National Republican Congressional Committee, and more than $30,000 in legal fees.Joyces former campaign treasurer, ex-Highland Heights Mayor Scott Coleman, pleaded guilty to stealing more than $160,000 from his treasury.

Rep. Marcia Fudge: $1,042,261 in the bank

The Warrensville Heights Democrat raised $123,442 in the quarter and disbursed $92,021 - including a $10,000 donation to the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party. Her $1,000 donors included former Cincinnati Bengals running back Archie Griffin and former Greater Cleveland Growth Association President and CEO Carole Hoover. The $62,112 she got from political committees included $7,500 from the Farm Credit PAC and $5,000 from a machinists union.

At the end of the year, her campaign deposited more than $20,000 in checks it previously collected but didnt cash.

Rep. Anthony Gonzalez: $756,512 in the bank

The freshman Republican from Rocky River collected $290,844 in the quarter, spent $264,773 and finished with $756,512 in the bank. He donated more than $90,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee, and $2.500 to Cuyahoga Countys Republican Party. His campaign still has a $40,000 loan on the books from Gonzalez.

His campaign received $2,800 donations from Forest City Enterprises executive Albert B. Ratner, RPM International Chairman and CEO Frank C. Sullivan. His more than $151,000 in donations from political committees included $2,000 from RPM.

Rep Marcy Kaptur: $662,497 in the bank

The $122,715 that Toledo Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur collected during the last quarter of 2019 included more than $94,000 from political committees, many of which are union affiliated. Steelworkers and machinists unions each gave her $5,000.

Her individual donors included Lakewood Mayor Mike Summers, who gave $1,000, former Congress member Mary Rose Oakar, who gave $250, and former Cuyahoga Democratic Party Chair Stuart Garson, who gave $2,000.

The largest chunk of the of the $225,323 that her campaign disbursed was a $125,000 donation to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. She also gave $1,000 donations to more than 30 Democratic Congress members and candidates, and a $1,000 donation to Lucas Countys Democratic party.

Rep. Bob Gibbs: $485,058 in the bank

The Holmes County Republican defeated a Democrat who outspent him in 2018 and didnt focus much on raising money late last year. Most of the close to $60,000 he raised during the quarter came from political committees associated with transportation and agricultural interests, reflecting the committees hes served on in Congress.

His individual donors included Carnival cruise ship company chairman Mickey Arison, who gave him $2,000. His campaigns largest expense was a $10,000 donation to the National Republican Congressional Committee.

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Rep. Jim Jordan is raising big campaign bucks, Rep. Tim Ryan isnt: See what Northeast Ohio Congress members - cleveland.com

Belgium Acquits Three Doctors in Landmark Euthanasia Case – The New York Times

A Belgian court on Friday acquitted three doctors who had been charged with manslaughter by poisoning, in a landmark case that for the first time charged health professionals criminally under Belgiums euthanasia law.

Euthanasia has been legal in Belgium since 2002. It also is legal in the Netherlands and Luxembourg, but has long been debated in European countries. While certain forms of assisted suicide are practiced in France and Switzerland, the Belgian law goes further.

Belgium allows euthanasia if an individual who is incurably ill and encounters unbearable physical or psychological pain, makes a voluntary, well-considered and repeated request, without external pressure. Since 2014, minors can also request euthanasia under certain conditions.

The three doctors were facing life-imprisonment sentences over accusations that they had unlawfully poisoned a 38-year-old woman in 2010.

The woman, Tine Nys, requested euthanasia under the law in 2009, according to Joris Van Cauter, the lawyer for Sophie Nys, one of her two sisters, who said Tine Nys had suffered from depression and heroin addiction and had tried to commit suicide several times. A few months later, the lawyer said, she was diagnosed with autism by a psychiatrist.

She received a lethal injection on April 27, 2010, in the company of her parents and her two sisters.

But Sophie Nys later argued that Tine Nys had not received sufficient advice, and that doctors had not tried to treat her mental illness. She filed a complaint, saying Tine Nys had not been incurably ill, as the Belgian euthanasia law requires.

A minority of euthanasia requests are granted in Belgium when the patient has psychological issues. Sophie Nyss complaint was initially rejected by a court but later permitted on appeal.

It makes you wonder about medicine and how you make life or death decisions, the lawyer, Mr. Van Cauter, said about the three doctors who were standing trial. My client asked, How can you say that you tried to treat her?

Mr. Van Cauter added that his client and her family had not wanted the doctors to go to prison; instead, they wanted an official acknowledgment that euthanasia should not have been administered under the circumstances.

Its a bit disappointing, the lawyer said of the decision, adding that the way Tine Nys was treated was very sad.

After a two-week trial and eight hours of final debate, a 12-person jury in the criminal court of Ghent, in northwestern Belgium, cleared the three practitioners the doctor who made the lethal injection, the general practitioner and a psychiatrist.

Walter Van Steenbrugge, the lawyer of one of the doctors, Joris Van Hove, said a conviction would have established a dangerous precedent for professionals practicing euthanasia. He said he and his peers had received dozens of letters from worried doctors who said they had halted euthanasia procedures for fear of legal consequences.

My client is very relieved, Mr. Van Steenbrugge said. There was a lot at stake, not only for Belgium but for Europe in general.

More than 2,350 people were permitted euthanasia in Belgium in 2018, according to the latest public figures.

In the Netherlands, a doctor was acquitted in September after having been accused of failing to secure proper consent from a 74-year-old patient who suffered from Alzheimers and had been administered euthanasia by the doctor.

In France, a 42-year-old nurse who had been in a vegetative state for more than a decade died in July, after doctors had stopped feeding him artificially, following years of legal battles.

The case that received the most attention in recent years in Belgium was 40-year-old Paralympian champion Marieke Vervoort, who was suffering from an incurable degenerative muscle disease, and who died last October, 11 years after having signed the papers paving the way to her death.

In Tine Nyss case, Mr. Van Steenbrugge said the acquittal had sent a strong, reassuring message to doctors. It was not manslaughter, it wasnt a crime, he said. It was euthanasia.

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Belgium Acquits Three Doctors in Landmark Euthanasia Case - The New York Times

Why legal euthanasia results in sick, elderly being pressured to die – Lifesite

February 3, 2020 (El Debate de Hoy) Jeanne Delpierre requested euthanasia. She did not have advanced cancer, nor any other serious and incurable disease, a requirement required by Belgian law. Her incurable disease was old age (88 years) and the multiple pathologies associated with it: osteoarthritis, loss of sight and hearing

Jeanne Delpierre was killed.

In Holland, Senator Brongersma was killed in a case that received significant media coverage in 1998 because he had been one of the first to request euthanasia for psychological suffering. In his case, it was loneliness: No one is left alive that interests me.

In Benelux (Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembrug), a beacon of euthanasic progress, there are more and more people who ask for and obtain death to avoid simple emotional disorders, or to prevent future suffering (for example, people who are diagnosed with cancer or Alzheimers disease but are still in the early stages).

In our aging societies, the number of elderly people facing physical and mental decline, depression, and loneliness will grow rapidly: the generation that started during the family-sexual revolution in the 60s is reaching old age, with its sequelae of divorces and low birth rates. Many Baby-Boomers have had no children, or have had very few: a very sad old age awaits them in hospices or empty homes. The burden they represent to the economic and health care systems is grave, indeed.

Lets say it bluntly: there is a definite risk, more or less subtle, that more and more of the elderly will be pushed toward euthanasia. It will be enough to convince them that the final stretch of life, with all of its difficulties, is lebensunwert, unworthy of being lived (yes, it is the term that Nazi legislation used to justify the extermination of the deficient in the Aktion T4 program). They will also be pressured with the idea that they are a drag on young people. When the notion that the dignified choice is not to impose ones own decay on others is incorporated into the cultural environment, the burden of proof will fall on the one who wishes to continue living beyond a certain age.

Our progressive government is willing to embark society on this formidable advance. Of course, it will say euthanasia is going to be allowed only in extreme cases of incurable and unbearable suffering... This is what the government has already done with abortion. Experience shows that, once the principle of inviolability of life is demolished, public opinion and jurisprudential drift lead to an increasingly lax interpretation of legal requirements. Inevitably, it leads to a reform of the law, to accommodate the permissive praxis that is a fait accompli. The slippery slope is confirmed time and again in bioethical matters.

The Netherlands has already served as a laboratory for euthanasia for 40 years (tolerated by the courts since the 70s and regulated since 2001), and Belgium for 20 years (regulated in 2002). The evolution in both countries is the one synthesized by Herbert Hendin in Seduced by Death: From euthanizing terminally ill patients they have progressed to euthanizing those with chronic illnesses; from accepting euthanasia for physical illnesses they have evolved to euthanizing people with psychological illnesses; from allowing euthanasia only for voluntary cases, it is now accepted practice to euthanize people without their express permission. Therefore, the number of cases shoots upward like an arrow: in Belgium, from about 200 annually at the beginning to about 2,500 today. In the Netherlands, it has been estimated that 15% of deaths are already caused by euthanasia. The control is ex post facto: doctors must inform the Control Commission...when the patient has already been passported. In addition, the commission consists mostly of supporters of euthanasia.

The alternative to euthanasia is not horrible agony. We live in a time when almost all sufferings can be attenuated by legitimate medicine. Supporters of euthanasia try to muddle everything, confusing it with palliative care within the blurry concept of a dignified death. But palliative care seeks not to cause death, but to improve the quality of life in the final phase of a painful disease. Nor should terminal sedation be confused with euthanasia: it seeks not to cause death, but to lessen the agony of death.

But palliative care is very expensive. In Spain, which is a pioneer in this field, investment in palliative care has been frozen for decades. Although the Bologna Plan provided for European universities to develop palliative care as another specialty of medical studies, only 6 of 43 Spanish medical schools teach it on a mandatory basis. There is a national palliative care strategy that has clearly been given up for dead since the commission has not met for three years, and the national plan has not been created. In Spain alone, some 75,000 patients are in need of palliative care and cannot receive it.

The culture of death, with its 100,000 abortions a year and the substitution of family stability for a libertine lifestyle, has led us to senile societies, with an inverted demographic pyramid. Every aging society must decide whether to invest in palliative care and health care for the elderly or euthanasia. Our socialist-communist government seems to have decided that the progressive way is the second. In the Happy World of Aldous Huxley, there is no old age.

Editors note: Francisco Jos Contreras is a lecturer in legal philosophy at the University of Seville and is a representative in the Spanish congress from the conservative VOX party.

This article was first published at El debate de hoy. It is republished here by permission.

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Why legal euthanasia results in sick, elderly being pressured to die - Lifesite

Why Asheville animal lovers are outraged over Brother Wolf’s euthanasia rate | OPINION – Citizen Times

Joelle Warren, GUEST COLUMNIST Published 6:00 a.m. ET Jan. 31, 2020 | Updated 9:37 p.m. ET Jan. 31, 2020

Need more cuteness in your life? Brother Wolf Animal Rescue is seeking foster support for kittens in the Asheville area.

Dogs and cats are being euthanized at Brother Wolf at an alarming rate and the community is outraged. The new leadership is using terms like warehousing and aggression as a fear tactic in an attempt to justify their actions in the public eye. Animal rescue professionals, like myself, have heard these excuses before.

The term warehousing was first noted in the late 90's when a couple of 'rescues' were busted with hundreds of dogs living in filth, stacked upon one another, with neither physical nor behavioral needs met. That realization became the fuel to reform animal sheltering. California even passed law during this time period, deeming it illegal for any shelter to euthanize a pet that had a rescue group willing to save them. Leaders in the movement created the path for transparency and accountability. Dogs and cats housed in shelter and rescue facilities were to be given the fivefreedoms:

Freedom from hunger and thirst; Freedom from discomfort; Freedom from pain, injury or disease ; Freedom to express normal behavior; Freedom from fear and distress.

BWAR was created with these concepts in mind.

Background: We know change at Brother Wolf Animal Rescue is hard. Here's why it's necessary

In 2008 in Hendersonville, a group called All Creatures Great and Small, was busted for warehousing pets. Animals were being co-housed with little to no medical care, fighting, breeding, and some even died. It was sad and disgusting. Many area rescue groups, including BWAR, pulled animals from this facility when it was shut down by the state and helped several animals escape the horror.

I do not believe animals at Brother Wolf are being warehoused. Warehousing pets is when you have given up on providing enrichment for them. It is not simply determined by length of stay. Warehousing is when you have given up hope. Its a term to hide behind when youve run out of creative solutions to save pets and you no longer possess the experience or resources to advocate for them.

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During my eight years as the Director of Operations at BWAR, animals were given every chance at life. We had a behaviorist on staff, sometimes more than one, that trained a team of dedicated volunteers. We provided the most at-risk dogs with their own enrichment team. These volunteers trained, walked, hiked, played with and took the dogs on appropriate outings. This is how we kept the dogs from experiencing kennel stress or going kennel crazy." We also had highly trained adoption counselors that knew what to look for in potential adopters.

They counseled them on ways to set up their newly adopted pets for success and discussed management strategies to overcome behavior challenges. We also provided post-adoption behavioral support from our behaviorists for dogs with various issues, including bite histories. In my time at BWAR, there was not a single time that any liability issues arose regarding the marginal dogs that were adopted.

I will acknowledge that this strategic programming did not completely eliminate the fact that some animals could not be rehabilitated. Some dogs could not handle shelter life, and didnt have rescue or sanctuary opportunities. Some had aggressive tendencies that made them unsafe to be handled by staff or other experienced people.I had to make this decision only three times in eight years.Seventeen dogs have been killed at Brother Wolf in less than a year.

Opinion: This is why Brother Wolf made a tough decision for 2 Asheville dogs

More: Brother Wolf signals mission change, shift away from animals with history of aggression

You must remember, BWAR is a limited intake, private facility, built and supported by our community. With this comes the luxury of time and space. The animals entering their care were promised every chance at a live outcome. I do not feel that the 90% No Kill statistic applies to limited intake facilities. They have the ability to select which animals enter their system and choosing to euthanize healthy dogs for manageable behavior issues is like scoffing at the 1,979 open intake, no-kill municipal shelters which have fought tooth and nail to save over 90% of the lives entering their system.

Katarina Brown, right, poses with Zurich.(Photo: Courtesy photo)

In January alone, eight Brother Wolf dogs have been killed. For weeks prior to these recent deaths, the animal rescue community rallied together to see if we could save some of the dogs that were in danger. I asked to take Zurich, who had an adopter, a former staff member, whom Zurich loved. I asked for my rescue, Mountain Pet Rescue Asheville, to assume full liability of Zurich. I offered to hire a behaviorist to work with the adopter and said I would be her mentor, helping with any back up care needed. I was refused. I pled to personally adopt him and work him in with my pack, two of which are BWAR dogs with similar behavior issues. Again, no. We asked for the evaluations from the alleged multiple certified behaviorists, who supposedly deemed these dogs un-adoptable and were never provided this information. Another dog, Piper, had a previous employee of the BWAR behavior team that wanted to adopt her, but her plea was declined.

This is not conscious sheltering. This is unnecessary killing. This is turning your back on the community that built and supported you. People understand the need for behavioral euthanasia when there are no other options. Adopting out dangerous dogs into the public is not a tenet of no-kill, and that is not what we are asking for. We want answers. We want a chance. And we keep getting denied and ignored as animals are being killed. This dismissive behavior, is why the community is so upset.

Joelle Warren(Photo: Courtesy Photo)

The main tenets of the no-kill philosophy are transparency, open dialogue, honest and genuine communication, with consideration given to partnering rescues and those with experience.

Terms can be discussed, expectations addressed, along with follow-up and support. Additionally, foster and volunteer programs, pet retention resources, and spay/neuter education is what is needed to explore every option for a viable, live outcome. This is how responsible animal rescue is done.

Joelle Warren co-founded Brother Wold Animal Rescueand is a native of Asheville.Warren left the organizationin 2015 andwenton to co-found Mountain Pet Rescue Asheville.

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Why Asheville animal lovers are outraged over Brother Wolf's euthanasia rate | OPINION - Citizen Times

Vet Shares What Pets Experience When Facing the End of Life Alone – Our Community Now at Maryland

Photo by Catherine Heath on Unsplash

When it comes to facing the end of life for a furry friend, most people will report that it's a heartbreaking process. For some pet owners,it's one of those deeply impactful experiences that stay with them forever, just as the grief of losing a human family member will. Butthe grief of owners is just one part of the picture. What's often not talked about is what our four-legged family member experiences in their last moments.

Holding an aged, sick, and dying pet in your arms, watching the vet approach with the needles, calming them as they express their fear and pain, and ushering them into peaceful rest while tears flow freely, this is the experience many pet parents know. This is not the experience all pets have, however. Some are left to face those final moments in a vet's office, with people they do not know.

In a blog post shared by Hillcrest Veterinary Hospital & 24-hour Emergency Service in South Africa, a local vet shared the heart-wrenching loneliness of pets who face euthanasia without the loving arms, faces, scents, and voices of their two-legged family nearby. The post has been shared over 130,000 times and explains that oftentimes when making the transition from life into death, pets will search for their ownerssometimes, frantically, as they near the end of life.The veterinarian explains that they search every face inthe room for their lovedone, not understanding why they have been left behind.

As the post says, these animals need the comfort of their owners, just as we seek the comfort of our loved ones.Though losing a pet may be hardand watching as they become still and pass on is scary, sobering, and full of sadnessthey, too, need comfort, especially in those last few moments.

The American Animal Hospital Association(AAHA) has some tips and guidance for pet owners facing the death of a pet. Euthanasia can be a final act of love and often is the only way to end a pets suffering. Humane euthanasia is a peaceful process and can help pet owners with grief, as they help and watch their pet stop suffering.

Veterinarian Jennifer Coates of Pet MD weighed in about whether or not pets know they're going to die. While her article was not able to answer that specific question, it did point out that helping them through those final moments with love and grace is the ultimate act of love.

Well probably never be able to definitively answer the question of whether pets know when they are going to die. What is vital, however, is that owners and veterinarians recognize when the end is near so that we can provide all the love and care necessary to make their last days as good as they possibly can be.

When a pet dies, we often wonder what we could have done to give them a better life, and as the vet who wrote this post reminds us, simply being with them to the very end means more than any new toy, bone, or chew. When that unfortunate time comes, they will look to us for the final okay to go. Most areas have veterinarians who will come to the home to perform the procedure, allowing the pet to be in their own space and not anxiously being placed on a table or vet office floor.

This one pulled on the heartstrings and reminded us of all the fur babies we have loved and lost. We want to hear from you on this subject. How have you faced the inevitable situation of when a pet is ready to pass on? Let us know in the comments, and share any pictures of your beloved pets with us.

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Vet Shares What Pets Experience When Facing the End of Life Alone - Our Community Now at Maryland

In this nation, 10000 folks have sought euthanasia from the federal government, the stunning reality revealed in analysis – Sahiwal Tv

Who doesnt wish to reside and lengthy life. If the folks affected by critical sickness are ignored, then normally everybody desires that they reside life to the fullest. But theres a nation on the planet the place persons are asking for a want of dying from the federal government. The identify of this nation is Netherlands.

Here in Parliament just lately, the nation's Health Minister and Dutch MP Christian Democrat Hugo Di Jong quoted a report that 10 thousand folks of the nation have expressed their want to the federal government that they wish to finish their lives.

->All these folks needs to be allowed this. All these persons are greater than 55 years of age. All these persons are affected by their critical diseases. So I wish to finish my life. The Health Minister mentioned that this determine is 0.18 p.c of the whole inhabitants of the nation.

Actually, all these persons are affected by critical ailments and wish to finish their lives on their very own. Health Minister Di Jong has expressed concern on this problem. He has to say that theres a critical matter. The authorities ought to assume those that are searching for euthanasia. Why has he develop into upset along with his life. These folks ought to assist to search out the suitable that means of life and encourage them once more. The authorities must take a call on this. Also, you must assist such folks, whove given up hope of residing. Another Member of Parliament of the Netherlands mentioned that she is going to introduce a invoice for euthanasia for greater than 75 folks, so that individuals can finish their lives in a peaceable and dignified approach. How a lot have you ever misplaced? That is why you will need to go for a snowflake.

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In this nation, 10000 folks have sought euthanasia from the federal government, the stunning reality revealed in analysis - Sahiwal Tv

The pro-life position on Tinslee Lewis is to take her off life support and end her suffering – NBC News

As a newcomer to pro-life activism in 1975, I was captivated along with the nation by the case of Karen Ann Quinlan. Quinlan had been hospitalized after suffering an event that deprived her of oxygen for a prolonged period and led doctors to diagnose her as being in a persistent vegetative state. She was placed on a respirator and provided with a feeding tube, but her parents wanted the respirator removed because they felt it was "extraordinary care" keeping her alive artificially rather than allowing her to live or die "in God's time." The hospital refused, however, because, it said, that would violate New Jersey's homicide law. Her landmark legal case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which found in the Quinlans' favor.

Unfortunately, some in our movement have shifted from simply protecting ordinary care to pushing to establish extraordinary care as the new standard.

The decision was important for me and others in the pro-life community for confirming the standard of ordinary versus extraordinary care. Our position has always been to protect the maintenance of ordinary care deemed to be food, water and oxygen but not extraordinary care; it was never the movement's position that there was a right to such treatment but rather that doctors should not hasten death.

Forty-five years later, it's important to remember this foundational pro-life principle. Unfortunately, some in our movement have shifted from simply protecting ordinary care to pushing to establish extraordinary care as the new standard. They want unlimited care interventions even when futile, inappropriate or outright harmful and in violation of doctors' consciences and their oath to do no harm.

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Tragically, they are pushing for this treatment in the case of Tinslee Lewis, a 1-year-old born in my home state of Texas with a severe heart defect. Her doctors say she is suffering with no hope of improvement and should be taken off life support, but the family and some right-to-life advocates have appealed to the courts to block the decision. An important hearing in her case is being held Tuesday.

This new position is especially troubling, because conscience is a central ethic of medicine, and to strip doctors of their right to conscience would enslave them to the whims of the state, society and patient surrogates. In fact, conscience protections were some of our first pro-life victories. Laws enacted in the 1970s protected medical providers who refused to participate in abortions or sterilizations. In 1996, we further protected medical students who didn't wish to train to perform abortions. Many state protections have been sought and won since.

The recent March for Life at the end of January, the pro-life community's largest annual national rally, for the first time featured the current U.S. president as a speaker. This should be a time for unity and reaffirmation of the central tenets of the movement. Instead, we face a division that not only splinters our advocacy, but also has terrible real-world consequences for those enduring fates similar to those of Quinlan and Tinslee.

Trinity Lewis, Tinslee's mom, has expressed hope through her attorneys and advisers at Texas Right to Life that her daughter can transition home for palliative care, and she has sued to demand that the hospital keep her daughter on her ventilator and resuscitate her multiple times a day indefinitely. The alternative is a transfer to another facility, but no facility has been willing to take her. Sworn testimony from doctors and nurses who have cared for Tinslee her entire life suggests Lewis is being misled that her daughter has any hope for a better outcome.

As a mother myself, I can only imagine Lewis' pain, and I understand deeply why she holds out such hope. Which is why it's so crucial that the medical establishment be respected for its expertise and guidance and that the laws put in place to make the best decision for patients in these circumstances be followed. Unfortunately, what we have seen in the media from attorneys, family and advisers for Tinslee constitutes a distortion of the patient's condition, the law at the heart of the lawsuit and the historic pro-life positions regarding euthanasia and end-of-life care. In fact, several other key organizations, including Texas Alliance for Life and the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, support the position of my group, Texans for Life.

Tinslee, who has a nurse dedicated solely to her care 24/7, struggles to survive any agitation, including diaper changes, leading to "dying events" on a daily basis. The medicines help control her breathing and her pain, but they keep her in deep sedation and a state of paralysis to minimize those dying events. No one can reasonably argue that the care Tinslee receives is ordinary.

To deal with heart-wrenching scenarios such as these, the state has a carefully constructed law respectful of pro-life concerns about end-of-life treatments and interventions, which balances the need to protect life, patient dignity and the conscience rights of providers. The law, the Texas Advance Directives Act, allows doctors and hospitals to give families like the Lewises a deadline to seek treatment elsewhere when they no longer believe interventions are appropriate. It was signed by a Republican governor in consultation with a large number of pro-life organizations.

But Tinslee's advocates complain that the law is unconstitutional because it deprives patients of due process before they are deprived of their right to life, as the 10 days the law allows to find an alternative facility is not enough time to complete a transfer. In fact, Tinslee's hospital has been looking for alternative facilities for months. According to the doctors we've consulted with on this case, a typical hospital transfer takes only three to four days.

The mounting health care costs that would result from mandating extraordinary care, regardless of the futility, risks a renewed push and acceptance of euthanasia.

Worse yet, the pro-life group that's helping to bring this legal challenge is trying to change the concept of what constitutes euthanasia. The idea that anything less than a full-court press until every cell is dead somehow constitutes euthanasia is new and dangerous. The mounting health care costs that would result from mandating extraordinary care, regardless of the futility, risks a renewed push and acceptance of euthanasia, as we have seen in other countries.

More than rhetoric or distortions, the law or a movement, this case is about Tinslee, her family and the caregivers who have worked so hard to save her life. But if the court tramples on the carefully constructed legal mechanisms to safeguard her best interests and empowers groups like Texas Right to Life to redefine euthanasia and diminish doctors' conscience rights, we will all be damaged.

Kyleen Wright is the president of Texans for Life. Follow her on Twitter @kyleenwright or @prolifetexans.

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The pro-life position on Tinslee Lewis is to take her off life support and end her suffering - NBC News

Catholic bishops urge Trudeau to scrap changes to assisted dying legislation – National Post

OTTAWA The president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to voice very serious concern about proposed changes to medical assistance in dying legislation.

Archbishop Richard Gagnon says in a letter on Friday the governments attempt to expand assisted death to include advance directives, as well as extending it to situations where death is not reasonably foreseeable, is deeply troubling.

Trudeaus government is working to comply with a Superior Court of Quebec ruling that concluded it is unconstitutional to allow only Canadians who are already near death to seek medical help to end their lives.

Gagnon says his organization is disappointed and concerned that the federal government has refused to appeal the ruling and it objects to an online questionnaire recently conducted by the Department of Justice.

The questionnaire asked people to consider safeguards to prevent abuse if the foreseeable-death requirement is removed from the law, but Gagnon says its inappropriate to use a survey to address grave moral questions.

Our Government recognizes that medical assistance in dying is a complex and deeply personal issue

In his letter, Gagnon says bishops agree in principle with consulting Canadians, but a survey that was available online for only two weeks is insufficient.

In a statement late Friday night the Department of Justice said the recent online consultation focused on responding to the issues raised in the Truchon ruling.

It further noted that the government received nearly 300,000 responses from the public, demonstrating just how engaged Canadians are with this deeply significant issue.

Our Government recognizes that medical assistance in dying is a complex and deeply personal issue, the statement said. We remain committed to protecting vulnerable individuals while protecting the Charter rights of all Canadians.

But Gagnon, who is the Archbishop of Winnipeg, says the survey also failed to give attention to the fears and concerns of elderly people and those with disabilities.

The churchs ministry of healing and accompanying the sick involves national and regional networks of parishes and health-care institutions on which vulnerable Canadians and their families rely for support and care, he says.

We visit the elderly who are lonely, isolated, abandoned, and insufficiently supported by health care and community services. We listen to those who, gripped by a physical or psychological crisis, see no reason for going on.

All these people are endangered by assisted death and need advocacy, support and the protection afforded by the very safeguards the government is trying to overturn, he argues.

Experience has shown that patients are more likely to request help in dying when their pain is not properly managed or when they are lonely or socially marginalized, Gagnon adds.

He says palliative care has yet to become fully realized and accessible in Canada, even though it seeks to alleviate the pain, loneliness, fear and despair that can lead to the tragic failure of assisted death.

Gagnon urges the government to hear from parents of children with mental illness, health-care providers who do not wish to administer assisted death and elderly or disabled patients who have been abused by caregivers.

We, as bishops of the Catholic faithful in Canada, call on the government to engage in a more rigorous, impartial and prolonged study of the problems inherent in euthanasia/assisted suicide by involving those whose experiences offer a different perspective and even present inconvenient truths.

We call on the government to engage in a more rigorous, impartial and prolonged study of the problems inherent in euthanasia/assisted suicide

Trudeaus government has been considering how to amend the law in a way that safeguards against abuse.

Justice Minister David Lametti has said hed like to have a bill before the House of Commons as soon as possible.

Lametti has not ruled out requesting an extension to the March 11 deadline imposed by the court, but hes said he would first like to see what level of consensus exists in the House.

Dying with Dignity Canada has warned against applying more hurdles that could wind up unfairly depriving people of their right to an assisted death and being shot down again by the courts.

Requiring consultation with medical specialists, for instance, could create real barriers to access, especially for people living outside big cities, the organization has argued.

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Catholic bishops urge Trudeau to scrap changes to assisted dying legislation - National Post