Blockchain Wallet: Buy Bitcoin on the App Store

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The Blockchain Wallet, founded in 2012, is the world's most popular crypto wallet with over 51M+ created in 180 countries. Thanks to our industry-leading low fees, over $620B+ has been transacted to date. The Blockchain Wallet is non-custodial, which means that only YOU control access to your crypto and private keys. The Blockchain Wallet enables you to send, receive store, exchange, and swap between cryptocurrencies without ever having to leave the security of your wallet. This functionality separates us from the competition and is why you should download the wallet from the App Store today!

The Blockchain Wallet currently supports Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Stellar (XLM), ALGO (Algorand), USDT(Tether), and USD Paxos Standard (PAX). New, exciting assets are added regularly which are evaluated against our asset selection methodology.Heres what youll find with your new Blockchain Wallet:Access to Markets* Seamlessly buy and sell bitcoin in 36 countries and exchange one crypto for another with live, best-in-class exchange rates from the safety of your wallet.* Real-time quotes and historical price charts* All exchanges settle on-chain so they are more reliable and resistant to fraud than off-chain transactionsSecurity* Only you have access to your private keys and your crypto.* Set 4-digit-pin or biometrically authenticate* Keep the bad guys out with advanced Two-Factor Authentication* Simplified backup and recovery with your unique 12-word backup phrase.* Hierarchical deterministic address architecture for increased transaction privacyTOR Blocking* Server-side entropy for maximum randomnessEase-of-Use* Send Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Stellar, Algorand, Tether, and USD PAX instantly to anyone in the world*Earn up to 7% interest on BTC, ETH, USDT, annually. Note that different interest rates apply for BTC and ETH. *Borrow USD Digital Today - Get USD Digital directly from your Blockchain Wallet, use your bitcoin as collateral. You need to be Gold level to benefit from this new offering.* Request payments in cryptocurrencies with ease anytime, anywhere. (includes QR Code support)* Simple, easy to understand Swap interface makes exchanging crypto a fun and frictionless experience.* Global wallet supports 21 languages.

With this app, you can create a new Blockchain Wallet or pair your existing web wallet on your mobile device.

Download today for free and if you have any questions, our best-in-class support team is waiting to assist you: support.blockchain.com or via the following social channels:Official Social Media Channels:

Twitter: @Blockchain and @AskBlockchainFacebook: @BlockchainLinkedIn: /company/blockchainInstagram: @BlockchainofficialYouTube: BlockchainTelegram: /blockchainexchangeVKontakte: /blockchainru

Interest accrues daily, is paid monthly, and represents an annualized rate. Its only available to users who have verified their identity with us and live outside Canada & Japan. The current minimum deposit is $100 worth of crypto. PAX and USDT are currently unavailable in the United States and the United Kingdom.

IMPORTANT NOTE

Digital currencies are not bank deposits, are not legal tender, are not backed by the government, and accounts and value balances are not subject to US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or Securities Investor Protection Corporation or any other non-US governmental or government-backed protections.

Legislative and regulatory changes or actions at the US State, Federal, or international level may adversely affect the use, transfer, exchange, and value of digital currencies.

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Blockchain Wallet: Buy Bitcoin on the App Store

For The Record Granted Patent for Blockchain Verified Recordings – Business Wire

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DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For The Record, the global leader in digital court recording, has been granted an industry-leading patent for verifying recordings using blockchain technology. The patent is a natural extension of and results from For The Records 25-year experience combining proprietary and patented technologies to ensure digital recording accuracy.

As digital audio and video proliferate across all areas of justice and public safety, so do concerns around manipulation of that media as editing technology becomes more accessible and capable, said Tony Douglass, one of the worlds leading experts in digital court recording and President of For The Record. All levels of justice will need safeguards in place to ensure the integrity of original source recordings and blockchain provides a unique ability to immediately identify if recordings have been altered.

With the award of this patent, For The Record will be unique in offering this critical component of security to original source recordings utilized throughout the entire justice system. Crucially, the authenticity of recordings can be verified against the blockchains immutable digital ledger over time, without revealing details of the recording.

We look forward to partnering with justice and other government agencies worldwide to embrace this revolutionary technology for immutably safeguarding recordings, added Douglass.

While For The Record has long been regarded as the industry standard in digital court recording technology worldwide, the patent now recognizes the company as the highest standard in verifying original source recording integrity.

About For The Record

For The Record has and continues to revolutionize traditional court recording and transcription processes.

Today, For The Record boasts more than 30,000 digital recording installations across 62 countries and clients record more than 20 million hours of audio recordings. With cutting edge technology and forward thinking, For The Record is delivering unprecedented levels of access to the court record as well as developing a remote justice solution to revolutionize the way in which trials and hearings are held. For more information visit http://www.fortherecord.com.

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For The Record Granted Patent for Blockchain Verified Recordings - Business Wire

Will Blockchain Benefit As Heads Of Google, Facebook, Amazon, And Apple Testify At Antitrust Hearing? – Forbes

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The CEOs of Big Tech firms Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google will testify together - at least virtually - in the sixth of a series of hearings in Congress being held by the House Committee on the Judiciary. The series of hearings have been called, Online Platforms and Market Power, that have largely focused on Big Tech corporations and their powerful position over the Internet and social media. The hearing will specifically be held in the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law.

(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on July 07, 2020 shows (L-R) Facebook CEO Mark ... [+] Zuckerberg in Paris on May 23, 2018, Google CEO Sundar Pichai Berlin on January 22, 2019, Apple CEO Tim Cook on October 28, 2019 in New York and Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 6, 2019. (Photos by AFP) (Photo by BERTRAND GUAY,TOBIAS SCHWARZ,ANGELA WEISS,MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)

With a hearing that has two of the top five richest billionaires in the world testifying, including Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon at #1 and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook at #4, the testimony with respect to antitrust matters will likely have a high level of public interest tomorrow. As these firms have fallen under the microscope for everything from allowing interference in our electoral process to profiting off of our personal data, these questions the U.S. Government has are also some of the problems that blockchain technology seeks to solve with a decentralized approach to rebuilding the World Wide Web in what is commonly known as Web 3.0.

Many blockchain companies describe the approach in building distributed systems as a new chance at the Internet as it was originally imagined and specifically target these Big Tech firms as a problem which decentralized systems can fix.

There are a lot of challenges with centralized parties that can be improved by distributed ledger technology. Part of the promise of the web was to level the playing field and democratize information. Technologies like smart contracts, digital securities and Bitcoin can change the way people interact and reduce the need for powerful central parties, says bitcoin advocate and economic strategist Bruce Fenton, Founder and CEO, Chainstone Labs and Founder/ President of Atlantic Financial / Atlantic Financial Blockchain Labs.

Facebook seemed to acknowledge the threat of Bitcoin and capitalize on stablecoins, or a less volatile cryptocurrency that could be used in payments, by introducing Libra last year. Introducing a new cryptocurrency and blockchain platform won the quick attention of regulators, who became concerned about the idea of a threat to the U.S. dollar as a global reserve currency, not to mention general reservations about Facebooks past behaviors with personal data. The social media giant is not alone, as Google has had its own war against crypto when it knocked off YouTube videos that had cryptocurrency content; however, the company soon responded by saying this was an error.

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 23: Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the House ... [+] Financial Services Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill October 23, 2019 in Washington, DC. Zuckerberg testified about Facebook's proposed cryptocurrency Libra, how his company will handle false and misleading information by political leaders during the 2020 campaign and how it handles its users data and privacy. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The Forbes Blockchain 50, a list of enterprises embracing the technology underlying cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and using it to speed up business processes, increase transparency and potentially save billions of dollars, includes all but Apple. While Facebooks Libra project earned it a place on the list, Amazon Web Services has been offering blockchain when companies do not want to build their own as an extension of the AWS platform. Google has integrated a data analytics platform with the blockchain called Chainlink, that would allow data from outside sources to be used in applications built directly on the blockchain.

Speculating on the possible outcomes for Big Tech, Congress may consider the idea of how decentralization - what many in the blockchain world are developing and working on day in and day out - might actually play a role in public policy toward the Internet. As companies such as Ma Bell, or AT&T T have had to be broken up by the government before, perhaps a more decentralized tech infrastructure can be the new foundation for the Internet, built in a way to avoid the oversized corporation from feeling like our lives are being taken over.

Despite calls by the Republicans, Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter - and recently a Bitcoin advocate in his own right - will not be testifying as the company is much smaller than the other four and an antitrust case is less likely. However, Twitter has had a great amount of influence in discussions on social media, which raises the question of whether our Antitrust laws are sufficient enough to handle the modern dilemma of our Internet, as we know it. Details and a livestream of the hearing can be found here:

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Will Blockchain Benefit As Heads Of Google, Facebook, Amazon, And Apple Testify At Antitrust Hearing? - Forbes

Blockchain and how it can change construction – Geospatial World

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Blockchain has had a short but fascinating history. Though the general concept of the technology was outlined a few decades ago, it has only been in practice for a handful of years. And over the span of that briefhistory of blockchain, the defining achievement has undoubtedly been facilitating the launch of cryptocurrency. In this article, lets understand blockchain and how it can change construction.

Blockchain technology functions as a digital ledger that verifies, conducts, and keeps records of digital transactions. It is only via a system of this nature that bitcoin and now dozens (if not hundreds) of other cryptocurrencies can exist. These currencies are purely digital, and the blockchain essentially serves to make them legitimate, helping to establish their value and in a sense serving as a marketplace for their activity.

The initial idea was that bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies would become everyday alternatives to what we might refer to as ordinary money. This hasnt exactly panned out, though there are certainly ways to spend or transfer cryptocurrency via blockchain transactions. What weve really seen, though, is how quickly blockchain-related concepts can evolve. Even with regard to cryptocurrency specifically, one can argue that investment is now a more important function on the blockchain than actual spending.

Also Read: Benefits of Blockchain in IoT

Today, its common practice tobuy or sell cryptocurrencyas a means of investment. There are ways to do this without actual direct transactions, such a through CFD or futures trading. For the most part though, cryptocurrency trading occurs over the blockchain, with quantities of different assets being bought and sold in an attempt at financial gain. This alone shows how quickly and profoundly blockchains purpose can evolve, even with regard to cryptocurrency. In a matter of years, it has advanced beyond being a digital ledger, and is now effectively a trading platform as well.

Even as this change has happened in the cryptocurrency world though, the blockchain has evolved to suit other purposes as well. At this point in fact, there are numerous industries that are beingdisrupted by blockchain, including banking, real estate, healthcare, and others. And one more industry that doesnt always get as much attention, but which will absolutely be changed by blockchain, is construction.

Upon first thought, especially if you arent particularly familiar with blockchain, this might sound like an odd fit. We think of construction as a very hands-on industry with little to do with the digital world, and thus it doesnt naturally come to mind as a fit for blockchain disruption. The reality, however, is that there is a lot about this industry that blockchain might be more or less ideally suited for.

Also Read: How can unmanned flights be monitored with the help of blockchain

One article on this topic looked into blockchains potential toimpact constructionand pointed out some of the factors that could make the technology particularly useful. The article highlighted contractual processes and paperwork relating to building codes, safety regulations, and project management to say nothing of inventory control and any and all involved transactions. All of these things are vital to real estate projects, and all of them, in theory, could be moved to the blockchain. There, they would be at least partially automated, and its likely that a great deal of time would be saved (and hassle avoided).The basic idea here is that blockchain tech can be used to perform cause-and-effect functions. So, for example, a construction company can input a function that transfers funds to a supplier when the company receives material; it might organize agreements regarding safety and regulation to be digitally catalogued once all involved parties have signed. From these examples, you can begin to see how any number of necessary functions in a standard construction project might be made more exact and more efficient via the blockchain.

For the most part, this disruption hasnt quite taken effect just yet. With blockchain tech continuing to spread into new industries though, and with such clear potential benefits, construction is a likely candidate to integrate the tech in the near future.

Also Read: 3 quick benefits of using blockchain in the current healthcare system

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Blockchain and how it can change construction - Geospatial World

China Pushes for Blockchain Dominance But Will the World Go for It? – Voice of America

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Despite Washingtons pushback against China's ambition to lead the world in building emerging technologies such as 5G, Beijing next month will launch a global effort in developing blockchain, a distributed database that experts say could reshape businesses around the world.

Starting August 10, China will roll out the international version of its blockchain infrastructure, the Blockchain Service Network, or BSN. The network gives developers tools and access to blockchain technology through BSNs overseas data centers so that they can build applications for businesses and smart cities.

As the BSN takes hold in worldwide countries, it will become the only global infrastructure network that is innovated by China, whose gateway access is controlled by China, the BSN Alliance declared in a white paper last year.

Blockchain is a kind of distributed database with trustworthy record-keeping that makes possible cryptocurrencies like bitcoin as well as new types of products like digital identification. The technology has the potential to create decentralized, more transparent digital networks.

U.S. Representative Bill Foster, a congressman who holds a doctorate in physics and is a leader of a group of American lawmakers studying the technology, has called it a disruptive technology that will change the way we do business in almost every sector.

Blockchain technology can create more transparent record-keeping with open-source code to create trustworthy databases. But Chinas system is a more centralized alternative overseen by the BSN Alliance, a group of state-owned companies that designs its digital architecture and maintains control over the databases.

China hopes that this managed network, which it says offers cheaper costs and better interoperability over other competitors, will become the preferred option for businesses and governments trying to use the technology.

Backed by the Chinese government, BSN already is the worlds largest blockchain ecosystem that is expected to serve as the backbone for massive interconnectivity both in China and around the world. It already has more than 100 city-nodes, or physical devices running on the network, stationed on six continents. The network hopes to deploy up to 200 more by the end of this year.

A Chinese national priority

Just as the countrys aggressive international expansion in other major emerging technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence, China declared blockchain a national technology priority in 2016. It was mentioned twice in the Chinese State Councils 13th five-year economic plan that was released that year.

Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized blockchain as an important breakthrough, and promised that China would seize the opportunity during his speech in October at a so-called "collective study" session held by the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

In Xi's words, China will take the leading position ... occupy the commanding heights of innovation, and gain new industrial advantages. The meeting had only one agenda on the table: the current status and trends of blockchain technology.

"China is the most active major national government in the world in blockchain development. China is one of the few countries that sees blockchain as a strategic emerging technology, alongside areas such as artificial intelligence and 5G wireless," Kevin Werbach, a professor at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, told VOA.

China now has more than 700 blockchain projects registered since last year with the countrys Cyberspace Administration. According to a white paper on Chinas blockchain patent application released last Friday, China holds more blockchain patents than any other country in the world. Eric Jing, Chairman at China's tech giant Alibaba's Ant Financial Services, told reporters last week that users of its blockchain service are uploading 100 million digital assets a day mostly records of transactions.

A blockchain with Chinese characteristics

BSN was born last spring while the world was struggling to deal with catastrophic social, economic, and political challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of Beijing's grand strategy to lead the digital transformation of the world economy, the plan is to make the network so effective and low-cost that it becomes the dominant provider for blockchain cloud computing services.

"The concerns are that more developer and customer mindshare will shift to Chinese platforms and that China will push technical standards to reflect its policy positions," said Werbach, who once served as a consultant for the CIA on a blockchain training program.

Werbach said that is why its essential to the Chinese blockchain system is different from the open models that emphasize decentralization.

The geopolitical implications of the technology depend on who designs and implements the technologies, argued Werbach, who has written extensively on emerging technologies such as blockchain. "China is focused more on permissioned blockchains for enterprise applications, and on Chinese platforms that build in the capability for oversight and compliance that the Chinese government requires," said Werbach in an email to VOA.

Two days after Xis speech last year, a blockchain initiative announced by the CCP enabled party members to pledge their loyalty to Xi, by immutably recording it on the blockchain ledger.

As Chinese leaders press the countrys engineers to forge ahead on the technology, companies overseas are sounding an alarm that the United States is ceding its role as the internets leading innovator.

A recent white paper co-authored by Amazon Web Services, IBM, Deloitte, and others noted that U.S. military is falling behind China and Russia in a blockchain arms race.

"While China and Russia have invested millions of dollars worth of research and development (R&D) into the technology, the policymakers of our country are still trying to understand what the technology is," said the paper that was released last May.

A report published last year by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania also warned about Chinas blockchain dominance: "By all counts, China is leading the world in the use and development of blockchain technology.

"We are way behind China when it comes to blockchain technology," Chris Larsen, executive chairman of Ripple Labs Inc, a U.S.-based leading blockchain company, told The Wall Street Journal recently.

Werbach said if U.S. policymakers and companies do not compete for blockchain business, "blockchain with Chinese characteristics will become more of the norm."

On the other hand, some analysts remain skeptical that China is leading the world on technology. Larry Wortzel, a commissioner of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission of the U.S. Congress, pointed out in an email to VOA that IBM and other American companies have the technology and use it. "I do not believe the US is losing a Blockchain race,'" said Dr. Wortzel.

In the top 50 blockchain company list compiled by Forbes last year, Amazon was ranked number one with Ant Financial of China's Alibaba second. Among the top 5 companies, two are Americans, two are Chinese ones, and one is from England.

Martin Chorzempa, a research fellow at Peterson Institute for International Economics, told VOA that most of the money China is pouring in would be wasted. "As we can see from the recent global pushback against Huawei, especially in Australia and Europe, I do not see it as plausible that the world will adopt on Chinese blockchain infrastructure."

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China Pushes for Blockchain Dominance But Will the World Go for It? - Voice of America

Four blockchain silver bullets that will not solve business problems – Information Age

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It's no wonder that more and more sectors are embracing blockchain, but there are four silver bullets that will not solve business problems, according to Fabio Chesini, senior research director at Gartner

These aspects of blockchain alone aren't enough for total operational success.

Since the surge in blockchain technology over the last five-plus years, classic blockchain features have been touted for very specific purposes; data distribution, decentralised governance, digital asset tokenisation and smarter contracts. However, as organisations struggle to develop business cases for blockchain-enabled solutions at scale, classic blockchain features are being implemented as silver bullets in attempts to solve business problems by executive and IT leaders focused on digital transformation.

Still, in a market led by blockchain consultancies and start-ups, a push to move beyond pseudo-anarchic cryptocurrency origins to more centrally controlled business-oriented models, has encouraged pragmatism to employ blockchain. As organisations look to develop business cases for blockchain-enabled solutions at scale, executive and IT leaders must consider the lessons learned throughout deployment, identifying where success is less likely.

Business data and message storage and exchange are required by any multilateral business conducted through a blockchain. But a blockchain shared ledger should not be mistaken for a fully functional distributed database, limited in its design, and not intended for that purpose.

Replicating large files such as invoice records or even complex contract records across dozens or even hundreds of servers in a blockchain ecosystem makes little sense, with transaction synchronisation times dramatically increasing. But equally importantly, the required storage and networking will likely strain IT budgets, despite the use of cloud services. Executive and IT leaders should:

Ignore blockchain cost-saving and efficiency promises, since networking and storage costs are likely to increase, and instead focus on blockchains potential to drive more data standardisation across multiple players.

Consider blockchain as a tool to mitigate data fragmentation with other parties, but it will not diminish or simplify the overall data management requirements of organisations.

Separate blockchain supplier discussions, distinguishing between data distribution and data sharing consistency.

Tommy Jamet, manager at Blockchain Reply, discusses how blockchain can help industries put the Covid-19 pandemic behind them. Read here

The intended benefits of blockchain having no central authority or governance have often been praised by supporters and experts. However, the reality is that most ecosystem owners, such as Amazon or American Express will unlikely yield or share control of their networks to all or even some participants. Its expected that most public blockchains will begin to evolve away from this philosophy due to coordination and complexity and proprietary interests. As a result, executive and IT leaders should:

Put governance in place at the start of any blockchain initiative to determine whether rules will be enforced separately or will be self-enforcing in the blockchain. Most likely, the governance enforcing blockchain rules will be handled off-chain instead of as self-enforcing rules in the blockchain.

Recognise that blockchain decentralisation is not a silver bullet to eliminate intermediation and will generally not be in the commercial interests of ecosystem leaders.

Use decentralisation as a design principle for finding new ways of cooperating and sharing among different parties, not necessarily as a tool for eliminating intermediation.

Building a comprehensive data governance model requires all departments to bring together disparate datasets to drive value across an organisation. Read here

While blockchain can handle the metadata representing digital assets similar to that of public blockchains there are still key impediments for private/permissioned blockchain to become an alternative to existing technologies that address the custody and the value exchange services for a given asset class.

Public blockchains can digitally represent asset value in many forms, including money, time, utility, services, among others. The ability to digitally represent and exchange value on top of a public blockchain is what we call global liquidity democratisation. This new way of globally accessing liquidity is whats making organisations examine digital asset tokenisation as a new business opportunity, often referred to as tokenomics. This new global access is enabling decentralised financing and investment alternatives, and with mass participation and a decline in transaction fees, it will provide more frictionless banking and payment services. In response, executive and IT leaders should:

Conduct proof of concept in a private/permissioned domain by simulating a public blockchain environment, and conduct proof of concept for liquid, illiquid and nonfungible assets.

Use current custody and value exchange requirements in terms of liability management to lower expectations on blockchains magical bullet approach to eliminate well-established intermediaries in the asset management value chain.

Whilst in theory, smarter contracts on private permissioned blockchains could enable more efficient ways for managing business processes, legal contracts and supporting programmable tokens, the reality is blockchained smart contracts may also diminish the required middlemen, such as lawyers.

The hype surrounding smart contracts is often due to the diminished role of attorneys in drafting agreements and negotiating disputes, however lawyers will continue to be involved in this process to ensure the legal language protects their clients. Blockchain-supported contracts will have almost no impact on this attorney role.

Blockchain-based smart contracts were supposed to revolutionise transactions, however, use cases are hard to come by and they appear unable to meet the needs of businesses. Read here

This contract evolution is already occurring through blockchain consortia in the payments, trade, and supply chain finance spaces. Blockchain technology has been the catalyst for discussing new and better cooperation among partners and competing actors. The technology improves the ability to engage noncompeting participants in broader digital ecosystems value exchange.

Nevertheless, organisations looking to streamline business processes or manage legal contracts are currently solving these problems using traditional technologies, with only 10% being handled on-chain in a private permissioned environment. Smart contracts on a blockchain will enable some agreement efficiency and optimisation across contractual participants, however, this is a long way from the touted idea of radically transforming legal documents, lawyers critical role and current business models. Executive and IT leaders focused on digital business transformation should:

Lower business expectations when using private permissioned blockchain for standardising and improving contract management by acknowledging that blockchain-inspired smart contracts will have minimal impact on reducing contractual disputes or the roles of lawyers in resolving them (and in resulting fees).

Refocus business leaders on smarter contracts in the public blockchain domain mainly for notarisation and tokenisation use cases.

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Four blockchain silver bullets that will not solve business problems - Information Age

Euthanasia – All.org

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When we talk about euthanasia, what exactly do we mean? Today, we usually hear about euthanasia in the healthcare context. For our purposes, euthanasia amounts to doing, or not doing, something to intentionally bring about a patients death. Because theres so much confusion surrounding the term, lets make sure we understand what euthanasia is not.

It is not euthanasia to administer medication needed to control pain. Thats called good medical care. It is not euthanasia to stop treatment that is gravely burdensome to a patient. Thats called letting the patient exercise the moral option to refuse extraordinary medical means. It is not euthanasia to stop tube-feeding a patient whose diseased or injured body can no longer assimilate food and water. Thats called simply accepting death.

In these circumstances, pain control, refusing extraordinary means, and stopping feeding may all allow death. Butand this is crucial to our understandingunlike euthanasia, their purpose and intent is not to bring about death.

Actually, euthanasia could be called a form of suicide, assisted suicide, or even murder, depending on the patients level of involvement and consent. To define euthanasia this way, though, seems to diminish its threat. After all, arent there laws or, at the very least, strong social taboos against suicide, assisted suicide, and murder?

Unfortunately, when it comes to the sick and disabled, this is no longer entirely true. And the rationale and cultural forces behind the movement that brought this about threaten even more to tear down the legal and social barriers to killing.

Most of us know about Jack Kevorkian and his efforts to help ailing people commit suicide. Many of us may not realize, though, that Kevorkians maverick image masks a serious crusade that is building on emerging legal and cultural trends. Our society is poised to accept euthanasia on demandand worse. What we dont know about that could kill us.

In sum, it is vitally important to understand that everyones most basic rightthe right to lifeis in jeopardy when our law and collective morality no longer view all persons as equally worthy of life, solely on the basis of our common humanity. Not only is it the right thing to do, it is also in our own best interests to protect and cherish weak and vulnerable members of our human family.

In order to do that, we must educate ourselves and others about the growing threat of euthanasia, vigorously oppose its legalization, and pray for the wisdom and compassion to properly comfort, care for, and dissuade those considering suicide.

The information on euthanasia is a PowerPoint Presentation (2007) prepared for American Life League by Julie Grimstad, executive director of Life is Worth Living, Inc.

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Euthanasia - All.org

Euthanasia referendum: The arguments for and against legalising assisted dying – Stuff.co.nz

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The topic of assisted dying or voluntary euthanasia has long been debated in New Zealand, and is fraught with emotion on both sides.

Those opposed say euthanasia weakens societys respect for the value and importance of human life and can lead to worse care for the terminally ill. Arguments in support of assisted dying say it is a person's right to choose when and how they die, and euthanasia affords them the right to die with dignity.

On September 19, New Zealanders will get to vote on a piece of legislation which would allow eligible terminally ill adults the option to request medication that would end their life, through assisted dying.

Iain McGregor/Stuff

On September 19, New Zealanders will vote in not just the general election, but two referendums including whether the End of Life Choice Act should be passed into law.

Here we break down some of the main arguments posed by those on both sides of the End of Life Choice Act debate.

READ MORE:* Euthanasia referendum: What is assisted dying? The End of Life vote explained* Act 'offers choice, not compulsion' * Euthanasia debate: Is there dignity in death, or does palliative care kill?

Assisted dying, or euthanasia, is defined in the End of Life Choice Act as a doctor or nurse practitioner giving a person medication to relieve their suffering by bringing on death, or, the taking of medication by a person to relieve their suffering by bringing on death.

It is currently illegal in New Zealand, and is considered aiding and abetting suicide under Section 179 of the Crimes Act (1961).

Under the current law, those who commit the offence of assisting or encouraging someone to take their life can face time in prison regardless of whether a suicide attempt is made or not.

To be eligible for assisted dying under the proposed act, a person must be suffering from a terminal illness that is likely to end their life within six months.They must have significant and ongoing decline in physical capability, and experience unbearable suffering that cannot be eased.

A person would not be eligible if the only reason is they are suffering from a mental disorder or mental illness; have a disability of any kind; or are of advanced age.

Its a polarising topic: more than 39,000 people made submissions on the End of Life Choice Bill before it was passed by MPs.

A recent University of Otago paper on 26 studies into New Zealanders' euthanasia views over the past two decades found 68 per cent were in support, nearly 15 per cent in opposition and the remainder unsure.

CHOICE, CONTROL, COMPASSION

Many in support of assisted dying believe people should have the choice to die with dignity, on their own terms, without the threat of breaking the law.

Former hospice physician and palliative care specialist Dr Libby Smales says what the legislation really offers and why the Yes for Compassion spokeswoman is in support of it is choice.

Supplied

Dr Libby Smales, a retired hospice physician, says people should be afforded the option to choose how they die to prevent unbearable suffering.

Yes for Compassion believes terminally ill New Zealanders should have choice and control at the end of their lives, including the option of requesting life-ending medication.

The group was formed to make sure the public is well-informed about the legislation ahead of the vote in September, and states its collective expertise spans medical, legal, political, Mori and religious perspectives.

They say the law would give people with terminal illness control of how, when and where they die; at home, with loved ones around them, avoiding prolonged and painful deaths giving them back the control their illness has taken away, they state.

They say choice is really, really important for those whose disease or life has become untenable and want to dodge the rest of the horror, she says.

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A person would not be eligible for assisted dying simply because they are elderly. People must be suffering from a terminal illness that would end their life within six months.

People forget the act and assisted dying is voluntary ... for most people it wont be necessary.

This legislation would make a real difference to people facing a terrible fate, allowing them dignity in death they may otherwise be robbed off, Smales says.

The importance of choice is echoed by the End of Life Choice Society, an advocacy organisation seeking a law change to allow assisted dying.

President Mary Panko says choice is absolutely fundamental to the act, as the conversation about assisted dying should come down to what an individual patient wants.

If a person went to their GP or into hospital with a problem they may be presented with a range of options whichever treatment or path they pursue is their choice.

We absolutely believe people in the last stages of their lives should have that choice too, she says.

Panko says data in the United States shows, on average, those accessing assisted dying typically shorten their lives by just 10 days a reprieve instead of encouraging people to just hang on.

Under the status quo, many who are desperately ill are terminally sedated without any say in the matter it is often the doctors choice or the familys choice, Panko says.

Ninety-five per cent of the population will never need the act or be eligible, but passing it into law would allow the decision to be made by those few who do, she says.

CHRISTINE CORNEGE/Stuff

New Zealanders will be able to answer a yes or no question relating to the End of Life Choice Act in the referendum.

RISK TO THE VULNERABLE

On the other hand, many of those opposed to assisted dying believe legalising euthanasia would place pressure on vulnerable people those with disabilities, mental health issues and terminal illness to access assisted dying for fear of being a financial, emotional or care burden on others.

Palliative care consultant Dr Sinead Donnelly is the deputy chair for Care Alliance, an umbrella group of organisations, including the major providers of palliative care in New Zealand, which believes the legislation of euthanasia and assisted suicide is unnecessary, unsafe and unwise.

They believe the act puts vulnerable [people] at risk of coercion often very subtle and which doctors are not trained to detect, Donnelly says.

Under the act, two doctors are required to sign-off the patient, but they don't need to have had any longstanding relationship with or prior knowledge of the person.

Kevin Stent/Stuff

Dr Sinead Donnelly, palliative medical specialist, addressing the Justice Select Committee on the End of Life Choice Bill.

The group also opposes that a person could be eligible under the act without seeing a psychiatrist to assess whether they could simply benefit from mental health support instead, Donnelly says. Under the act, a psychiatrist may be consulted if the two doctors are not satisfied.

They are concerned an older person who feels they are a burden on their family will turn to assisted dying as an option not for the right reasons, and a doctor with little palliative care training or understanding would feel the answer could be euthanasia.

Donnelly says the act has so many holes in it ... making it dangerous for vulnerable people.

Even if you philosophically support assisted dying, this act should not be the one [legislated], she says.

Those opposed also say the bill is a step into the unknown for New Zealanders with disabilities.

Groups such as DefendNZ say the availability of assisted dying could leave those eligible feeling they now have to justify ... the expense of keeping them alive, and why they're putting their family and caregivers through the burden of caring for them.

Currently, it is universally accepted that sick, disabled and elderly people are cared for until their natural death. The availability of assisted dying as a legal option would make staying alive optional, instead of the default position we have at the moment, it says.

SOOTHING SUFFERING

Smales, who directed a Napier hospice for 20 years, says even with excellent palliative care, some New Zealanders still suffer unbearably at the end of their life.

While New Zealand doesn't have its own figures, Australian research found between 5-6 per cent of patients still suffer terribly in a way a medical team cant alleviate, in spite of good palliative care.

People talk about this happening in small numbers, but if youre one of them, they dont appear small.

Suffering isnt just pain, she says, it is entire bodily systems failing: your bowels, your breathing.

Relieving this suffering is another main argument those in support of assisted dying hold.

Smales says she has heard many moving stories about those who chose to have a quiet, peaceful, planned death versus those lonely, violent deaths of those who are suffering.

She says a difficult death can cast a long shadow it is terrible for the person dying and torture for their family.

This legislation will make a big difference to people who are facing a terrible fate.

However, relieving suffering by ending a persons life is something many doctors including those working in palliative care say is at odds with why they are in the profession.

123RF

Doctors Say No, an open letter opposing assisted dying, says doctors are not necessary in the regulation or practice of assisted suicide. Leave doctors to focus on saving lives and providing real care to the dying, they say.

AN EROSION OF TRUST

Organisations such as Hospice New Zealand state that good palliative care is founded on a trusting relationship between a patient, their family, whanau and health professional. This relationship is undermined by euthanasia, they say.

This was echoed by close to 1600 New Zealand doctors who have signed their names to an open letter in opposition of assisted dying, titled Doctors say No.

The group, led by Donnelly, states it is committed to the concept of death with dignity and comfort, including the provision of effective pain relief and excellence in palliative care.

It argues proper palliative care makes euthanasia unnecessary, and says giving proper pain relief in palliative care, even if it may hasten the death of a terminally ill patient, is ethical and legal.

We believe that crossing the line to intentionally assist a person to die would fundamentally weaken the doctor-patient relationship which is based on trust and respect, the open letter states.

Doctors also expressed concern about the six-month period described in the act, saying prognosis is informed guesswork rather than an exact science.

Christel Yardley/Stuff

Professor Rod Macleod is never surprised when those in the end stages of life say they want to die, but says he has never met a patient who would be better off dead. He says good palliative care can wrap around a person, preventing any need for assisted dying.

University of Auckland professor and palliative care specialist Rod Macleod says he has cared for 15,000 patients in his more than 30-year career, none of whom I've thought would be better off dead.

But Ive had plenty who have asked.

Macleod, Hospice New Zealand's clinical advisor, says the organisation which represents all hospice services in the country believes euthanasia has no place in palliative care.

Those who ask for euthanasia are often at the beginning of their palliative care journeys, and feel hopeless or afraid fearing loss of dignity or being a burden. Once they get the support they need, those requests for early death fade away, he says.

Macleod is never surprised when people say they no longer want to live like this, but says palliative care can change the way people live without the need to hasten death.

He says it is the role of society to protect the most vulnerable, while assisted dying legislation would give them the perception there are lives not worth living.

For more Stuff coverage on the euthanasia referendum, click here.

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Euthanasia referendum: The arguments for and against legalising assisted dying - Stuff.co.nz

ASK THE VET: Indoor cats need rabies vaccination – Arkansas Online

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Q My cat BarB so named because I found her as a kitten hiding under my barbecue grill now lives in my house and doesn't venture outdoors. Her veterinarian insists she needs rabies vaccination. Why is this necessary, if she's a committed homebody?

A BarB should be vaccinated for rabies to protect herself and you from the deadly disease.

In the United States, the cat is the domestic animal that most often tests positive for rabies, and the bat is the most commonly infected wildlife species.

Rabid bats bite indoor cats if they meet on the balcony or when the bat enters the home through a torn window screen or flies down the chimney. Some indoor cats are bitten when they escape for even a short time from the home or car.

If BarB's rabies vaccination isn't current and she is exposed to a rabies-infected animal, your county and state laws dictate what follows. That step could range from a stressful and expensive months-long quarantine, usually at an animal shelter or veterinary hospital, to euthanasia.

If she bites you, a veterinary staff member or a visitor in your home, the stakes are even higher.

That's to prevent BarB from transmitting rabies to humans, where the disease causes a gruesome death.

Globally, 59,000 people die every year from rabies. In this country, most human cases result from a bat bite inside the home.

In January, the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association published the most recent analysis of rabies data, the reports from 2018, when three people in this country died of rabies.

That January, a 6-year-old Florida boy died after having been bitten by a bat. In August, a 69-year-old Delaware woman died of raccoon rabies, despite no known contact. In November, a 55-year-old Utah man died of bat rabies.

Like other people bitten by bats, the man didn't know he'd been bitten while shooing bats from his house. If he wasn't aware of the bite, you know BarB won't alert you if a bat ever bites her.

So, keep her rabies vaccination current, even though she's always indoors.

Q Our veterinarian diagnosed our dog Crew with epilepsy and prescribed medication, which has significantly decreased the frequency and severity of his seizures. About the only time Crew has a seizure is soon after someone visits our home. Is this unusual?

A Many humans with epilepsy recognize that certain factors, most notably stress but also sleep deprivation, infectious disease and hormonal changes, can precipitate seizures.

The same is true in dogs, where epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder.

In a recent study, veterinarians questioned families of 50 epileptic dogs about factors that precipitated their seizures. The researchers learned that lifestyle events and whether the dog was sterilized played a role.

Seizures occurred in 42% of females during their heat cycles and in 33% of unsterilized males exposed to a female dog in heat. So, it's important to sterilize any dog diagnosed with epilepsy.

Other factors that elicited seizures were visitors to the home (in 30% of dogs); a change in the dog's life situation (27%); changes in the daily routine, altered sleep patterns or going to an unfamiliar place (24%); hot weather (22%); stress or excitement (21%); fear (19%) and intense exercise or illness (16%).

Minimizing whatever precipitating factors affect the individual dog can help improve seizure control.

So, let your veterinarian know about Crew's increased seizure frequency when people visit. Your vet may prescribe an additional medication you can give Crew to decrease anxiety and seizures when visitors are expected.

Lee Pickett, VMD, practices companion animal medicine in North Carolina. Contact her at

vet@askthevet.pet

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ASK THE VET: Indoor cats need rabies vaccination - Arkansas Online

The Detail: The two polarising referendums Kiwis will soon vote on – Stuff.co.nz

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Christine Cornege/Stuff

Cannabis referendum: New Zealanders will vote in September in the Cannabis legalisation and control referendum.

The Detail is a daily news podcast produced for RNZ by Newsroom and is published on Stuff with permission. Click on this link to subscribe to the podcast.

In less than five weeks, New Zealanders will vote on two polarising issues in referendums, held at the same time as this years general election.

But how much do you really know about the issues at play? How familiar are you with what the End of Life Choice Act and the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill?

And importantly: is it referenda or referendums? (According to Arthur Pomeroy, emeritus professor of classics at Victoria University, its referendums.)

In todays episode of The Detail, Emile Donovan speaks to journalist Caralise Trayes and researcher Dr Marta Rechter about the two referendums this year, and what they could mean for the future of cannabis and assisted dying in New Zealand.

READ MORE:* Euthanasia referendum: What is assisted dying? The End of Life vote explained* Euthanasia referendum: Should assisted dying be legal in New Zealand?* Reforming cannabis laws is a complex challenge, but New Zealands history of drug reform holds important lessons* David Seymour is standing for ACT in Whangarei - but he's not that David Seymour

The assisted dying referendum is binding - the cannabis referendum is not.

This means the legislation pertaining to assisted dying is all ready to go: its been passed through parliament and approved by a majority of MPs. The only question is whether the country wants to sign off on it.

Photographee.eu/Shutterstock

As part of September's election there will be a referendum on euthanasia.

The cannabis referendum, on the other hand, is non-binding: even if 99 per cent of the population vote in favour, the governing party or parties could, theoretically, decide not to implement it - though doing so would be politically questionable.

Also the cannabis legislation hasnt yet been finalised: its still a bill, and in order to become an Act it still needs to pass through the parliamentary process: three readings in the House where issues can be raised and debated, and a select committee process where the public can make submissions and raise their concerns.

Freelance journalist Caralise Trayes has written a book about the assisted dying referendum called The Final Choice

She says there are still blind spots in many peoples understanding of the legislation.

Refusing treatment and do not resuscitate orders require medical professionals not to intervene in what is naturally occurring. These are already legal.

Euthanasia, assisted suicide or assisted dying requires a direct intervention with the intention to bring death.

First up, you have to be eligible: you have to be over 18, you have to be a Kiwi citizen or permanent resident. You have to have a prognosis with less than six months to live. You must have an ongoing decline in physical capability and experience unbearable suffering which cannot be eased.

robert steven/Stuff

The assisted dying referendum is binding - the cannabis referendum is not.

You also need to be able to make an informed decision about dying.

A prognosis of six months or less to live would be made by a doctor - but making that judgment in the first place can be fraught.

Were using this as such a strong, defining factor ... but its not always accurate. There have been cases where doctors get prognoses very wrong.

Any mental health issues a person has would not be factored into whether a persons application was granted, Trayes says.

Meanwhile, the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill has a straightforward premise, says Dr Marta Rechter from Massey University.

The main premise is that the bill proposes to legalise use, possession and sale of cannabis.

People aged 20 and over - it would be legal for them to use, possess, and buy cannabis from licensed suppliers.

Dr Rechter says the legislation still has many grey areas - for example, how it deals with the idea of advertising marijuana, in an age where marketing and promotion stretch much further than TV screens or radio adverts.

She says it also needs to clarify the social equity components, to help ensure people and communities whove been historically disadvantaged by cannabis criminalisation can be involved with the new industry.

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The Detail: The two polarising referendums Kiwis will soon vote on - Stuff.co.nz

Live well die well – The Hindu

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Sigmund Freud had said that we are all convinced of our immortality. Discussing death is considered macabre, ghoulish and in morbid taste. But the unexpected deaths due to the pandemic are making us review our this cannot happen to me certitude.

A good death refers to one free from avoidable distress and suffering for the patient, family and caregivers; generally in accordance with their wishes; and reasonably consistent with clinical, cultural and ethical standards. Death should not be considered an isolated event a moment in time.

It is a process, and like all journeys, we need to prepare by relinquishing roles and responsibilities, completing financial arrangements and saying goodbye. Wherever possible, should it not behove the attending clinician to consider patient preferences for treatment, a specific dying process, pain-free status, emotional well-being and dignity should be ensured.

To quote Shakespeare, O, let him pass. He hates him. That would upon the rack of this tough world. Stretch him out longer.

A circle of support is relevant not just at the moment of death, but throughout the dying process. The journey towards death is as much about getting to know oneself as during any part of life. Learning to recognise our needs, be they medical, emotional or spiritual, becomes more relevant when we are closer to death. Earlier recognition is a major part of enabling a good death. Death is an inevitable part of life. Having the option to influence quality of death may generally suffice. Some wish to hasten the process. Several countries have laws allowing doctor-assisted active euthanasia. At no point in history have people lived as well as the present generation. So why not focus on the quality of our death as well?

A bad death is usually associated with violence, pain, dying alone, being kept alive against ones wishes, loss of dignity, and being unable to let ones wishes be known. Most individuals would prefer to die at home, at peace, with family members present. Do we want to be kept alive at all costs or do we not want to be resuscitated? Knowing our wishes makes it easier for the family and the healthcare provider.

COVID-19 deaths could be considered a bad death. It is devastating for the bereaved kin, whose grief is compounded by social isolation and inability to provide practical and emotional support.

The associated high stress is due to financial problems and worries about the health and quarantine of the whole family. Physical discomfort, difficulty in breathing, social isolation, psychological distress, lack of preparation, treatment falling short of expected respect and dignity, and lack of privacy supplement occasional ostracism.

The family members are deeply distressed when they cannot bid goodbye, when the death is unexpected, when it is perceived to be preventable and treatments did not comply with the patients preferences. The last is often discounted particularly in a pandemic. Many of the face-to-face interactions that support older adults as they mourn, including time-honoured religious rituals and funeral services, are often prohibited, compounding the problem.

When in active neurosurgical practice, I had personally managed over 2,500 deaths. Primary importance was always given to the quality of life. Patient and family wishes took precedence over using tomorrows cutting-edge technology. Retrospectively, viewing things from the quietude of retirement, I wonder if the quality of death should also have been specifically discussed. In the 2015 Quality of Death Index Report by The Economist Intelligence Unit, India was ranked 67th among the 80 countries studied. Why should enabling good death be confined to palliative medicine specialists, a truly endangered species in India?

Should the beneficiary and the healthcare provider not discuss this every time along with management options? Many countries have death cafes where people drink tea, eat cake and discuss end-of-life care and death. Today, we have the choice of a good death. It is essential that we make a living will when we are in good physical and mental health.

Quality of death is as important as quality of life.

(The author is a past president of the Neurological Society of India)

drkganapathy@gmail.com

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Live well die well - The Hindu

Bishop Dowd: The story of my brother’s death – Grandin Media

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For those who dont know the background, Chris was diagnosed three years ago with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrigs disease. This disease involves the death of the motor neurons of the nervous system, leading to gradual paralysis. It is 100-per-cent fatal. We did not know how many years Chris would have when the diagnosis came in. Turns out, it was almost three.

Chris decided early on that he wanted some good to come from his illness, so he signed up for every medical study he was eligible for. He also decided that while he might die from ALS, it was not going to define his life. Even as his legs began to give out, he made a trip to Germany to see our family there. As his fingers and voice gave out, he communicated with us via his tablet and a tracking device that let him type via his eyes. Even as his breath started to give out, he could still nod and smile, and speak volumes just with his eyebrows.

I remember speaking with my sister Miriam just a few months ago and telling her how amazed I was of our brother who just kept on going, courageously. She summed it up in one sentence: Chris has a lot to live for. Keep in mind that, at this point, our brother was stuck in a wheelchair, being fed through a tube. And yet, he had a lot to live for. His greatest joy was being with people, especially his family and friends. They were what he lived for.

Still, Chris knew death was a certainty. We all know it, of course, but it is quite another thing to be able to name the cause of our death and to have a time frame for the outcome. Early on, Chris made sure everyone knew that he had no intention of asking for euthanasia, an option which is allowed in society but which our Catholic faith rejects.

Im proud of my brothers courage in sticking to his guns, but I can also now see what that courage costs. There is no room for triumphalism here, just great compassion for those who make a choice consistent with Catholic ethics and for those who, in the face of suffering they may find meaningless, choose otherwise.

The progression of the illness was slowly affecting Chris breathing. The weakness of his diaphragm meant that he eventually needed aBiPAP machineto help him sleep, and later pretty much all the time. His inability to cough properly also meant that crap would eventually start to accumulate in his lungs. Poor Chris would have coughing fits that would last for hours and hours. These could be calmed with morphine, but the underlying problem would not go away.

Eventually Chris had to go on a morphine pump, which administered a fairly regular dose. The morphine allowed him to rest, but of course also made him drowsy. I also knew from my time as a palliative care chaplain years ago that morphine also has side effects that can shorten life.

Some might wonder if that was in itself a kind of euthanasia, but it isnt. In Catholic ethics we call this theprinciple of double effect, which basically means that you can do an action that is in itself morally good (or at least morally neutral) that might have a negative side effect as long as your intention is the good part of the action, not the negative part, and that the good outweighs the negative.

Chris decline over the next few days was marked. His breathing was shallower and his heart rate began to increase. On the day he died, July 8, his heart was beating so fast he was in danger of cardiac arrest. It was time to say goodbye.

Chris had always wanted to remain at home, and so he had. The family now gathered there: his wife and three daughters along with our mother, our sister and myself. A couple of boyfriends of the girls were also present for moral support. We began by giving everyone a chance to have some one-on-one time with Chris.

There was no set formula: we each had permission to say that we wanted to say, or to say nothing at all. We could go individually or accompanied. There was also no special order we went when we felt ready.

This very human process took about an hour. In that time the doctors arrived and the nurse prepared extra sedatives so that Chris would be comfortable. We then gathered for a time of prayer, medical personnel included.

I gave Chris theanointing of the sick and prayed theApostolic Pardon:

Through the holy mysteries of our redemption, may almighty God release you from all punishments in this life and in the life to come. May He open to you the gates of paradise and welcome you to everlasting joy. By the authority which the Apostolic See has given me, I grant you a full pardon and the remission of all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

With these prayers concluded after about 10 minutes, the doctors removed the mask Chris used to breathe. Death was now inevitable. Again, some people might wonder if this new step was, in fact, an act of euthanasia. In our Catholic understanding, however, it is not. The body is designed to keep itself alive via our own human powers. Technology can extend those powers, but if they are removed then it is simply nature taking its course. Chris, who had been so opposed to euthanasia, had also said that he was OK with us going this route when it was time. He knew the difference.

I had explained to my family that the first set of prayers we had just prayed were for him as a living man, to strengthen him and prepare him for his final journey. We were now in a shared sacred space.

I then switched to the prayers known as thecommendation of the dying, which, as I explained to my family, were our way of accompanying Chris on this final stage of his journey. The prayers consist of a number of Bible passages in a kind of poetic arrangement, along with a few other prayers. I did most of the talking, reading the words aloud, although I will admit I stumbled when I came to this prayer:

I commend you, my dear brother, to almighty God, and entrust you to your Creator. May you return to Himwho formed you from the dust of the Earth. May holy Mary, the angels and all the saints come to meet you as you go forth from this life. May Christ who was crucified for you bring you freedom and peace. May Christ who died for you admit you into His garden of paradise. May Christ, the true Shepherd,acknowledge you as one of His flock. May you see the Redeemer face to face, and enjoy the vision of God forever. Amen.

It was the opening words, I commend you, my dear brother, that threw me. In our Catholic prayers we call each other brother and sister all this time but in this case, I was saying it for my actual brother. It caught me by surprise and I needed a bit of a break. My niece Maya took over, reciting one of the psalms. And why not? These prayers are open to anyone to pray.

The commendation of the dying continued for about 15-20 minutes, like a lullaby for him as he fell asleep into eternity. The Bible, in fact, describes Christian death as a falling asleep, and we could see it with our eyes.

Chris continued to breathe for some minutes after the machine was removed, gently and without struggle. Eventually it slowed down to something imperceptible and not long after the doctor listened for his heartbeat. Death took place around 5:15 p.m. Or should I say, the entrance into eternal life took place at that time.

We started the process of calling people to let them know and we kept vigil with Chris body until the funeral home arrived. I made the sign of the cross on his forehead at one point. It was my way of honouring his body, which had been a temple of the Holy Spirit for 48 years.

I share this story because I know that not everyone is so blessed as to live and die in this way. We had a chance to say goodbye and to accompany Chris on his final journey. Yes, we are blessed. Thank you, Lord, for this blessing, hard as it is. Look after Chris, please, and all of us. May we greet him again in Your kingdom.

-Bishop Thomas Dowd is the auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Montreal. This is an edited version of an article that was originally published at thomasdowd.ca

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Bishop Dowd: The story of my brother's death - Grandin Media

What you need to know as election season kicks off – 1News

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It's election time, so what do you need to know and what's different this time around?

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Politicians are spending their last week at Parliament before hitting the campaign trail full time, 1 NEWS political reporter Maiki Sherman reports. Source: 1 NEWS

Stand by for the glad-handing and the selfies, as politicians are spending their last week at Parliament before hitting the campaign trail.

Expect a lot more billboards and election hoardings to go up - but while the election's in your face, the date doesn't seem to be as well advertised.

Advance voting begins on September 5 and goes through until Election Day on September 19; all voting ends at 7pm that night.

It gives voters a two-week window to have their say, with 750 advance voting booths open in the first week and ramping up to 1500 in the second week.

"What we wanted to do was to pull voting forward because there were quite a few queues on voting day, and so on the weekend before on the 12th and the 13th we'll be in those communities across New Zealand," chief electoral officer Alicia Wright told 1 NEWS.

For the first time, that'll include voting booths at three mosques, including in Christchurch.

"Any location you can have that is part of their lives, part of their everyday routine, if someone can just go and vote at that convenient location it just means that they're more likely to vote," politics lecturer Lara Greaves says.

At the last election, the number of people enrolled to vote was around 3.3 million. More than 2.5 million cast their vote, for a turnout rate of 80 per cent.

More than a million voters, around 47 per cent, voted early.

Politicians are raring to go.

"We are putting New Zealanders first and we are putting our country first and that's what people are going to see," National leader Judith Collins says.

"You are going to see a very strong game and I'll be everywhere."

Meanwhile,Labour leader and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is also getting ready.

"The public will continue to hear our plan for the Covid recovery and rebuild and we're asking to keep going. We already have momentum with our five-point plan," she says.

Prisoners serving a sentence of less than three years will now be able to vote, and arrangements are underway for Kiwis in managed isolation.

"We'll be working with the NZDF and MBIE on how we do that in a way that's safe," Ms Wright says.

Around half a million New Zealanders eligible to vote still haven't enrolled; half of them are under the age of 30.

And while Covid-19 means bringing your own pen to the voting booth, it also means voting at the supermarket is no longer possible.

"We're really disappointed about that but what we needed to do was ensure that we had places that were large enough so that people could do that physical distancing," Ms Wright says.

There are also two referendums on the ballot this year -legalising cannabis and euthanasia - giving voters plenty to think about.

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What you need to know as election season kicks off - 1News

Explore The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand with ARI Instructors – New Ideal

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The Fountainhead is a classic American novel. It challenges conventional assumptions about selfishness, success, love, and integrity. Published in 1943, Ayn Rands best-selling novel has never been out of print, and every year teachers across the country continue to include it in their courses.

Recently, we hosted an online discussion series which explored the characters, plot, and themes of the novel and its relevance in todays world. Over the course of eight episodes, ARI instructors and staff addressed stumbling blocks for readers, highlighted significant passages and developments, and contrasted Rands unique perspective on life, work, and morality with conventional perspectives.

These live sessions drew a sizeable audience including numerous high school students and teachers. They were eager to learn more about the novel and how best to understand its themes. Participants regularly peppered staff with questions about the novel during each session; the final session included an extra hour dedicated entirely to general audience questions.

Designed as a resource for students entering ARIs The Fountainhead essay contest, the discussion series serves as a valuable tool for anyone interested in exploring the novel more deeply. Ben Bayer, the series lead instructor, described the experience as follows:

We started the discussion series when many were just beginning to shelter at home because of the coronavirus pandemic. We knew people would be looking to read new books or reread old favorites. I welcomed the opportunity to lead this discussion because it gave me the chance to explore The Fountainhead in great detail. Because of this, I discovered some new connections and patterns in the work that I had never seen before. If you watch the series, I hope youll enjoy making some of these same connections with us.

If you missed the live discussions, you can watch them all, on-demand, on YouTube or listen to the audio on the Ayn Rand Institute Live! podcast. If you find them valuable, please share them with others, and if you want more analysis of The Fountainhead, we recommend Essays on Ayn Rands The Fountainhead. We also recommend The Fountainhead course, taught by Keith Lockitch, available on Ayn Rand Campus along with courses dedicated to Rands other novels: We The Living, Anthem, and Atlas Shrugged.

If you enjoy this series, there is a similar one on another of Ayn Rands popular novels, Anthem. You can listen to that five-episode series on YouTube or via podcast.

SUPPORT ARI: If you value the ideas presented here, please become an ARI Member today.

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Explore The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand with ARI Instructors - New Ideal

Help Us Safeguard the Second Amendment – Yahoo News

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There are many great reasons to contribute to the National Reviewwebathon, but I believe that none is more important than the publications steadfast defense of the Second Amendment.

After the outbreak of the coronavirus, millions of Americans, feeling helpless and besieged by forces outside their control, began purchasing firearms to protect their families, property, and community. Once the lawlessness and fanaticism of the Antifa protests began spreading across the country, the number of gun owners continued to climb. When Democrats began embracing the notion of defunding the police, even more citizens saw gun ownership as a necessity of contemporary life.

All of this has added up to the largest surge in gun ownership in American history. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, gun sales have nearly doubled in the first six months of 2020 compared with sales a year ago. If gun manufacturers could keep up with demand, there would probably be an even bigger buying spree.

The spike in gun ownership has occurred within diverse populations, creating millions of first-time gun owners, many of them women and minorities. All of which means that making the philosophical, legal, and historical case for the Second Amendment a right that undergirds all our other liberties has never been more important.

No one does it as well as National Review. And were busy. Attacks on the Second Amendment have been coming from all sides. As Mairead McArdle recently reported, it is likely that conservative justices declined to take up an important Second Amendment case after John Roberts signaled he would side with the left-wing faction of the court. Even before the pandemic broke out, David B. Kopel, one of the nations leading intellectuals on gun issues, warned that District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court decision that reaffirmed the Second Amendment as an individual right, was in a precarious legal situation, as courts abdicate their responsibility to uphold the rights of gun owners around the country.

Story continues

As the pandemic spread, and states began using COVID-19 as a pretext to shutter gun shops, attorney Howard Slugh made the case that such intrusions were unconstitutional, especially given that Americans had an even greater need to protect themselves in the middle of a national emergency.

The gun historian and lawyer Stephen P. Halbrook warned that history has proven that tyrannical government diktats, like the ones being signed by governors and mayors in many municipalities, might long outlast the crisis that inspired them.

Second Amendment champion and editor of NRO, Charles C. W. Cooke, argued that only the cops need guns and cops are racist and will kill you are irreconcilable positions. The right to defend your life and property, whether you are abandoned by the authorities or not, should be nonnegotiable.

One of most vital ways that National Reviewfights against gun restrictionists is by exposing the torrent of misleading coverage from the corporate media. As I recently noted in a piece about Politicos coverage of background checks, there is no issue in political life that is covered as poorly and dishonestly as guns, with the possible exception of religion. Reporters might let the mayor of Chicago deflect from her incompetence by blaming law-abiding gun owners. We dont.

If we dont debunk the New York Times 1619 Project fabulists, who now claim that the Second Amendment was adopted only so that Southerners could use guns to subdue slaves, who will?

With an election coming, its also crucial to point out the increasingly radical position that Democrats have staked out on the guns issue. At National Review, we understand that Joe Bidens often hysterical and inaccurate rhetoric on firearms is merely a warning sign for the type of harmful policies he and his party would support if Biden were to become president.

Since National Reviewhas no sugar daddy, no giant corporate sponsors, we rely on your generosity to keep doing our work. Please support us here, knowing you have our deep appreciation.

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Help Us Safeguard the Second Amendment - Yahoo News

President Donald J. Trump’s Message on National Shooting Sports Month 2020 Says Since My First Day in Office, I Have Made Clear That My Administration…

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August 2, 2020 -President Donald J. Trumps message on National Shooting Sports Month 2020.

During National Shooting Sports Month, we commemorate our Constitutional right to bear arms by celebrating Americas cherished past time of recreational and competitive shooting sports.

Our great Nation has a rich history of fostering responsible gun ownership. In the early days of our Republic, turkey shoots encouraged community engagement and brought families closer together. As our country grew, these local events developed into large regional and national events and competitions that drew thousands of spectators. By the late 19th century, sharpshooters such as Pawnee Bill and Annie Oakley established popular shows with Wild West and other themes, touring the country with acts featuring their talent with firearms. These pioneering American folk heroes demonstrated the courage, skill, and persistence necessary to excel in shooting sports and that reflect our founding values. Today, we continue to promote interest in such social pastimes that celebrate our rich and unique history of shooting sports.

As we encourage our fellow Americans to take part in learning more about firearms this month, including safety and proper instruction, we also pledge to continue doing our part to ensure that our rights are never infringed upon. Enshrined in the Bill of Rights, our Second Amendment protects the individual liberties of Americans to keep and bear arms. Since my first day in office, I have made clear that my Administration will always protect and defend the Second Amendment. We will continue to oppose those individuals and policies that attempt to tread on this essential and cherished liberty.

This National Shooting Sports Month, I ask those Americans who currently participate in shooting sports to share this cherished tradition with others. Together, we can proudly ensure that the next generation knows how to safely and responsibly enjoy their Second Amendment freedoms.Source: Office of the White House

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President Donald J. Trump's Message on National Shooting Sports Month 2020 Says Since My First Day in Office, I Have Made Clear That My Administration...

7 races to watch on Election Day in Kalamazoo County – mlive.com

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KALAMAZOO, MI -- Voters filing absentee ballots and headline to the polls Tuesday, Aug. 4, will decide a number of primary contests and tax proposals in Kalamazoo County and across the state.

Absentee and in-person votes will be tallied Tuesday in several contested primary races in Kalamazoo County, including for the 60th District state House seat, the 6th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, sheriff, county clerk and for six of the 11 county Board of Commissioners districts.

Related: A guide to Kalamazoo-area candidates, tax proposals on Aug. 4 primary ballots

Many voters have chosen to vote absentee for this election, amid the coronavirus pandemic. County clerks have encouraged voting absentee rather than in-person to slow the spread of COVID-19, though voters still can go cast a ballot at designated polling locations on Tuesday. Residents can also still obtain ballots or register to vote, through Election Day, by visiting their city or township clerks office.

Ahead of Tuesdays primary election, here are seven key races to watch in Kalamazoo County:

60th District Representative in State Legislature

Kalamazoo County Commissioners Stephanie Moore, left, and Julie Rogers, right, are Democrats seeking their party's nomination for the District 60 state House seat in the upcoming Aug. 4 primary election. (Photos provided by candidates)

Two current members of the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners are running for the Democratic nomination for the District 60 seat in the Michigan House of Representatives. Commissioners Julie Rogers and Stephanie Moore will face off on Aug 4. The candidate who wins the primary will face off against the lone Republican candidate Gary Mitchell in Novembers general election.

Related: 2 Kalamazoo County commissioners compete for Democratic nomination in state House race

Rogers, 44, is a former board chairperson and is serving her fourth term on the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners. She serves as the vice president for the National Association of Counties (NACo) Health Steering Committee and sits on the Michigan Assoc. of Counties Board of Directors. She works as a physical therapist at Ascension Borgess.

Moore, 48, is a former chairperson of the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners, and has served on that board for seven years. Prior to the county board, Moore served on the Kalamazoo City Commission for eight years.

Rogers resigned as the boards chairperson on July 7. The newly elected board leadership said Rogers was asked to leave because of past behavior. Rogers denies the claim, calling the information released by fellow commissioners a politically motivated smear campaign.

The 60th District seat, which is currently held by state Rep. Jon Hoadley, D-Kalamazoo, includes all of the city of Kalamazoo as well as portions of the city of Portage and Kalamazoo Township.

6th District U.S. Representative Republican primary

Republicans Elena Oelke and Fred Upton will be on the Aug. 4 ballot for the 6th congressional district.

In the Republican primary, U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, will face challenger Elena Oelke in the race for Michigans 6th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Related: Businesswoman will challenge U.S. Rep. Fred Upton in Republican primary for Michigans 6th District

Oelke is a self-employed real estate agent. According to her website, Oelke, 49, of St. Joseph, grew up in the Soviet Union and became an American citizen in 1998.

As for the issues, Oelke cites several positions including being pro Second Amendment, opposed to red flag gun laws, pro education with more individual choices, against illegal immigration with incentives and supportive of border security.

Upton, 67, R-St. Joseph, is running for an 18th consecutive term. He was first elected in 1986. Prior to his election to Congress, Upton worked for President Ronald Reagan in the Office of Management and Budget.

According to his campaign website, Uptons focus remains on passing important legislation to encourage job creation, protect taxpayers, help our community and enhance the quality of life for everyone in Southwest Michigan and throughout our country.

Michigans 6th congressional district encompasses Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties, plus most of Allegan County.

6th District U.S. Representative Democratic primary

State Rep. Jon Hoadley and science teacher Jen Richardson will face off in the Democratic primary for the U.S. House District 6 seat on Aug. 4.

On the other side of the aisle, state Rep. Jon Hoadley, D-Kalamazoo, and Jen Richardson, a research director and a science teacher at the Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center, will face off for the Democratic nomination in the 6th District race.

Related: Kalamazoo teacher and state lawmaker face off in U.S. District 6 Democratic primary

Hoadley, first elected to represent the 60th state House district in 2014, is currently serving his third and final term in the Michigan House of Representatives. He serves as minority vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee, and is also a member of the National LGBTQ Task Force, National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, the American State Legislators for Gun Violence Prevention.

Richardson is the research director and a science teacher at the Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center. She has a bachelors degree in biology from Western Illinois University and a masters in education from California Coast University.

The winner of the contest between the two Democrats on Tuesday will go on to face the winner of the Republican primary in the Nov. 3 general election. The congressional seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, who is running for reelection and faces a challenge from fellow Republican Elena Oelke.

Kalamazoo County 911 Proposal:

Voters in Kalamazoo County will consider a countywide tax for the purpose of funding a central public safety communication system and 9-1-1 service system.

Related: New 911 millage would fund Kalamazoo County consolidated dispatch through 2029

The tax, not to exceed 0.65 mills, or $0.65 on each $1,000 of taxable value, would be distributed to the Kalamazoo County Consolidated Dispatch Authority for countywide 911 facilities, functions and services as provided in the Kalamazoo County Emergency 911 Service System Plan. If approved, the millage would operate for 10 years and raise an estimated $6,111,513 in the first year.

After more than three decades of planning, the consolidated dispatch authority went live in 2018, bringing together the City of Kalamazoo, the City of Portage, the County of Kalamazoo, the Charter Township of Kalamazoo and Western Michigan University.

Representatives from each of the five entities signed an initial funding amendment in December 2017 to establish a five-year funding solution, totaling $21.5 million to be paid over a period from 2018 to 2023. There is no long-term funding solution currently in place, and if the millage proposal is approved by voters, Executive Director Jeff Troyer said it would replace the current short-term agreement effective immediately.

The authority also receives additional funding by way of a 42-cent surcharge on phone bills.

In addition to generally funding the operation, maintenance and expansion of the newly consolidated dispatch authority, Troyer said the tax would also provide funding to bring Portage Public Safetys police department onto the same centralized system. The department is the lone law enforcement agency in the county not currently on the consolidated system, the director told MLive.

Kalamazoo County Sheriff:

Kalamazoo County Sheriff's candidates Shannon Bagley, left, and Thomas Swafford, right, are set to square off in the Aug. 4 Republican primary election. (Courtesy photos)

Looking to lead the countys sheriffs office are two Republicans and incumbent Sheriff Richard Fuller, a Democrat running for reelection in November. Republicans Thomas Swafford and Shannon Bagley will go head-to-head in August, seeking the GOP nomination for the office of Kalamazoo County sheriff.

Related: Current deputy, former Kalamazoo police captain square off in GOP sheriff primary

Bagley is a retired Kalamazoo Public Safety captain, and Swafford is a Kalamazoo County Sheriffs deputy. Swafford ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat in 2016, losing to Fuller in the primary. The incumbent secured 76% of the vote in that election.

Bagley, 51, works as a police officer at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, according to biographical information submitted to the Vote411 voter guide. He has a bachelors degree in organization and resource management from Spring Arbor University, as well as an associates degree in criminal justice from KVCC.

Swafford, 57, is a 10-year veteran deputy sheriff in Kalamazoo County, is a graduate of the Kirtland Regional Police Academy and is certified as a corrections officer, according to his submitted bio. Swaffords bio also said he has served as a volunteer reserve officer for local police agency.

Fuller, who was first elected sheriff in Kalamazoo County in 2008, is running unopposed in Augusts Democratic primary.

County Clerk / Register of Deeds

Pictured (l-r) are Doreen Gardner, Sarah Joshi and Meredith Place.

Doreen Gardner, Sarah O. Joshi and Meredith Place are all seeking the Democratic nomination for Kalamazoo County Clerk and Register of Deeds. The winner of the partys nomination after Tuesdays primary will go on to face lone Republican candidate Mona Lisa Watson in the November general election.

Related: Three Democrats competing for Kalamazoo County Clerk and Register of Deeds nomination

Doreen Gardner is a communication coordinator. She attended Moody Bible Institute, Cornerstone University and International Theological Institute. She lists 25 years of management at AT&T among her qualifications and experience for the office.

Sarah O. Joshi is currently the deputy county clerk and elections specialist. For education, she lists a masters degree from Western Michigan University and a bachelors in public relations and journalism, also from Western Michigan University. She said she has proven skills in planning, management, and performance improvement, and a strong work ethic.

Meredith Place is currently serving as commissioner representing the countys District 11, and works as a contract administrator at the Clerical Technical Union at Michigan State University. Place said she has a bachelors degree from the University of Iowa and has experience in local government and being accountable to voters.

Current Kalamazoo County Clerk Tim Snow previously announced his retirement when his current term expires, explaining he would not seek reelection in 2020.

Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners:

The seventh race to watch in Kalamazoo County Tuesday will actually be six separate races. Six of the 11 seats on the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners have contested primaries on August ballots. The winners of each primary will advance and face any remaining opposition in Novembers upcoming general election.

Tami Rey

Tami Rey and Andrew D. Sellin are vying for the Democratic nomination to represent District 1.

Related: Two Democrats running for District 1 seat on Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners

The seat is currently occupied by Commissioner Stephanie Moore, who is running for state House rather than seeking reelection. No Republican candidate filed to run for the seat.

Tami Rey serves as chairperson of the city of Kalamazoo Community Development Act Advisory Committee and recently worked as a property manager at Herman & Kittle, where she was a member of the public safety review and appeals board. Rey is a member of the ISAAC gun violence task force and has worked as a NAACP branch secretary.

Sellin has worked as a machine operator at ARVCO Container Corporation since 2014.

The countys 1st District includes a portion of the city of Kalamazoo as well as an eastern portion of Kalamazoo Township.

Democrats Monteze Morales and Zac Bauer are campaigning for the District 2 seat on the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners.

Democrats Monteze Morales and Zac Bauer are running for the District 2 Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners seat.

Related: Kalamazoo Promise expert challenges newly appointed county commissioner for District 2 seat

In October 2019, both Bauer and Morales interviewed for the open seat after a commissioner stepped down due to a move out of the district. Morales received one vote from the board. Bauer was appointed with six votes.

No Republican candidate filed to run for the seat.

Morales, 43, has worked as an educator for 20 years including her current position as program manager of Kalamazoo Promise Services at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

Bauer, 39, is a Navy veteran. He currently works as program officer focusing on affordable housing and economic development through nonprofit Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Previously, he worked as a law clerk for Zoetis Inc., a community investment manager of the Kalamazoo Community Foundation and was executive director of the Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center.

District 2 encompasses Milwood, Edison, Southside and some of the Vine neighborhoods of Kalamazoo.

Democrats Jen Strebs and Mike Seals are campaigning for the District 4 seat on the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners.

Democrats Jen Strebs and Mike Seals are campaigning for the District 4 seat on the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners.

Related: Kalamazoo Township trustee challenges longstanding county commissioner for District 4 board seat

Both Democrats will be on the Aug. 4 ballot, and primary voters will determine whether the incumbent or challenger is nominated to face Republican Andrew Smith in Novembers general election.

Strebs, 43, has served on the townships board for three years. She also serves on the, regional water and wastewater commission and on the board of directors for Public Media Network. Previously, she served on the election commission in Kalamazoo Township. Strebs has also served in Kalamazoo County roles, on the ID advisory board and health equity task force.

Seals, 59, has held the District 4 seat for 10 years, making him the longest serving commissioner currently on the board. He was recently appointed to a leadership role, as Vice Chairperson. He is the first Black man to hold that position. Seals is a retired lineman for Consumers Energy. For more about his experience and campaign, visit his Facebook page.

Pictured are Veronica McKissack (left) and Chris Pomeroy (right)

Democrats Veronica McKissack and Chris Pomeroy are facing off in the race for seat representing District 5 on the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners.

Related: Social worker, union leader face off in Kalamazoo County Democratic primary for District 5

The winner of the upcoming Aug. 4 party primary will go on to face the lone Republican candidate for the seat, Valarie Cunningham, in Novembers general election.

The seat is currently held by Commissioner Julie Rogers, who is running for the Democratic nomination in the District 60 state House race against fellow Commissioner Stephanie Moore.

McKissack, 43, works as a clinical social worker at the Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital. She holds a bachelors degree in psychology and a masters degree in social work from Western Michigan University.

Pomeroy, 48, is a labor organizer who currently serves as the director of organizing for Operating Engineers 324 union.

Republicans Vince Carahaly and Jeff Heppler are vying for the District 6 seat on the Kalamazoo County board of commissioners.

Vince Carahaly and Jeff Heppler are looking to secure the District 6 on the Kalamazoo County Commission for the Republican Party.

Related: Business owner, police chief battle in Republican primary for Kalamazoo County Commission

When Republican Ron Kendall resigned last August from the commission, Democrat Jen Aniano was appointed to serve out his term. Aniano is running unopposed for the Democratic Party nomination. The Republican nominee will face Aniano in November.

Vince Carahaly founded The Alcott Center for Cognitive Enhancement and Jeff Heppler is the Augusta police chief and village manager.

Heppler, 67, previously held the District 6 seat for 14 years until he left in 2016 to run for Kalamazoo County Sheriff. He has been the police chief for the Village of Augusta for 38 years and village manager for six years. He also cites being a fireman for 38 years and business owner for 32 years. He previously worked as the Galesburg Police Chief but was fired in 2017. It was a 4-3 vote and the reason cited was that he wasnt responsive to city needs. He sued, saying the firing was over alleged age and weight discrimination but the case was dismissed.

Carahaly, 52, provides services to children with various learning disabilities and disorders at The Alcott Center for Cognitive Enhancement that he founded. He is currently chair of the four-county regional planning council and the vice-chair of the county planning commission. He was a finalist for the District 6 appointment in 2019. He shared that he has extensive private, public, and non-profit experience in many capacities.

The countys 6th District commissioner is elected by and represents residents of Cooper, Richland and Ross townships.

Republicans Dale Shugars, left, and Brian Kovacik, right, are squaring off in the Aug. 4 primary. The two are running for the GOP nomination for the District 9 seat on the Kalamazoo County Commission. (Courtesy photos)

Brian Kovacik and Dale Shugars are set to square off for the GOP nomination in the race to represent District 9 on the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners.

Related: Republicans square off for fourth time in Kalamazoo County board race

The winner of the Aug. 4 Republican primary will face Democrat Keshia Dickason as all three look to fill the seat being vacated by Democrat Christine Morse, who is instead running for state House. Dickason is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Shugars has defeated Kovacik in all three prior contests between the two. He went on to win the general election in 2014 and 2016, but lost to Morse in a closely contested race in 2018 after picking up 77% of the vote in the Republican primary.

In addition to serving the District 9 county commissioner from 2014-2018, Shugars, 67, was a state senator for eight years, served in the state house for four years and sat on the Portage City Council for seven years. He is a graduate of Western Michigan University, where he majored in accountancy and policy. A registered CPA, he is self-employed and, according to his bio, performs management and consulting services.

Kovacik, 55, is a sales consultant who works for a packaging supplies distributor. He studied secondary education at Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Western Michigan University. He has no political experience.

The 9th District commissioner is elected by and represents residents of Texas Township as well as a southeast section of Oshtemo Township.

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THE RACE FOR CD3 | This got a lot more interesting, observers say – coloradopolitics.com

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Strategists and politicians on the left and right agree: The race to represent Colorados Republican-leaning 3rd Congressional District got a lot more interesting at the end of June, when gun-rights activist and first-time candidate Lauren Boebert toppled five-term incumbent Scott Tipton in the GOP primary.

Boebert, owner of the attention-grabbing Shooters Grill in Rifle where the waitresses are armed will face former state Rep. Diane Mitsch Bush, the Steamboat Democrat who also served on the Routt County Commission and was seeking a rematch with the more traditionally conservative Tipton, who beat her by 8 percentage points in the last election.

In an observation echoing national election forecasters, a number of seasoned politicos with roots in the sprawling district told Colorado Politics that Mitsch Bushs chances of moving the seat into the Democratic column are better than they would have been had the less flamboyant Tipton had won the nomination, but itll still be a tough lift among the 3rd CDs largely rural and smaller-town voters.

The rest of the state might be trending blue, but the Eastern Plains and Western Slope arent as likely to follow the Front Range and more liberal mountain towns, former state GOP chairman and statewide campaign veteran Dick Wadhams said.

Political consultant Greg Brophy, a former Republican state senator from Wray, the other side of the state, echoed Wadhams, saying that no matter how blue the state trends overall, the Western Slope is still a broad swath of red.

But Alan Salazar, who hails from Grand Junction and is chief of staff to Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, said it would be a mistake to count electoral chickens in 2020.

Its a right-of-center district but not a crazy ideological one, he said. I feel like this is the year where Trump is so unpopular in Colorado, its a very good year to be a Democrat in the state, no matter where.

A note of optimism

State Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Eagle, who occupies the House District 26 seat Mitsch Bush held before she resigned to run against Tipton last time, sounded a note of optimism for his fellow Democrat.

Absolutely its a district a Democrat can win. A lot of things need to come together for that to happen, and we might be seeing those things happening this year. Youve got an open seat with no incumbent, a national trend going against the Republican Party, and a pretty inexperienced candidate running on the Republican side, he said.

Roberts, who organized most of the Western Slope for the President Barack Obamas 2012 re-election campaign, acknowledged its a hurdle.

The reality of the district is, its such a gigantic and diverse district, where the numbers have been trending more conservative going against the statewide move toward the Democrats. Its still hard for a Democrat but its possible.

It will be difficult for both candidates to put themselves in front of voters, particularly with the pandemic restricting the kind of face-to-face campaigning that works in a district with so many distinct communities, the experts said.

Both nominees run the risk of allowing their opponent to paint them as too extreme to represent a seat that has a habit of sending more middle-of-the-road politicians to Congress, including Tipton and John Salazar, the Democrat he unseated, rancher and former state lawmaker, and Republican Scott McInnis and then-Democrat Ben Campbell before him.

Tyler Sandberg, an executive at the education-reform group Ready Colorado and the campaign manager for former U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, who lost his suburban 6th Congressional District seat in an anti-Trump wave in the last election, said polling hes seen suggests Republicans could be in more peril than theyre acknowledging.

The Trump factor

The presidents support among his party, Sandberg said, has been dropping from the rock-solid 95% level Trump enjoyed until recently into the low 80s. Trump is bleeding out in swing-state polls around the country, he said, adding that if similarly largely rural states like Missouri are in play, he must be bleeding out pretty badly.

Wadhams said if the bottom drops out, Republicans from U.S. Sen Cory Gardner on down will face a blowout in November.

Colorado voters have been notorious about ticket splitting, but I dont think thats a dynamic thats going to be much in play in 2020, said Alan Salazar. Trump is such a polarizing figure. My gut sense is people are looking for a return to calm, order, a process we can trust to get away from some of this craziness.

Boeberts flirtations with the right-wing conspiracy movement QAnon could pose a risk for her, if dissatisfaction with Trump and the GOP brand runs as deep as some Republicans fear, Wadhams said.

Former state Sen. Josh Penry, a native son and a state political strategist, said the pox on both your houses frustration among voters could play both ways, though, noting that Mitsch Bush might be from the Western Slope but lives in a resort community.

If John Salazar is the nominee? This is an absolute dogfight, Penry said. But a liberal politician from a resort town talking about turning the district blue, I think theyve got an imperfect messenger for this district.

The pent-up frustration in rural America, which helped lift Trump to a 12-peercentage point win in the district four years ago, he added, hasnt gone away.

Alan Salazar said itll come down to which candidate voters believe represents Western Slope values and interests and which provides a level of comfort.

Scott Tipton wouldve been somebody a lot of people could have voted for, but Im not sure about Ms. Boebert, he said.

This district is very diverse, Roberts said. There are communities in the mountains where tourism and the environment and conservation are the top issues, then you head into Grand Junction, the San Luis Valley, where agriculture and energy are the biggest topics. You need somebody who can speak to all those different issues and have their finger on a variety of pulses.

Mitsch Bush, he said, has deep experience on all those issues and laid down a record as a county commissioner and in the legislature.

I have confidence that Diane, when she goes to different communities, can speak well and is very informed on the particular issues that matter to those communities, he said, adding, I havent seen Lauren Boebert speak about any issue but the Second Amendment and freedom, quote unquote.

However the race shapes up, Sandberg said, the Democrats get a win. TV time in the district which covers all four of Colorados markets, including the expensive Denver market will be pricey.

Republicans will have to spend a million or two to defend the seat that they wouldnt have spent if the nominee had been Tipton, Sandberg speculated.

If you wanted to have a knock-down-drag-out in CD3, it could get pretty expensive, pretty quick, he said. Will the Democrats spend money to put that one seat into play? Will the Republican super PACs spend money to keep it?

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THE RACE FOR CD3 | This got a lot more interesting, observers say - coloradopolitics.com

Recalled the famous word of Satoshi Nakamoto – Somag News

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Fidelitys digital asset arm, Fidelity Digital Assets, which has over $ 7 trillion of assets under its management, recalled a famous phrase by Satoshi Nakamoto, the inventor of Bitcoin.

Fidelity Digital Assets (FDA) mentioned Satoshi Nakamoto in a report evaluating the interest and investment in Bitcoin.

As is known, the FDA is linked to Fidelity through parent company Fidelity Management & Research (FMR). One of the worlds largest financial services companies, Fidelity manages an estimated $ 7 trillion of assets.

According to the findings of the research, the FDA stated that Bitcoin is a popular and desirable value-keeping tool, although it has not been researched much by its investors. In addition, it was reported that investors saw Bitcoin a value-saving tool that will be used by many more people in the future.

This perspective of people on BTC reminds the famous word of Satoshi Nakamoto, which he also added to the report of the FDA:

It might make sense to take a little, if he holds it. If a sufficient number of people think like this, then this would be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Although Bitcoin investors are concerned about volatility, they believe BTC will be a value-keeping tool in the long run.

As FDA has stated in its thesis, volatility is expected to continue to decrease as more people buy Bitcoin.

The investors, who were asked by the FDA about their thoughts, believe that the next wave of awareness and adaptation will be provided by external factors. These external factors mean that governments and central banks have unprecedented acceptance of Bitcoin.

The factors that will be effective in the long-term adaptation are the new generation people who take BTC with some of the legacies that will remain with them from their families, or that people switch to Bitcoin again in order to protect themselves from inflation occurring slowly and solidly all over the world.

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Recalled the famous word of Satoshi Nakamoto - Somag News

The Impact of Inflation on Crypto Adoption – Finance Magnates

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By simple definition, inflation is an increase in the price level of a selected basket of goods and services produced in an economy. The inflation rate is a concept that measures the percentage change in the prices over a certain period of time. Inflation impacts the purchasing power of a nations currency, higher inflation means a decrease in purchasing power. Rising prices affect the cost of living, the cost of financing, and the cost of doing business in a particular country. Some countries are battling with hyperinflation, Venezuela ranked number 1 with a skyrocketing inflation rate of 19,906% in 2019, according to the latest data released by Statista. Zimbabwe came at the second spot with an inflation rate of 255%. Argentina ranked third with a 53% inflation rate. A higher inflation rate had a negative impact on their respective currencies. The Venezuelan Bolivar depreciated more than 1000% in less than a year against the US dollar. Argentinian Peso depreciated around 50% in the last 1 year.

The Most Diverse Audience to Date at FMLS 2020 Where Finance Meets Innovation

Hyperinflation and a weak national currency opens the door for digital innovation, and whats better than the cryptocurrencies? For all those people who dont know what crypto is all about, it all started with a research paper in 2008 when Satoshi Nakamoto published a paper with the title Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System. Nakamoto developed Bitcoin as a peer-to-peer version of electronic cash to allow payments to be sent from one party to another without the involvement of a third party. Bitcoin, also known as the Digital Gold gained popularity with the time and many cryptocurrencies emerged after Bitcoin with specific purpose and usability. Ethereum, Tether, XRP, and Bitcoin Cash to name a few. As of writing, the overall market cap of cryptocurrencies stands at around $310 billion. One Bitcoin is now worth more than $10,000 as the market cap of Bitcoin alone is around $200 billion.

So, the question here is that whats the relation between inflation and cryptocurrencies? Well, inflation is helping crypto adoption significantly. (John Boyd, Ross Levine & Bruce Smith 2001) published a research paper in 2001 with the title of The Impact of Inflation on the Financial Sector and discovered that the inflation rate of above 15% caused a significant drop in financial sector performance and pushed investors to find other investment alternatives. Back then, there were only two options for those investors, Gold and the US Dollar (also known as safe-haven assets), but now the popularity of Bitcoin and other crypto assets is causing a rapid adoption of cryptocurrencies in the countries suffering from high inflation rate.

Venezuelas national currency, the Venezuelan Bolivar depreciated by more than 1000% against the US Dollar in less than a year. The inflation rate in the country is skyrocketing and that helped non-traditional investment tools to take center stage. Crypto adoption in Venezuela is booming, according to the latest report, there are more than 20,000 businesses in Venezuela accepting crypto as a mode of payment including a Burger King branch in the capital city of Caracas. Hyperinflation makes it difficult for local shops and merchants to store Venezuelan Bolivar, thus making cryptocurrencies a much more stable medium of exchange. Data from LocalBitcoins, a peer-to-peer bitcoin marketplace shows that the trading volume of Bitcoin in Venezuela touched an all-time high in July 2020.

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Argentina suffered from a high inflation rate of 53%, weak economic policies, political turmoil, and debt default accelerated the currency depreciation. Argentinian Peso, the national currency of the South American nation lost more than 50% of its value in 1 year. Weak Peso helping crypto adoption in the country. Bueno Aires, the capital of Argentina and the most visited city in South America is not just another tourist hotspot, its gradually becoming the Bitcoin hotspot as more than 100 merchants in Bueno Aires now accept Bitcoin. There are 11 Bitcoin ATMs in the city. Bitcoin trading volume in Argentina reached a record high this month.

Inflation played a major role in crypto adoption, most of the countries suffering from rapid inflation reported higher trading volumes in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Depreciation of national currency encouraged investors and even small businesses to store value in crypto assets in order to hedge against the devaluation of local currency. The growing popularity of crypto assets during these difficult times shows a roadmap to even greater adoption in the future.

Bilal Jafar is Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief at Reefew

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The Impact of Inflation on Crypto Adoption - Finance Magnates