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Fakebook and the Big Data manipulators – Pressenza International Press Agency

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

When Facebook announced that it would not remove political advertising with inaccurate content (aka lies) very few people seemed to be surprised, or bothered.When it was reported that interference by Cambridge Analytica, may be with some help from Canadian AggregateIQwas most likely responsible for the success of Brexit, being used by Vote.leave, it created some interest but not enough to question the results of the referendum.

UKs Channel 4 TV conducted an undercover investigation during which Cambridge Analytica described in no uncertain terms they had the capacity to manipulate elections and they had done so in various countries around the world:

Revealed: Trumps election consultants filmed saying they use bribes and sex workers to entrap politicians

An undercover investigation by Channel 4 News reveals how Cambridge Analytica secretly campaigns in elections across the world. Bosses were filmed talking about using bribes, ex-spies, fake IDs and sex workers

In the meetings, the executives boasted that Cambridge Analytica and its parent company Strategic Communications Laboratories (SCL) had worked in more than two hundred elections across the world, including Nigeria, Kenya, the Czech Republic, India and Argentina.

The company is at the centre of a scandal over its role in the harvesting of more than 50 million Facebook profiles.

The companies and the people who carry out the studies of the Big Data being collected from our credit cards, supermarkets shopping habits, health records (which will inform US health care companies which bits of the NHS they should buy when the UK begins to negotiate the post Brexit deals) cookies, Facebook likes, etc, use sophisticated maths to elicit patterns to then use these for targeted advertising. Of any type, general consumerism, politics, whatever.

These number crunchers, algorithms wizards, work as hired guns for companies and politicians. If in the 80s and 90s political parties gave their campaigns to advertising agencies, in the new millennium the invisible hand of the Big Data manipulators will quietly tell us what to think and how to vote on a text message or WhatsApp, or targeted Facebook content.

After helping the most right wing faction of the Conservative Party win the Brexit referendum and the elections Dominic Cummings, one of these Big Data guys, is now sitting in the UKs government headquarters advising the Prime Minister on how to run the country. Are all these people right wing? Probably not but as hired guns they are likely to work for those who have the money, e.g., the most well off. He has expressed a desire to hire misfits and weirdos in order to shake up the civil service. So they brought in one whose racist views and support for eugenics forced him to resign after a big media scandal.

The poisonous spread of the alt-right ideology speaks of a system of massive subtle manipulation we cannot see unless we begin to pay attention to the drip drip of information (propaganda) that reaches us constantly on our most personal (which we believe private) objects (screens). Is there any chance to control how our data is used to manipulate us? Going back to paying all in cash? Hospitals getting rid of computers and writing all in paper records? Probably not. But we can remain vigilant about who are the spads, the special advisers in the political system and the proliferation of Cambridge Analytica-like companies, proposing firm international regulations to their political activities.

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Fakebook and the Big Data manipulators - Pressenza International Press Agency

Resignation of UK Government Adviser Sparks Controversy Over Link Between Race and IQ – The National Interest Online

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

An outrageous, racist and outdated belief in the innate intellectual inferiority of black people periodically re-enters public debate, usually masquerading as a bold initiative at the forefront of science; challenging convention and thinking the unthinkable.

A 27-year-old called Andrew Sabisky provides the latest example. In a matter of days, this Downing Street aide joined, then quit, the UK governments policy machine after a series of controversial past comments came to light. It is easy to misunderstand the significance of this. Sabiskys view that black people are genetically pre-determined to be less intelligent than whites was widely attacked in the media and politics. Yet the evidence suggests that his thinking about the nature of intelligence may not be entirely out of step with those in power in the UK.

Like Sabisky, they may claim that a focus on past statements and actions is unfair: tweeting about his departure Sabisky blamed selective quoting and media hysteria about my old stuff online. But the record is all we have on these matters.

At a press briefing shortly before Sabiskys departure, the prime ministers deputy spokesman refused more than 30 times to state Boris Johnsons views on eugenics and the supposed intellectual inferiority of black people. The press secretary repeatedly stated that the PMs views are well publicised and well documented.

I have been researching racism in education for more than 30 years and, at regular intervals, this means revisiting the question of supposed racial differences in intelligence a topic that refuses to die despite the wealth of evidence against it. Viewed from this perspective, there are some key takeaways from the Sabisky affair.

Much of the press coverage presented him as a maverick outsider; someone fitting Dominic Cummings search for misfits and weirdos to advance government thinking. But Sabiskys appointment highlights a view that is in line with earlier statements on intelligence by the prime minister and his chief advisor.

What sets Sabisky apart from some people in government is not his belief in intelligence as a fixed and measurable trait, but the way he expressed it. In 2013, for example, Boris Johnson sang the praises of the free market economy and the competition that it fosters when he said:

That violent economic centrifuge is operating on human beings who are already very far from equal in raw ability, if not spiritual worth. Whatever you may think of the value of IQ tests, it is surely relevant to a conversation about equality that as many as 16% of our species have an IQ below 85, while about 2% have an IQ above 130. The harder you shake the pack, the easier it will be for some cornflakes to get to the top.

There is, of course, no mention of supposed race differences in intelligence here; but there is a clear belief in IQ tests as a useful measure of innate ability. What the prime minster failed to mention (or understand?) is that IQ tests are periodically re-calibrated so that 100 always falls at the overall average, despite the fact that average performance has risen over time. There will always be a percentage of our species below 85 because that is the way the test is designed and maintained. The significance of any IQ score is always open to debate.

A few years ago I wrote a paper challenging many of the myths that surround IQ. I included analysis of Dominic Cummings 237-page essay, Some Thoughts on Education and Political Priorities. At the time, Cummings was special advisor to the then education secretary, Michael Gove.

His essay attacks policymakers failure to embrace what he calls the relevant science concerning evolutionary influences on intelligence. Those familiar with the debates will know that evolution is frequently invoked as a causal explanation for current race inequalities, for example, in the work of J Philippe Rushton, whose evolutionary theory of race and intelligence places Negroids at the lesser end of the spectrum.

I think most would read Cummings essay as inferring that evolution and genes shape IQ but he never offers an explicit position on the controversial issue of race and intelligence. A section entitled Genes, class and social mobility ends with a lengthy quotation from an MIT professor who speculates that, in the future, people might discover alleles [types of genes] for certain aspects of cognitive function and those alleles might vary between different ethnic groups:

Then for the first time there could be a racism which is based not on some kind of virulent ideology, not based on some kind of kooky versions of genetics.

Unfortunately, Cummings offers no commentary whatsoever on the ideas contained in this quoted text.

I have called this strategy racial inexplicitness a careful avoidance of clarity about race and education amid a long and winding discussion that prompts the reader to join the dots without ever stating clearly where he thinks the dots lead us.

Reviewing Cummings sources and influences is instructive. One of his heroes is the American psychologist Professor Robert Plomin. Plomin has made headlines in recent years for his increasingly exaggerated claims about the genetics of intelligence, including most recently, that DNA is a fortune teller giving us the power to predict our psychological strengths and weaknesses from birth. Cummings invited Plomin to visit the education department to explain the science of IQ and genetics to officials and ministers.

Plomin, like Cummings, is currently vague about his views on race and intelligence. But in the 1990s he supported the claims made famous in the book The Bell Curve, which stated that class and race inequities in society mostly reflect genetics. He was one of 52 people who signed a 1994 Wall Street Journal article that claimed mainstream science shows that intelligence tests are not culturally biased against American blacks or other native-born, English-speaking peoples. The article also stated that:

The bell curve for whites is centred roughly around IQ 100; the bell curve for American blacks roughly around 85; and those for different subgroups of hispanics roughly midway between those for whites and blacks.

These statements blithely ignore years of critique that has documented the misunderstandings and racist misuses of IQ tests. They are also remarkably similar to the racist blog post that came back to haunt Andrew Sabisky.

Asked, in 2015, whether he now regretted signing the Wall Street Journal statement, Professor Plomin replied, Well I regret it to the extent its a distraction to my research. But I think the basic facts are there erm, about heritability of intelligence.

It would be nice to think that Cummings and Plomin now reject such spurious views, but they have not explicitly stated their current position. If these documented views do reflect their current thinking then it would be the case that deeply racist and regressive beliefs about the nature of intelligence and education lie at the heart of the British government.

These views are bad news for many groups in society, especially those deemed less gifted. And its not so unlikely that we could see them entering policy. Despite the negative press coverage generated by Sabiskys beliefs, such dogma could conceivably be translated into a superficially acceptable policy brief. One way would be for education reforms to claim to apply scientific methods to identify the brightest and best and single them out for special attention. This would be presented as a meritocratic exercise, intended to fast-track clever children regardless of their social background.

The methods would include cognitive assessments (often a code for IQ tests) and the talk would be of social mobility and colour-blindness, whereby the approach treats everyone as an individual. No one in authority would worry about the fact that such assessments seem to always place a disproportionate number of black kids in the less-able bracket. Thats how institutional racism works.

David Gillborn, Professor of Critical Race Studies, University of Birmingham

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Image: Reuters.

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Resignation of UK Government Adviser Sparks Controversy Over Link Between Race and IQ - The National Interest Online

The effects of psoriasis can be more than skin deep – PhillyVoice.com

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

Psoriasis is a common skin condition that causes raised, red, scaly patches of skin that can feel itchy or painful. But if that inflammation can't be kept in check, it can affect a person's entire body.

Psoriasis prompts skin cells to rapidly multiply, causing a buildup of lesions on certain skin surfaces. Many cases are mild, but severe cases can lead to permanent disfigurement and joint disease. About 30% of people with psoriasis willdeveloppsoriatic arthritis,which causes inflammation in the joints and tendons.

The condition's pathology is not really known, according to Dr. Jonathan Wolfe, head of the dermatology division at Einstein Medical Center Montgomery. But the prevailing thought is that it is an immune disorder.

New research suggests that psoriasis is a systemic disease that can affect any part of the body in which inflammation can spread, Wolfe said.

"Triggers of psoriasis include injuries, infection, stress, smoking, heavy alcohol use and certain blood pressure medicines," Wolfe said. "A family history of psoriasis is also a common theme."

Psoriasis increases risk forserious health conditionslike diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and autoimmune diseases.It also can lead to depression.

Psoriasis comes in various forms, including plaque psoriasis which has telltale thick, silvery scales anderythrodermicpsoriasis, in which most of the body reddens and becomes itchy and painful.

Plaque psoriasis normally develops on the elbows, knees or scalp, but it can appear on any part of the body. It tends to wax and wane at different times. Some people only will develop lesions on just a few skin surfaces while others will have the lesions across their bodies.

Erythrodermic psoriasis is the least common form, but it can result in a medical emergency especially for people with cardiac disease. This severe form of psoriasis can cause swelling from fluid retention and infection, increasing the risk of pneumonia and congestive heart failure.

It can also cause skin on most areas of the body to turn bright red and become itchy and painful. The skin sometimes falls off in sheets. People with unstable plaque psoriasis are most at-risk for developing it.

Other forms include nail psoriasis, which is identifiable by pitting in the nails or abnormal nail discoloration, and guttate psoriasis, which is similar to plaque psoriasis but results in more coin-shaped lesions. The latter form usually appears on the trunk of the body and is triggered by strep or another bacterial infection.

Inverse psoriasis, which occurs in the groin area and underneath the breasts and armpits, often is mistaken for a fungi infection. That can delay a patient from receiving the correct treatment.

Pustular psoriasis develops as white pustules of noninfectious pus that are surrounded by red skin, causing people to feel sick with fever and chills.

Additionally, some patients with psoriasis will develop lesions on areas that are notnormally affected by the condition a development known as the Koebner phenomenon.

Treatment options range from topical medications like corticosteroids, retinoids and vitamin D analogues to oral and injectable medications.

For more severe cases, narrow ultraviolet B phototherapy and photochemotherapy are used. Photochemotherapy requires patients to take light-sensitizing medicine before being exposed to UVB rays.

There also are biologic drugs made from living cells that target specific parts of the immune system, leading to better control of symptoms and better quality of life. They have changed the way psoriasis has been treated in the last 25 years, Wolfe said.

Anyone who develop psoriasis should talk to their doctor as soon as possible. Wolfe said,"If left untreated, psoriasis can make routine things uncomfortable and cause serious complications."

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The effects of psoriasis can be more than skin deep - PhillyVoice.com

Arcutis Announces Data from the Phase 2b Study of Topical Roflumilast Cream in Patients with Plaque Psoriasis Selected for Late-Breaking Oral…

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., March 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. (ARQT), a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing treatments for unmet needs in immune-mediated dermatological diseases and conditions, or immuno-dermatology, will showcase data on its investigational program studying topical roflumilast cream (ARQ-151) in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis at the 2020 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting in Denver, CO, on March 20-24, 2020.

We are delighted to participate in the scientific exchange at this years AAD meeting, said Howard Welgus, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Arcutis. Patients and dermatologists need new and better topical treatment options that provide improved efficacy, safety and tolerability for patients with plaque psoriasis. We look forward to sharing data that demonstrate how topical roflumilast cream could, if approved, provide a once daily treatment option that effectively addresses the current challenges of treating plaque psoriasis with topical therapies."

Title: ARQ-151, Roflumilast Cream, Significantly Improves Chronic Plaque Psoriasis in Phase 2b StudySession: S027 - Late-breaking Research: Clinical TrialsPresenter: Dr. Linda Stein Gold, Director of Dermatology Clinical Research and Division Head of Dermatology at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MichiganDate: Saturday, March 21, 9:00 9:10 a.m. MTLocation: Bellco Theatre 2

In addition, results from the Phase 1/2a study of topical roflumilast cream in chronic plaque psoriasis have been accepted for an e-poster presentation.

Title: ARQ-151, Roflumilast Cream, Improved Psoriasis in Phase 2a StudyAbstract/poster number: 15309Date: ePosters will be presented Friday, March 20 - Sunday, March 22, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. MT

About Topical Roflumilast Cream (ARQ-151)Topical roflumilast cream (ARQ-151) is a topical cream formulation containing roflumilast, a PDE4 inhibitor, that Arcutis is developing to treat plaque psoriasis, including intertriginous psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis. PDE4 is an intracellular enzyme that regulates pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine production and cell proliferation. Roflumilast was approved by the FDA for systemic treatment to reduce risk of exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 2011, and has shown greater potency based on IC50 values (a non-clinical measure of a drug's potency) than other PDE4 inhibitors.

About Arcutis - Bioscience, applied to the skin.Arcutis is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing treatments for unmet needs in immune-mediated dermatological diseases and conditions, or immuno-dermatology. Arcutis exploits recent innovations in inflammation and immunology to develop potential best-in-class therapies against validated biological targets, leveraging our deep development, formulation and commercialization expertise to bring to market novel dermatology treatments, while maximizing our probability of technical success and financial resources. Arcutis is currently developing three novel compounds (topical roflumilast cream (ARQ-151), topical roflumilast foam (ARQ-154) and ARQ-252) for multiple indications, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis and eczema. For more information, please visit http://www.arcutis.com or follow the Company on LinkedIn.

Contact:John W. SmitherChief Financial Officerjsmither@arcutis.com

Investors and Media:Heather Rowe ArmstrongVice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communicationsharmstrong@arcutis.com805-418-5006, Ext. 740

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Arcutis Announces Data from the Phase 2b Study of Topical Roflumilast Cream in Patients with Plaque Psoriasis Selected for Late-Breaking Oral...

Rates of Anxiety, Depression with Apremilast vs Other Psoriasis Treatments – Dermatology Advisor

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

In patients with psoriasis, those who take apremilast have similar rates of anxiety and depression as patients prescribed other non-corticosteroid systemic psoriasis treatments, according to study results published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Little is known about whether systemic treatments for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are associated with an increased risk for anxiety and depression and whether these risks differ in both treatments. Therefore, the researchers sought to quantify the risk for incident-treated anxiety, depression, and mixed anxiety plus depression in patients treated with apremilast compared with patients prescribed other treatments for psoriasis and PsA.

They found that among the 31,274 patients with psoriasis (43.1% women, median age 49.3 years), patients treated with apremilast alone (n=3913, 12.5%) had a similar risk for incident-treated depression, anxiety, and anxiety plus depression compared with patients treated with conventional disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (n=56511, 20.8%) or biologic monotherapies. In 30,426 patients with PsA (43.6% women, median age 52.9 years), similar rates were noted for incident-treated depression and anxiety plus depression regardless of treatment; however, apremilast alone was associated with a slightly increased risk for treated anxiety compared with other PsA treatments even after adjustment for demographics and history of psychiatric disorders.

The investigators concluded that, Overall, the results of this study provide reassurance that apremilast used for the treatment of psoriasis or PsA is not associated with a high risk for incident treated depression, anxiety, anxiety [plus] depression. They added that, Among PsA patients, users of apremilast had similar rates of depression and anxiety [plus} depression compared to users of other systemic noncorticosteroid PsA drugs; however, the rate of anxiety was slightly higher.

Disclosure: This clinical trial was supported by Celgene Corporation (Summit, NJ 07901). Please see the original reference for a full list of authors disclosures.

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Reference

Vasilakis-Scaramozza C, Persson R, Hagberg KW, Jick S. The risk of treated anxiety and treated depression among patients with psoriasis and PsA treated with apremilast compared to biologics, DMARDs and corticosteroids: a cohort study in the United States MarketScan database [published online January 25, 2020]. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. doi: 10.1111/jdv.16231

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Rates of Anxiety, Depression with Apremilast vs Other Psoriasis Treatments - Dermatology Advisor

Woman creates Afro hair care brand to help with her scalp psoriasis – Metro.co.uk

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

Alopecia left Tayshan too anxious to leave the house (Picture: Earth Elixir)

A woman who suffered for years with psoriasis on her scalp and significant hair loss has created her own all-natural haircare brand because the prescribed treatments for these conditions didnt work for Afro hair.

Tayshan, from Streatham, south London, had painful psoriasis on her scalp that caused hair loss and, eventually, alopecia. She also struggled with hair growth, with her hair never reaching past her shoulders.

I would go to the doctors and they would recommend another shampoo telling me to wash my hair three times a day, or suggest another steroid cream, Tayshan tells Metro.co.uk. They had no understanding of Afro hair at all and the damage that would be caused with these products.

Hair was always really important for Tayshan, and she says her experience with psoriasis and alopecia gave her such bad anxiety that she didnt even want to leave the house.

I felt so embarrassed that people could either see flakes from the psoriasis or bald patches from the alopecia, she says.

As women of colour we grow up with such emphasis put on our hair and are told that it is intricately tied to our beauty. I really suffered with that growing up, being mixed-race and not having the typical loose curls that people associate with being mixed-race I had grown up really fixating on my hair.

So, suddenly having bald patches everywhere I really felt like I had lost part of my identity.

At the time, Tayshan was also pregnant with her second child and was conscious that the products that she was putting on her scalp could be absorbed into her body and she didnt want that for her baby.

I decided enough was enough and started exploring the natural path of hair care, says Tayshan. Through a lot of research, trials, tribulations and testing I decided I was going to make my own natural products, as everything on the market includes ingredients that arent actually good for our hair or skin.

Tayshan, who has a degree in forensic science, also took inspiration from her daughter when creating her products.

I really wanted her to enjoy her curls, coils and kinks and embrace her hair, explains Tayshan. I didnt want her to spend her whole childhood not enjoying her hair and wishing it was like other peoples. I also wanted to have products that I knew I could use on her that was completely natural.

Tayshan has now been making her own products for two years, and she says the change in the quality, health and length of her hair has been unbelievable.

Not only is the growth astounding but it has never felt so healthy, shiny, strong, thick and my bald patches have completely gone! she says.

After sharing some products with family and friends I was encouraged to sell my products so everyone can try them. So I launched my brand Earth Elixir a range of homemade hair care products made using natural ingredients from the earth, primarily Ayurvedic herbs, which I created three weeks after my third child was born.

Tayshans products are natural, organic and entirely vegan, they include an Ayurvedic hair oil, a shea, mango and chebe whip, and a leave-in hair tea set

I also want woman to know that they can follow their dreams and nothing should stop them, says Tayshan. Many said that I wouldnt be able to do it with a seven-year-old, a 14-month-old and a newborn baby, but I have done it, customers are loving it and feedback has been amazing.

Tayshan hopes her products can give other black and mixed-race women healthier curls, kinks and coils and help to improve their confidence.

Have you created your own business or achieved something against the odds?

Get in touch: metrolifestyleteam@metro.co.uk.

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DURECT Corporation Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2019 Financial Results and Update of Programs – Yahoo Finance

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

Fourth Quarter Highlighted by Presentation of Positive DUR-928 Phase 2a Alcoholic Hepatitis Data at the Liver Meeting 2019

Live Webcast of Earnings Call Today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time

CUPERTINO, Calif., March 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- DURECT Corporation (Nasdaq: DRRX) today announced financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2019 and provided a corporate update.

"The highlight of the year for DURECT in 2019 was achieving positive results from our DUR-928 Phase 2a alcoholic hepatitis (AH) study, which were featured in multiple presentations at the Liver Meeting 2019, including a late-breaking oral presentation by Dr. Tarek Hassanein," stated James E. Brown, D.V.M., President and CEO of DURECT. "In addition, we have already exceeded our 60 patient enrollment target in the ongoing NASH trial, and the last patient is scheduled to begin the 28-day dosing period next week. We are on track to announce top-line NASH data mid-year. We are also making steady progress toward starting a Phase 2b AH clinical trial by mid-year. In January 2020, the FDA held an Advisory Committee meeting to discuss our POSIMIR NDA resubmission. Subsequently, we have continued to interact with FDA as they continue their review."

Potential major milestones in 2020:

Update on Selected Programs and Transactions:

Epigenetic Regulator Program. DUR-928, the lead product candidate in the Company's Epigenetic Regulator Program, is an endogenous, orally bioavailable, first-in-class small molecule, which may have broad applicability in acute organ injuries such as AH, and in chronic liver diseases such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Clinical Trials

Alcoholic Hepatitis (AH)

Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

Psoriasis

POSIMIR (bupivacaine extended-release solution) Post-Operative Pain Relief Depot. POSIMIR is the Company's investigational post-operative pain relief depot that uses the Company's patented SABER technology and is designed to deliver bupivacaine to provide up to 3 days of pain relief after surgery.

Gilead Collaboration. Theinvestigational long-acting injectable HIV product using DURECT's SABER technology under development with Gilead is currently being re-formulated and will undergo additional pre-clinical development work.

Debt Amendment. In December 2019, the Company amended its existing $20 million term loan with Oxford Finance such that principal payments will commence 18 months later than previously scheduled (i.e., commencing December 1, 2021 rather than June 1, 2020) and the final maturity date has been moved back by 18 months (i.e., from November 1, 2022 to May 1, 2024). The interest rate and final payment remain unchanged, and the Company paid Oxford Finance an amendment fee of $825,000.

Earnings Conference Call

We will host a conference call today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time/1:30 p.m. Pacific Time to discuss fourth quarter 2019 results and provide a corporate update:

A live audio webcast of the presentation will be also available by accessing DURECT's homepage at http://www.durect.com and clicking "Investors." If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the call will be archived on DURECT's website under "Event Calendar" in the "Investors" section.

About DURECT Corporation

DURECT is a biopharmaceutical company committed to transforming the treatment of acute organ injury and chronic liver diseases by advancing novel and potentially lifesaving therapies based on its endogenous epigenetic regulator program. DURECT's lead candidate, DUR-928, has demonstrated the ability to regulate the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism, inflammatory responses and cell survival. This drug candidate is currently in Phase 2 development for the treatment of alcoholic hepatitis (AH) and Phase 1 development for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). DURECT's proprietary drug delivery technologies are designed to enable new indications and enhanced attributes for small-molecule and biologic drugs. A key product candidate in this category is POSIMIR (bupivacaine extended-release solution), an investigational locally-acting, non-opioid analgesic intended to provide up to three days of continuous pain relief after surgery. DURECT has also entered into an agreement with Gilead Sciences to develop and commercialize a long-acting injectable HIV investigational product using DURECT's SABERtechnology. For more information about DURECT, please visit http://www.durect.com.

Story continues

DURECT Forward-Looking Statement

The statements in this press release regarding clinical development and plans for DUR-928, including plans to announce top-line data from the Phase 1b NASH trial by mid-year, and initiate a Phase 2b trial of DUR-928 in AH by mid-year, potential regulatory approval of POSIMIR, potential commercial relationships for POSIMIR if approved or other license and collaboration agreements, and the potential benefits and uses of our drug candidates, including the potential use of DUR-928 to treat acute organ injuries such as AH and chronic liver diseases such as NASH , are forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties that can cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risks that future clinical trials of DUR-928 are not started when anticipated, take longer to conduct than anticipated, do not replicate the results from earlier clinical or pre-clinical trials, or do not demonstrate the safety or efficacy of DUR-928 in a statistically significant manner, the risk that the FDA will not approve POSIMIR, the risk that additional time and resources may be required for development, testing and regulatory approval of DUR-928 or POSIMIR, potential adverse effects arising from the testing or use of our drug candidates, our potential failure to successfully re-formulate the investigational long-acting injectable HIV product under development with Gilead, our potential failure to maintain our collaborative agreements with third parties or consummate new collaborations and risks related to our ability to obtain capital to fund operations and expenses. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in DURECT's Form 10-Q filed on November 5, 2019 under the heading "Risk Factors."

NOTE: POSIMIR and SABER are trademarks of DURECT Corporation. Other referenced trademarks belong to their respective owners. DUR-928 and POSIMIR are investigational drug candidates under development and have not been approved for commercialization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other health authorities for any indication.

DURECT CORPORATION

CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

(unaudited)

Three months ended

Twelve months ended

December 31

2019

2018

2019

2018

Collaborative research and development and other revenue

$ 7,249

$ 775

$ 18,129

$ 8,207

Product revenue, net

3,436

2,852

11,435

10,357

Total revenues

10,685

3,627

29,564

18,564

Operating expenses:

Cost of product revenues

1,397

1,093

4,143

4,263

Research and development

9,454

5,887

30,209

25,501

Selling, general and administrative

3,794

3,539

14,363

12,419

Total operating expenses

14,645

10,519

48,715

42,183

Loss from operations

(3,960)

(6,892)

(19,151)

(23,619)

Other income (expense):

Interest and other income

338

238

1,074

870

Interest and other expense

(609)

(645)

(2,501)

(2,573)

Net other expense

(271)

(407)

(1,427)

(1,703)

Net loss

$ (4,231)

$ (7,299)

$(20,578)

$(25,322)

Net loss per share

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DURECT Corporation Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2019 Financial Results and Update of Programs - Yahoo Finance

How stress affects your skin and what to do about it, according to experts – The Independent

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

We have all experienced stress in some form or another, whetherfor a shortor long period of time. This emotional tension stems from unavoidable parts of everyday life, including work, family problems, financial woes and the digital pressures of social media.

While the anxiety that arises may originally occur in your brain, the consequences can play out physically. And no, we dont just mean tense shoulders and furrowed brows.

According to dermatologist Dr Anil Budh-Raja, daily stressors can also manifest in your skin, triggering or worsening a wide range of conditions such as acne, psoriasis, eczema and even hair thinning. Stress causes a change in brain and body chemistry and has a significant impact on our skin, Dr Budh-Raja explains, describing the process as the brain-skin connection.

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

To understand how stress and anxiety can affect the skin, Dr Budh-Raja says we must first understand a little about the endocrine system.

The endocrine system is comprised of a number of glands that produce hormones and, when everything is in place, it allows the human body to work like a well-oiled machine. However, when outside factorssuch as stressintervene, this intricate system can slip out of sync.

During moments of tension the body produces excess cortisol, often referred to as the stress hormone, which wreaks havoc on everything from your immune system to blood pressure. Stress increases cortisol production from the adrenal glands, which in turn increases sebaceous gland activity, to produce more oil and sebum, Dr Budh-Raja explains.

The result can be acne and increased sensitivity of our skin. Cortisol also weakens the skins immune system, leading to oxidative stress which manifests itself as wrinkles, lines and lacklustre skin.

It also increases inflammation on the body and conditions like eczema, rosacea and psoriasis can flare up.

Dr Sarah Coles, a chartered clinical psychologist, agrees, adding that the onset and consequences of stress can often form a vicious cycle.

Anxiety and/or stress, which can be caused by skin conditions such as eczema, in fact can exacerbate the condition due to the bodys inflammatory responses such as producing cortisol or interrupting sleep, Coles says.

On Thursday, a series of photos titled How Do You C Me Now? were exhibited at the Oxo Tower Wharf in London to inspire the world to love the skin you are in

Brock Elbank/SWNS

The models featured in the photos, taken by London-based photographer Brock Elbank, live with a potentially life-threatening skin condition called congenital melanocytic naevus (CMN)

Brock Elbank/SWNS

According to the National Organisation of Rare Disorders (NORD), CMN are visible pigmented proliferations in the skin that are present at birth that can cover up to 80 per cent of the body. CMN are a known risk factor for melanoma - a type of cancer that develops from the pigment-containing cells

Brock Elbank/SWNS

CMN can be light brown to black patches or plaques, can present in variable ways, and cover nearly any size surface area or any part of the body, NORD states

Brock Elbank/SWNS

Small to medium CMN are predicted to occur in more than one in a 100 births while large and especially giant CMN (covering a a predicted diameter at adult age of at least 20 cm on the body) are estimated to present themselves in around 1 in 50,000 births

Brock Elbank/SWNS

The exhibition, which is being supported by UK CMN charity Caring Matters Now, has been presented throughout 30 different portraits and aims to challenge "conventional perceptions of beauty"

Brock Elbank/SWNS

A spokesperson from Caring Matters Now says: People with CMN often feel isolated due to the rarity of the condition and have to deal with negative comments because of their visible difference, resulting in low self-esteem"

Brock Elbank/SWNS

Several of the individuals photographed for the exhibition have never shown their birthmarks in public before.

Brock Elbank/SWNS

In a world where people work hard to stand out from the crowd, 'How Do You C Me Now?' aims to celebrate diversity and educate the public about this rare condition," a spokesperson from the charity added

Brock Elbank/SWNS

Admission to the exhibition is free and will run for 10 days before touring the world

Brock Elbank/SWNS

On Thursday, a series of photos titled How Do You C Me Now? were exhibited at the Oxo Tower Wharf in London to inspire the world to love the skin you are in

Brock Elbank/SWNS

The models featured in the photos, taken by London-based photographer Brock Elbank, live with a potentially life-threatening skin condition called congenital melanocytic naevus (CMN)

Brock Elbank/SWNS

CMN can be light brown to black patches or plaques, can present in variable ways, and cover nearly any size surface area or any part of the body, NORD states

Brock Elbank/SWNS

The exhibition, which is being supported by UK CMN charity Caring Matters Now, has been presented throughout 30 different portraits and aims to challenge "conventional perceptions of beauty"

Brock Elbank/SWNS

Several of the individuals photographed for the exhibition have never shown their birthmarks in public before.

Brock Elbank/SWNS

Admission to the exhibition is free and will run for 10 days before touring the world

Brock Elbank/SWNS

Stress can also make us less likely to engage in healthy habits, for example,we might work longer hours, eat less well, or drink more caffeine and alcohol.

When troubles are piling up, it can often feel like the worst time for pimples to populate your face, but they often do. While it can be frustrating, science says it makes perfect sense for stress to exhibit itself physically.

A 2015 study into the effects of stress as a causative or maintaining factor in psoriasis showed that about half of participants said their first experience with the disease came during a particularly difficult time in their lives, while 63 per cent said their symptoms worsened when they felt anxious or under pressure.

Similarly, a separate 2017 study of female medical students found that for 74 per cent of participants, anxiety and stress were exacerbating factors of their acne.

Thankfully, experts suggest that much of the skin damage caused by stress can be mitigated by focusing on daily moments of self-care.

When it comes to looking after your skin during periods of extreme stress, Dr Adam Friedmann, a consultant dermatologist, recommends eating a healthy balanced diet, protecting the skin from UV rays using a high factor SPF and incorporating a moisturiser that contains anti-inflammatory ingredients into your skincare routine to help improve any redness, flaking or itching.

Dr Budh-Raja agrees, advising that anyone with stressed out skin invests in products that contain soothing ingredients such as aloe vera, chamomile, oatmeal, rosemary extract and niacinamide, which restores the surface of skin against moisture loss and dehydration.

While it is good to know that we can find remedies to help counteract the effects of anxiety on the beauty counter, Dr Coles says it is also important to address the root of the problem and to try tomanage stress levels using alleviation techniques such as yoga and meditation.

There are lots of ways to manage stress in daily life, for example having a good sleep routine consisting of settling in a dark room with no bright screens an hour before bed and waking up at the same time each day, Coles says.

It is also important to have a good repertoire of coping strategies for managing stress that work for you. I like to think of this as having a menu to choose from as different strategies often help in different situations.

She continues: For some people this might be going for a long walk, spending some time outside, reading, talking with a friend, mediation, yoga, or some other form of exercise.

So if you know youre about to enter a stressful period, try to build in time for the activities that will help you to feel calm and rested your skin will thank you.

Originally posted here:

How stress affects your skin and what to do about it, according to experts - The Independent

Can-Fite is Filing Drug Safety Update Report Showing Positive Safety Results from Phase II and Phase III Studies of Namodenoson and Piclidenoson -…

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

Favorable safety profile is a substantial benefit in the treatment of chronic diseases that require long-term dosing

Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSE American: CANF) (TASE:CFBI), a biopharmaceutical company with a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs that address inflammatory, cancer and liver diseases, today announced it is submitting its annual Drug Safety Update Reports (DSUR) for both Piclidenoson and Namodenoson to the governing health regulatory agencies where its drug candidates are currently treating patients. Submission of the DSUR is an annual requirement for investigational-stage new drugs under development in territories which subscribe to the International Council for Harmonization guidelines, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency. The DSUR includes updates on drug safety information such as adverse events, suspected unexpected serious adverse reactions, and other indicators of potential risk. Can-Fites reports being filed this year extend the growing body of documentation showing both Piclidenoson and Namodenoson have favorable safety profiles and risk-benefit ratios in more than 1,500 patients.

Dr. Michael Silverman, M.D., Can-Fites Medical Director, commented, "We welcome the opportunity to compile our cumulative data on a regular basis, as afforded by the DSUR process. As in years past, these snapshots of our safety data continue to confirm that both of our A3AR drugs in development are well-tolerated. We are pleased that there are no emerging safety concerns that could put patients at risk or impede our efforts to develop new drugs to meet unmet patient needs. These latest data are particularly robust, as we have achieved over 50% enrollment in both of our Phase III studies for Piclidenoson, as well as having completed two Phase II trials for Namodenoson."

Piclidenoson is currently in two Phase III studies, one for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis to establish superiority versus placebo and non-inferiority versus Otezla with over 50% of the planned 407 patients already enrolled; and another for the treatment of moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis in newly diagnosed patients to establish non-inferiority to MTX, the standard of care, with over 50% of the planned 500 patients enrolled, and an interim analysis is planned. Namodenoson has completed a 78-patient Phase II study in liver cancer, and Can-Fite is currently preparing for a Phase III trial in this indication. Namodenoson has also recently completed enrollment in a 60 patient Phase II study in the treatment of NASH, with topline results expected later this month.

About Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd.

Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSE American: CANF) (TASE: CFBI) is an advanced clinical stage drug development Company with a platform technology that is designed to address multi-billion dollar markets in the treatment of cancer, inflammatory disease and sexual dysfunction. The Company's lead drug candidate, Piclidenoson, is currently in Phase III trials for rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. Can-Fite's liver cancer drug, Namodenoson, recently completed a Phase II trial for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer, and is in a Phase II trial for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Namodenoson has been granted Orphan Drug Designation in the U.S. and Europe and Fast Track Designation as a second line treatment for HCC by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Namodenoson has also shown proof of concept to potentially treat other cancers including colon, prostate, and melanoma. CF602, the Company's third drug candidate, has shown efficacy in the treatment of erectile dysfunction These drugs have an excellent safety profile with experience in over 1,500 patients in clinical studies to date. For more information please visit: http://www.can-fite.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, about Can-Fites expectations, beliefs or intentions regarding, among other things, market risks and uncertainties, its product development efforts, business, financial condition, results of operations, strategies or prospects. In addition, from time to time, Can-Fite or its representatives have made or may make forward-looking statements, orally or in writing. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "plan," "may," "should" or "anticipate" or their negatives or other variations of these words or other comparable words or by the fact that these statements do not relate strictly to historical or current matters. These forward-looking statements may be included in, but are not limited to, various filings made by Can-Fite with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, press releases or oral statements made by or with the approval of one of Can-Fites authorized executive officers. Forward-looking statements relate to anticipated or expected events, activities, trends or results as of the date they are made. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause Can-Fites actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Many factors could cause Can-Fites actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: our history of losses and needs for additional capital to fund our operations and our inability to obtain additional capital on acceptable terms, or at all; uncertainties of cash flows and inability to meet working capital needs; the initiation, timing, progress and results of our preclinical studies, clinical trials and other product candidate development efforts; our ability to advance our product candidates into clinical trials or to successfully complete our preclinical studies or clinical trials; our receipt of regulatory approvals for our product candidates, and the timing of other regulatory filings and approvals; the clinical development, commercialization and market acceptance of our product candidates; our ability to establish and maintain strategic partnerships and other corporate collaborations; the implementation of our business model and strategic plans for our business and product candidates; the scope of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering our product candidates and our ability to operate our business without infringing the intellectual property rights of others; competitive companies, technologies and our industry; statements as to the impact of the political and security situation in Israel on our business; and risks and other risk factors detailed in Can-Fites filings with the SEC and in its periodic filings with the TASE. In addition, Can-Fite operates in an industry sector where securities values are highly volatile and may be influenced by economic and other factors beyond its control. Can-Fite does not undertake any obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200303005502/en/

Contacts

Can-Fite BioPharmaMotti Farbsteininfo@canfite.com +972-3-9241114

Originally posted here:

Can-Fite is Filing Drug Safety Update Report Showing Positive Safety Results from Phase II and Phase III Studies of Namodenoson and Piclidenoson -...

Why Libertarian-Leaning Reps. Massie and Amash Voted Against the House’s Anti-Lynching Bill – Reason

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

Why would two libertarian-leaning legislators vote against an anti-lynching law? Because lynchings are already illegal, and the law would further federalize crime and give prosecutors more powerincluding what amounts to an expansion of the federal death penalty.

On Wednesday, the House passed H.R. 35, the Emmet Till Antilynching Act, by a vote of 410 to 4. Those opposed included libertarian-leaning Reps. Justin Amash (IMich.) and Thomas Massie (RKy.); the other two voting "no" were Rep. Louie Gohmert (RTexas) and Rep. Ted Yoho (RFla.).

The Senate version of the bill passed unanimously last year. There are slight differences between the new bills, but The Washington Post reports that House Democrats are optimistic their version the legislation will be quickly passed by the Senate. Supporters of the measure expressed incredulity that it took so long to pass federal anti-lynching legislation:

Some of the bill's backers turned their fire on the four House members who dared to vote against it:

But they weren't voting "FOR lynching." As Amash notes, killing people because of their race is already a federal hate crime:

What H.R. 35 does is criminalize a conspiracy to violate existing federal hate crime laws or certain sections of the Civil Rights Act of 1968.It would also attach to these conspiracies the same punishment as the underlying crimes themselves, except in the case where the current crimes come with a maximum sentence of fewer than 10 years. In that case, the conspiracy to commit those crimes would be punishable by up to 10 years.

This, as Amash notes in a Twitter thread explaining his vote against the bill, would effectively expand the federal death penalty, which he would like to see abolished:

Amash also argues that the bill criminalizes conspiracies to commit crimes that the Constitution leaves to the states, thus doubling down on the federalization of criminal law. That, he points out, has not usually been a great development for the people anti-lynching legislation is supposed to protect.

Massie likewise raised constitutional concerns about the bill, while making the broader case against hate crimes as their special kind of criminal law.

"I voted against H.R. 35 because the Constitution specifies only a handful of federal crimes, and leaves the rest to individual states to prosecute," he tells Reason. "In addition, this bill expands current federal 'hate crime' laws. A crime is a crime, and all victims deserve equal justice. Adding enhanced penalties for 'hate' tends to endanger other liberties such as freedom of speech."

Gohmert took a different tack, arguingcontra Massie and Amashthat the bill doesn't do enough to punish lynching at the federal level.

"A version of the bill released on January 3 of this year stated that anyone who assembles with the intention of lynching or who causes death by lynching 'shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life.' The bill we voted on today does not include this clause," Gohmert argued in a statement. "Such a hateful crime deserves a severe sentence, and I could not in good conscience vote on a bill that addresses lynching on such a low level."

For his part, Yoho toldNewsweekthat H.R. 35 was federal overreach and that hate crimes should be handled at the state level.

There's good reason to be concerned about expanding the number of things the federal government can prosecute as hate crimes, given how zealously the feds use such laws to stick people with harsh sentences they would never have gotten at the state level.

A good example is the case of Tiffany Harris, a black New York woman who was arrested in December 2019 after slapping three Jewish women while saying "fuck you, Jews."

Harris was initially charged with a number of crimes by New York officials, the most serious of which was assault in the third degree, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail. If she were convicted under New York's hate crime law, she could get up to four years in prison.

In January, the U.S. Department of Justice intervened in Harris' case, charging her with three hate crimes that could add an additional 10 years to any sentence she gets at the state level. Federal officials argued that additional punishment was necessary to deter a rise in anti-Semitic attacks.

"Federal hate crime laws invite this sort of capricious, politically motivated intervention, which is especially troubling given their weak constitutional basis," wrote Reason's Jacob Sullum at the time.

The anti-lynching bill that passed the House yesterday, whatever the good intentions behind it, will invite more federal prosecutions of this kind.

Without Government, Who Will Build The Roads? – The Libertarian Republic

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

Just yesterday, I was scrolling through Twitter and came across six separate tweets relating to the Libertarian perspective on government, particularly about what would be the lack of funding in a governmentless society. All six were criticizing the idea that our already failing infrastructure could be managed by anyone less than our current government system. When trying to debunk Libertarian theory, statists often mention infrastructure and highways, yet fail to see the fallacies in their argument. It is not complex nor complicated, yet here we are.

When I say government, I am talking about the forcible entity in which a series of officials are elected to rule over a group of people and use said peoples finances in order to maintain systems such as defense, infrastructure, etc. I am not talking about a private entity or a private group voluntarily formed for the betterment of a community.

Businesses

Business would most likely be the largest contributor to the cost of our roadways/infrastructure. While they wouldnt be coerced into paying their fair share through taxes, they would be pushed to contribute through the laws of economics and business. In order to sell their goods, they must have customers, and they must have a supplier. In order to reach their supplier and customers, some degree of infrastructure is highly necessary, otherwise no money is made.

In fact, businesses initially paid for much of our current railroad system, as private companies built them and maintained them. There would be many incentives to have infrastructure from a logistical standpoint, so why wouldnt businesses contribute?

Suppliers

In the business world, your company either sells a service or supplies those businesses with the essential tools needed to sell a service. In order to sell a service, you have to have the supplies required. Such supplies are made and transported by outside companies that manufacture products for businesses, and those supplies are also delivered via infrastructure. That is why Libertarian theory also mentions the suppliers in the chain of payment to private industry. Companies like UPS, FedEx, DHL and many more would all have to contribute in order to make a profit and sell their services.

Salesmen

Do you like buying new clothes or shoes? Do you have private insurance? Do you like ordering pizza? If you do, then you understand that someone has to sell those. Typically, salesmen work for a much larger operation than just themselves, but every so often, they are part of a small-scale business. Either way, they have to move their product, so sales people would be more likely to contribute an amount, however small compared to larger corporations.

Tourists

Indirectly, tourists would pay for a small portion of the infrastructure through the costs of traveling and expenditures. Sure, that money would come directly from the business, but where did the businesses get their funds? From the tourists, who also need some source of infrastructure in order to travel from place-to-place.

Homeowners/Common People

While the business world requires infrastructure through profit-motive, the everyday person will have to contribute in order to live their lives appropriately and comfortably. We use roads every day, whether it be for traveling to work, getting groceries, going shopping and so much more. In order for the common people to pay their share voluntarily, there could be sources such as GoFundMe or Kickstarter.com that allow someone to do the math on a project and its cost, and consumers could join those groups to pay a specific portion to ensure that the infrastructure is cared for and built appropriately.

Private companies would have many incentives to build, maintain, and repair our roads and infrastructure. To start, it is highly profitable. For our failing system, billions of dollars are expedited every year. Construction and base companies could make major amounts of money from building bridges, buildings, roads, etc.

Next, private companies would be held accountable by the consumer, who pays and uses the roads, to keep the infrastructure maintained and repaired as needed. Currently, this is where our government falls the shortest in the infrastructure category. You can hardly drive anywhere without seeing potholes, cracks, and other broken aspects of our highways, despite there being constant construction. If you switch over to the railways, private companies almost always uphold their rails, and keep them in the most usable shape possible. That is because of accountability.

If the people are happy, they will keep paying for roads to be placed, maintained, and repaired, so that itself should be enough of an incentive.

Otherwise, there would be no money going to the roads and companies/businessmen in charge of building such systems would go bankrupt.

In a privatized, free market system without a coercive government in place, our infrastructure will be cleaner, safer, and more efficient than our current system. This is because the owners of the road would have their own self-interest at heart, along with profit-motive.

Why, though? Because of economic competition and financial motivation. If Company A has a reputation for having the highest-quality, safest roads, then they will be making more of a profit than Company B, who makes roads that arent as dependable. If Company B wants to catch up with A, they will have to invest more time, money, and effort into their systems. If there are roads that are entirely unsafe, then you can simply not use them and they lose money, along with popularity.

Privatizing infrastructure would also introduce new technology, similar to some things used by private businesses. You could have apps like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and much more.

While most people cannot imagine a society without a gun to your head, it is not as complicated as it may seem. It just comes down to whether or not you want to cut out the middleman and keep asking yourself, But Muh Roads?

Continue reading here:

Without Government, Who Will Build The Roads? - The Libertarian Republic

What to know ahead of Super Tuesday primary in North Carolina – Charlotte Post

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

Support independent local journalism. Subscribe to The Post.

North Carolinas primary electionis Tuesday. In case youre new to casting a ballot, here are tips before you head to your polling place, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections:

1. Whats a primary?

In a primary election, voters select a political partys candidate to appear on the ballot for the November general election.

2. Who can vote?

Voters who are registered with one of the five recognized parties (Constitution, Democratic, Green, Libertarian, or Republican) can cast a ballot in that partys primary election.

Unaffiliated voters can ask for a Democratic, Libertarian,orRepublican ballot, or nonpartisan ballot, if available.

Non-affiliated voters cantvote in the Constitution or Green parties primary, as those they are closed to independents.

3. When can you vote?

Polls across North Carolina are open from 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Voters in line at 7:30 p.m. will be able to cast a ballot. Lines tend to be longer before and after normal business hours.

4. Where to vote

Determine your polling place at the State Board website: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/PPLkup/.

5. Which contests and candidates are on your ballot?

Sample ballots are available online athttps://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/.

6. Casting a ballot:You can fill out a paper ballot or use a ballot marking device that produces a paper record.

If you hand-mark a paper ballot, completely fill in the oval to the left of each candidate or selection using a black pen.

If you tear, deface or wrongly mark the ballot, you can ask for a replacement. Be sure to verify your selections before putting the ballot into the tabulator, and make sure youve voted all pages of the ballot.

7. No same-day registration

Same-day registration is not available on Tuesday. Verify your registration status and political party affiliation at the state or local board of elections website.

8. Help for voters

If you need assistance at the polls, you can ask for it. Voters who cant enter the polling place can vote curbside. Once inside the polling place, voters who experience difficulties should request help from a poll worker.

9. No photo ID necessary

A federal district court blocked North Carolinas voter photo ID requirement in December and the injunction will stay in place until further notice.

The State Court of Appeals also temporarily blocked the law on Feb. 18.

10. Behave yourself

Voter intimidation is a crime. Voters who feel harassed or intimidated should alert an election official immediately or submit a report to the State Elections Board online at:https://goo.gl/v1yGew.

Will

See the article here:

What to know ahead of Super Tuesday primary in North Carolina - Charlotte Post

Missouri’s Presidential Primary Is March 10 Here’s What Voters Need To Know – KCUR

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

Updated at 10 a.m. March 4 As the race for the Democratic presidential nominee narrows, Missouri voters will weigh in on Tuesday with their preference.

While most of the attention is focused on the heated Democratic primary, voters can choose to cast a ballot for the Republican, Libertarian, Green or Constitution party nominee. Heres what you need to know about your vote.

Who is on the ballot?

Heres what the ballots will look like:

Do I need to register my party affiliation?

Nope! Missouris primary is open, meaning you dont have to declare your party affiliation ahead of time. Just show up to your polling place and ask for the party ballot you want.

How many other states are voting Tuesday?

Five. So expect campaigns attention to be divided, with a lot of focus on Michigan, a swing state with 125 delegates, and Washington with 89.

How many delegates does Missouri have for each party?

Democrats have 68 pledged, 10 at-large (or superdelegates). Republicans have 54 delegates.

What happens after I vote?

Democratic delegates are allocated proportionally to the vote. Candidates have to meet a 15% vote threshold to get delegates. Pledged delegates are bound by the election results.

Republican delegates are winner-take-all if a candidate secures more than half of the votes.

Who have Democrats supported in the past?

Missouris Democratic presidential primary has been competitive in previous elections. In 2016, Hilary Clinton squeaked out a win over Bernie Sanders by less than 2,000 votes. The 2008 primary was also close, with Barack Obama beating Clinton.

History of Missouri's Democratic PrimaryInfogram

Where do I vote?

You can find your polling place on the Missouri Secretary of States website. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. (although if you are in line at that time, you will be able to cast your ballot).

Do I need to bring anything to the polls?

Bring some form of identification like a drivers license, passport, college ID, utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or government check. The Secretary of States website has more information on what counts; unlike previously, you will not need to sign an affidavit if you dont provide a passport or government-issued ID.

If you dont have an ID, you can cast a provisional ballot, which will count if the signature matches the one on your voter registration record or if you come back to the polling place with a photo ID.

Im still making up my mind.

Politico has a handy voter guide to sort by candidates or issues like health care and taxes.

Editor's note: This story has been updated throughout to reflect that the Missouri Democratic Party has canceled its candidate forum that was set for Sunday.

Aviva Okeson-Haberman is the Missouri government and politics reporter at KCUR 89.3. Follow her on Twitter: @avivaokeson.

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Missouri's Presidential Primary Is March 10 Here's What Voters Need To Know - KCUR

highlandcountypress.com – The Highland County Press

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

Ohios Presidential Primary Election is two weeks from today, Tuesday, March 3. Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced Tuesday that243,719absentee ballots have been requested by-mail or in-person and that 84,149 votes have been cast statewide.

Find out how you can vote early by visitingVoteOhio.gov.

Data was collected by the Ohio Secretary of States Office via an informal survey of Ohios 88 county boards of elections. Data as of Monday, March 2 are the following:

243,719 absentee ballots requested (203,277 by mail; 40,442 in person);

84,149 absentee ballots cast (40,442 in person, 43,707 by mail);

159,570 outstanding absentee ballots.

The ballots requested include:

138,346 Democratic;

93,519 Republican;

269 Libertarian; and

11,585 nonpartisan.

Of the ballots cast in person, so far there have been:

20,001 Democratic;

19,380 Republican;

57 Libertarian; and

1,004 nonpartisan.

Of the ballots cast in person, there have been:

21,768 Democratic;

19,380 Republican;

57 Libertarian; and

1,004 nonpartisan.

In Highland County, the breakdown includes:

251 absentee ballots requested;

238 absentee ballots cast;

13 absentee ballots outstanding;

92 Democratic ballots requested and 86 cast (55 in person, 31 by mail);

152 Republican ballots requested and 145 cast (120 in person, 25 by mail); and

Seven questions and issues ballots requested, all of which have been cast by mail.

In the 2020 presidential primary, voters across the state will have the opportunity to vote in a number of local races, as well as a total of 482 local issues and questions across 83 counties.

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highlandcountypress.com - The Highland County Press

Schiff says Democrats are negotiating to include more privacy protections in key surveillance bill | TheHill – The Hill

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam SchiffAdam Bennett SchiffDems unlikely to subpoena Bolton Trump tells Republicans he won't extend surveillance law without FISA reforms Hillicon Valley: Democrats in talks to bridge surveillance divide | DHS confident in Super Tuesday election security | State pledges M cyber help to Ukraine | Facebook skipping SXSW amid coronavirus MORE (D-Calif.) says Democrats are making progressin their negotiationsover the reauthorization of a key surveillance bill, stating Tuesday that they areworking to includemore privacy protections.

Intraparty rifts have emerged in recent weeks as some progressive Democrats and libertarian Republicans push toinclude additionalprivacy protection amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), while others argue that a clean reauthorization billhas a better chance of making it through the Senate.

Schiffsays he and his staffhave been working the House Judiciary Committee as well as Reps. Zoe LofgrenZoe Ellen LofgrenTrump tells Republicans he won't extend surveillance law without FISA reforms Hillicon Valley: Democrats in talks to bridge surveillance divide | DHS confident in Super Tuesday election security | State pledges M cyber help to Ukraine | Facebook skipping SXSW amid coronavirus Schiff says Democrats are negotiating to include more privacy protections in key surveillance bill MORE (Calif.) and Pramila JayapalPramila JayapalTrump tells Republicans he won't extend surveillance law without FISA reforms Hillicon Valley: Democrats in talks to bridge surveillance divide | DHS confident in Super Tuesday election security | State pledges M cyber help to Ukraine | Facebook skipping SXSW amid coronavirus Schiff says Democrats are negotiating to include more privacy protections in key surveillance bill MORE (Wash.) twoJudiciary Democrats who have pushed for more protections inan effort to get the bill passed by March 15. That's the deadline to extend three expiring provisions of the USA Freedom Actthattouch onroving wiretaps, lone wolf surveillance and a controversial program that allows the U.S. government to request access to phone metadata.

"We're trying to find as much common ground as we can," Schiff told The Hill. "We are trying to incorporate even more privacy protections in the hopes that we can get to an agreement in a timely way."

Schiff said some of Lofgren's amendments are being considered, including an amicus provision that would add an outside advocate for every FISA case in which an American is targetedas well asmake it illegal for the government to collect a U.S. citizens metadata.

"We're looking atexpanding the amicus provisions. We are lookingat limiting the period of attention to business records, what the business records provision can be used for,making sure thatyou can't use the business records to get things you would need a court order for in the criminal context,limiting the use of geolocation data or their usage oflocation information," Schiff said.

House Democrats last week were forced to pull their bill in the Judiciary Committeeand postpone a markup afterLofgrenthreatened to force votes on several FISA-related amendments. So far, a new markup has not been announced.

Schiff indicated an understanding has been reached on the issue of metadata butsaid they are still figuring out other issues like the amicus provisions.

"We're trying to figure out what's the capacity of the amicus but also how toweed out those cases that are truly routine that don't present any novel issues, making sure that that's a real distinction," he said.

He said one area of disagreement is whether some provisions could overly constrain the gathering of intelligence.

"Part of the issue is whether we use the FISAprocess to impose constraints that are not even present in the criminal law process, and that is a philosophical difference that may be driving some of the division on particular provisions," he said.

Jayapal, when asked about the state of negotiations, also saidthere'smore work to be done.

"So far, we are just not there, but we are continuing to talk and hope to see new proposals that address the areas we have raised," Jayapal said, adding that she too hopes to reauthorize by the deadline.

The debate has also engulfed Republicans, with GOP members clashing as well on whether they should have a clean reauthorization bill or overhaul it to include new protections.

Libertarian Republicanssuch as Sens.Rand Paul(R-Ky.) andMike Lee(R-Utah) arepushing forsweeping reforms.

Still, most Republicans are also pushing for additional protections, pointing tothe use of a wiretap on former Trump campaign aide Carter Page during the 2016 election.

Federal officials suspected Page of working as an unregistered foreign agent for Russia during the 2016 presidential election, particularly after he made a trip to the Kremlin in July of that year when questions were already swirling about the campaigns ties to Moscow.

They say the extensive review of the 2016 FISA process by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz aids their case. While he did not find evidence to suggest political bias impacted the FBIs decision to open the counterintelligence probe and concluded that the FBI had an authorized purpose for the inquiry, he did find17 significant errors or omissions in the surveillance warrant applications for Page, dating back to 2016.

Trump is also involved.He is expected to meet with key Republican allies in the House and Senate Tuesday afternoon to discuss the matter.It is unclear where Trump will stand onit.

Rep. Chris StewartChristopher (Chris) Douglas StewartSchiff says Democrats are negotiating to include more privacy protections in key surveillance bill Trump shakes up Justice Department, intelligence community John Ratcliffe back under consideration by Trump for top intel job MORE (R-Utah), a senior Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, also said he wants to outside advocatesas well as a transcriptof the court proceedings. If Democrats include such provisions, among a few others, then he believes Republican will also support the bill.

"The question is, will the White House support it? I think we'll know later on this afternoon," Stewart added.

Trumphas told congressional allies that he will not accept a clean reauthorization bill, as Attorney GeneralWilliam Barrand GOP leadership are said to support a position that is at odds with what Barr is said to have told senatorsearlier this month.

As the debate continues, some senatorshave stated their supportfora short-term extension to iron out the rest of the differences.

Schiff, meanwhile,indicated that he believes some Republicans are taking their push too far.

"We're open to any general policy proposals for reform. We are not open for politicizing this or using the bill to make partisan statements, and that's sort of where many Republicans are at the moment,"Schiff said.

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Schiff says Democrats are negotiating to include more privacy protections in key surveillance bill | TheHill - The Hill

Susan Collins isnt saying who she voted for in the Republican presidential primary – Boston.com

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

Massachusetts isnt the only New England state voting on Super Tuesday this week; Maine and Vermont residents will head to the ballot box, too.

And while most attention is on the Democratic presidential primary, the Republican race has forced a few local moderate GOP elected officials into a precarious position.

Maine Sen. Susan Collins, the regions only Republican senator, told the Portland-based NBC affiliate WCSH in an interview Friday that she voted by absentee ballot ahead of the primary election Tuesday.

For whom? Collins didnt say.

The 67-year-old senator, who is facing her most formidable reelection challenge this year, has at times broke GOP ranks to speak out against President Donald Trump, perhaps most memorably to help block the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. But she has also faced criticism from liberal constituents for not doing so enough.

In 2016, Collins said she wouldnt vote for Trump, calling the then-Republican nominee unworthy of the presidency. She even said she would have voted for the Libertarian presidential ticket, if the partys vice presidential nominee, former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, was leading the ticket.

If the Libertarian ticket were reversed I would vote for the Libertarian ticket because I know Bill Weld well and I respect him a great deal, Collins said at the time.

Ironically, Weld is now in fact a presidential candidate, leading a ticket against Trump in the Republican presidential primary. However, Collins hasnt voiced support for his long-shot bid.

Im just not going to get into a discussion of presidential politics until 2020, Collins told CNN last April, after Weld announced his candidacy, calling such a discussion premature.

Now, even after casting a ballot, Collins is still mum.

Im focused on my job and also on my own campaign and Im just not going to get involved in presidential politics, she told WCSH, noting that her Democratic challenger Sara Giden, the Maine House speaker, also has not declared support for a candidate in her partys more competitive presidential primary.

Collinss campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Her position is eerily similar to that of her fellow Trump critic and Senate colleague Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential nominee in 2012, who now represents Utah, which also holds its presidential primary Tuesday. In 2016, Romney said he too would vote Libertarian, if only Weld was leading the ticket.

I wish Bill Weld were at the top, because I knew Bill Weld as the governor of my state, Massachusetts, and he was a terrific governor, Romney said at a conference in the summer before the election. I think he would be a great president.

When asked about Welds run in April, Romney like Collins told CNN that it was way too early for that. In February, he became the first U.S. senator to ever vote to remove a president of his own political party during Trumps impeachment trial. And yet, Romney hasnt publicly voiced support for Weld; a spokeswoman said Monday that they had nothing for share, when asked about his vote in Utahs primary.

After voting for his wife Ann during the 2016 general election, Romney told The Atlantic last month that she will probably get [a] second vote.

The approaches of the current Republican governors in New England have been a bit more mixed.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, who has called Weld a mentor, hasnt said who he will vote for Tuesday, but says it wont be Trump.

As Ive said many times, I didnt vote for the president last time, and Im not going to vote for him this time, Baker told reporters last week.

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, a fellow moderate Republican and frequent Trump critic, became the first sitting governor to endorse Weld earlier this month. Meanwhile, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu has largely stood by Trump and his administrations policies.

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Susan Collins isnt saying who she voted for in the Republican presidential primary - Boston.com

These are the candidates running for office Senate, House and Legislature in 2020 in Nebraska – Omaha World-Herald

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

LINCOLN An Ashland businesswoman with a familiar name in state legislative politics and a former state senator were among the candidates filing to run for the Nebraska Legislature on Monday, the last day to file for the May primary.

Helen Raikes filed to run against State Sen. Bruce Bostelman of Brainard, who now serves District 23, which is north and northeast of Lincoln.

Raikes, a 76-year-old independent, said she conducted 12 listening sessions with local voters before deciding to run.

Im ready to make a real difference for my neighbors, said Raikes, who is involved in the family farm and retail beef business. She said she will focus on property tax relief and helping small businesses and farmers succeed.

Raikes is retiring this spring as a professor of early childhood education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She said she helped set in motion several of Nebraskas early childhood programs with her husband, the late State Sen. Ron Raikes, who served in the Legislature from 1998 to 2008.

Former State Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island, a 72-year-old Republican who served in the Legislature from 1999 to 2009, also filed Monday. He will face current State Sen. Dan Quick, who is a registered Democrat.

Aguilar said he was urged by Gov. Pete Ricketts to run, but had been considering it anyway.

Its something I still have a passion for, Aguilar said.

Also filing on deadline day was Sheryl Lindau, a former mayor of Wayne. She will oppose incumbent State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston to represent northeast Nebraskas District 17.

Lindau, who was mayor of Wayne from 1994 to 2004 and owned a retail clothing store there, said shes concerned about how partisan politics have become.

I dont believe there are Republican or Democratic answers to our problems, there are only Nebraska answers to our problems, Lindau said in a press release. I plan on seeking those answers, and representing every voter in the district, regardless of their political party.

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Of the 25 legislative seats up for election this year, 20 of them will have contested races.

One of the more active races will be in North Omaha, where seven candidates have filed for District 11 to replace State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, who has served in the State Legislature a record 46 years.

Omaha also will see a contested race for the Nebraska Public Service Commission. Incumbent Crystal Rhoades, a Democrat who represents District 2, will be opposed by two Republicans, Tim Davis and Krystal Gabel.

Another notable race seven Democrats will appear on the May 12 primary ballot to oppose U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican.

A roundup of candidates in selected races (*denotes incumbent):

U.S. Senate

Democratic Chris Janicek of Omaha, Dennis Frank Macek of Lincoln, Larry Marvin of Fremont, Angie Philips of Omaha, Alisha Shelton of Omaha, Andy Stock of Lincoln, Daniel Wik of Norfolk

Libertarian Gene Siadek of Omaha

Republican Matt Innis of Crete, *Ben Sasse of Fremont

U.S. House of Representatives

Democrat Kate Bolz of Lincoln, Babs Ramsey of Bellevue

Libertarian Dennis Grace of Fremont

Republican *Jeff Fortenberry of Lincoln

Democrat Ann Ashford, Gladys Harrison, Kara Eastman, all of Omaha

Libertarian Tyler Schaeffer of Omaha

Republican Paul Anderson of Omaha, *Don Bacon of Papillion

Democrat Mark Elworth Jr. of Omaha

Libertarian Dustin Hobbs of Grand Island.

Republican Larry Lee Scott Bolinger of Alliance, Wayne Elfgren of Overton, Arron Kowalski of Grand Island, Justin Moran of Atkinson, *Adrian Smith of Gering

Nebraska Legislature

District 1 Janet Palmtag of Nebraska City, Dennis Schaardt of Steinauer, *Julie Slama of Peru

District 3 *Carol Blood, Rick Holdcroft, both of Bellevue

District 5 Gilbert Ayala, *Mike McDonnell, both of Omaha

District 7 Jorge Sotolongo, *Tony Vargas, both of Omaha

District 9 John Cavanaugh, Marque Snow, Mark Vondrasek, all of Omaha

District 11 Fred Conley, Gwen Easter, Terrell McKinney, Teela Mickles, John Sciara, Cornelius Williams, Dennis Womack, all of Omaha

District 13 *Justin Wayne of Omaha

District 15 David Rogers, *Lynne Walz, both of Fremont

District 17 *Joni Albrecht of Thurston, Sheryl Lindau of Wayne

District 19 Mike Flood of Norfolk

District 21 Joseph Couch, *Mike Hilgers, Brodey Weber, all of Lincoln

District 23 *Bruce Bostelman of Brainard, Helen Raikes of Ashland

District 25 *Suzanne Geist, Stephany Pleasant, both of Lincoln

District 27 Brenda Bickford, *Anna Wishart, both of Lincoln

District 29 Eliot Bostar, Jacob Campbell, Jennifer Carter, Neal Clayburn, Michael Connely, Lisa Lee, all of Lincoln

District 31 Mark Gruenewald, Alexander Martin, Rich Pahls, Tim Royers, Melanie Williams, all of Omaha

District 33 *Steve Halloran of Hastings

District 35 Ray Aguilar, *Dan Quick, both of Grand Island

District 37 Mercadies Damratowski, *John Lowe, both of Kearney

District 39 Allison Heimes, *Lou Ann Linehan, both of Elkhorn

District 41 *Tom Briese of Albion

District 43 *Tom Brewer of Gordon, Tanya Storer of Whitman

District 45 Susan Hester, Rita Sanders, both of Bellevue

District 47 *Steve Erdman of Bayard

District 49 Jen Day of Omaha, *Andrew La Grone of Gretna

Nebraska has 49 state senators in the Legislature. Click through to find your state senator and others.

District 1: State Sen. Julie Slama

From: Peru

Party: Republican

District 2: State Sen. Robert Clements

From: Elmwood

Party: Republican

District 3: State Sen. Carol Blood

From: Bellevue

Party: Democratic

District 4: State Sen. Robert Hilkemann

From: Omaha

Party: Republican

District 5: State Sen. Mike McDonnell

From: Omaha

Party: Democratic

District 6: State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh

From: Omaha

Party: Democratic

District 7: State Sen. Tony Vargas

From: Omaha

Party: Democratic

District 8: State Sen. Megan Hunt

From: Omaha

Party: Democratic

District 9: State Sen. Sara Howard

From: Omaha

Party: Democratic

District 10: State Sen. Wendy DeBoer

From: Bennington

Party: Democratic

District 11: State Sen. Ernie Chambers

From: Omaha

Party: Independent

District 12: State Sen. Steve Lathrop

From: Omaha

Party: Democratic

District 13: State Sen. Justin Wayne

From: Omaha

Party: Democratic

District 14: State Sen. John Arch

From: La Vista

Party: Republican

More here:

These are the candidates running for office Senate, House and Legislature in 2020 in Nebraska - Omaha World-Herald

Plenty of contested races on the ballot this year – Norfolk Daily News

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

The field is set for May as the deadline to file for elected office passed Monday night, and there will be contested races all throughout the ballot.

Two city council seats in Norfolk will be challenged by multiple candidates.

In the first ward, three candidates will compete for the seat held by Dick Pfeil, who is not seeking reelection. Those three are Christopher L. Moore, Juan E. Sandoval and Kory Hildebrand. In the second ward, four candidates have filed for Jim Langes seat: Frank Arens, Bill Hattery, Carl Weiland and Randy Dee. The top two vote-getters in each ward in May will advance to the general election in November.

At least two candidates will advance to the general election in the race for Madison County commissioner. Republicans Eric Stinson and Chris Thompson will compete in their partys primary, while Libertarian Zak Hookstra is running unopposed in that party. No Democratic candidate filed for the seat. Incumbent Christian Ohl declined to run for another term.

Three area state legislative seats will be contested between incumbent and challenger. Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston will face Sheryl Lindau of Wayne in District 17. The district covers Wayne, Thurston and Dakota counties. Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont is being challenged by David Rogers of Fremont in District 15, which covers Dodge County. In District 43, which covers a large swath of North Central Nebraska, incumbent Tom Brewer of Gordon will be challenged by Tanya Storer of Whitman.

A Norfolkan also is throwing his hat into the race for the U.S. Senate. Dr. Daniel Wik, who was previously the Democratic nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016, has filed in the Democratic primary for this years Senate race.

Dr. Wik, a pain management physician, faces a crowded field, with seven other candidates competing in the Democratic primary.

Other contested races include:

Four candidates will run for three seats on the Norfolk Public Schools board of education: incumbents Arnie Robinson and Sandy Wolfe and challengers Jenna Hatfield and Brenda Carhart.

Four candidates will run for three seats on the Elkhorn Valley board of education: incumbents Tyler Tegeler and Jenny Schutt, both of Meadow Grove, and challengers Sam Johnsen and Lucas Negus, both of Tilden.

Five candidates have filed for two seats on the Battle Creek City Council: incumbent Brent Nygren and challengers Chris Prauner, Nicole Schacher, Dave Trudeau and John Hrabanek.

Four candidates will compete for three seats on the Tilden City Council: incumbents Travis Rutjens and Darrell Wyatt, along with challengers Lisa A. Meyer and Terry James.

Patti Gubbels of Norfolk will run against Mike Goos of Columbus for a seat on the state board of education. The seat is held by Rachel Wise of Oakland, who has declined to run for another term.

Timothy Miller of Norfolk is challenging incumbent Jeff Scherer of Beemer for an at-large seat on the Northeast Community College board of governors.

Four races for seats on the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District board of directors are contested. Those include seats for subdistrict 1, between incumbent Aaron Zimmerman of Pierce and challenger Jay Reikofski of Foster; in subdistrict 2 incumbent Mark Hall of Norfolk is being challenged by Lee Klein of Norfolk; in subdistrict 4 Rod Zohner of Battle Creek and Michael Fleer of Battle Creek will vie for an open seat and Randy Ruppert of Fremont will challenge incumbent Gary Loftis of Craig in subdistrict 7.

Dennis Bridge of Royal and Cody Frank of Brunswick are running for an open seat on subdistrict 5 on the Upper Elkhorn NRD board of directors.

Incumbent Barry DeKay of Niobrara will be challenged by Aaron Troester of ONeill for a seat on the Nebraska Public Power District board of directors.

Several races, however, will proceed to May and November with no official opposition.

That includes Norfolk Mayor Josh Moenning, who is running for his second term.

Mike Flood, a Norfolk attorney and business owner, will run unopposed for the Nebraska Legislature to represent District 19, which covers Madison County. Flood, who previously served two terms in the Legislature, is running to replace Sen. Jim Scheer, who is ineligible because of term limits. Sen. Tom Briese of Albion will be running unopposed for a second term in District 41, which includes Boone, Antelope and Pierce counties.

Norfolk City Council incumbents Gary Jackson and Thad Murren also will advance with no opposing candidates.

In other uncontested races:

Jeremy Pochop, Toby Thompson and Sean Lindgren are running for three seats on the Battle Creek board of education. Pochop and Thompson are incumbents.

Eric L. Stone, Becky Wallin and Ginger Buhl-Jorgensen are running for three seats on the Newman Grove board of education. Wallin and Buhl-Jorgensen are incumbents.

Madison City Council incumbents Paul Kellen and Robert Fite are running unopposed to another term.

Donovan Ellis, Nicole Sedlacek, Arlan Kuehn, Gene Willers and Dirk Petersen are running unopposed in their respective districts for the Northeast Community College board of governors.

Cris Elznic is running unopposed to another term on the Newman Grove City Council.

Robert Huntley, Jerry Allemann and Matt Steffen are running unopposed for reelection to Lower Elkhorn NRD subdistricts 3, 5 and 6.

Russell Schmidt, Chris A. Johnson, Marcel Kramer, Carolyn A. Heine and Curtis Armstrong are all running unopposed to continue their terms on the Lewis & Clark NRD board of directors.

Karl Connell, Jack Engelhaupt, Randy Klawitter, Raymond Naprstek, Brian Kaczor, John Janzing and Donald Holtgrew are running unopposed to continue their terms on the Lower Niobrara NRD board of directors.

Leonard Danielski and Greg Wilke are running unopposed to another term on the Middle Niobrara NRD board of directors, while Tim Nollette is running for an open seat.

Roy Steward, Curtis Gotschall, Gene Kelly, Gary Bartak and Keith Heithoff are running unopposed to continue their terms on the Upper Elkhorn NRD board of directors. Arthur Tanderup is running unopposed for an open seat in subdistrict 6.

In the races for federal office, Republican Ben Sasse faces a challenge within his own party from Matt Innis of Crete. In addition to Dr. Wik, seven other Democrats have filed as well: Dennis F. Macek, Chris Janicek, Larry Marvin, Angie Philips, Alisha Shelton, Andy Stock and Gene Siadek.

In the first congressional district, Republican incumbent Jeff Fortenberry is unopposed in the primary, as is Libertarian challenger Dennis B. Grace. Democrats Kate Bolz of Lincoln and Babs Ramsey of Bellevue will compete in their partys primary.

In the third congressional district, incumbent Republican Adrian Smith faces a slew of challengers: Larry Bolinger, William Elfgren, Justin Moran and Arron Kowalski. Democrat Mark Elworth Jr. and Libertarian Dustin C. Hobbs face no opposition in their partys primaries.

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Plenty of contested races on the ballot this year - Norfolk Daily News

Spin Control: Yes, you have to check a party box. No, that shouldn’t stop you from voting – The Spokesman-Review

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

OLYMPIA Its pretty easy to tell when ballots for Washingtons presidential primary arrive in the mail. About an hour later, the first phone calls and emails arrive from voters complaining about having to reveal their party affiliation.

The beauty of the states system of registering to vote without listing a party is that people can mark their state and local primary ballot for anyone they want. A Republican for the U.S. Senate, a Democrat for the U.S. House, a Libertarian for one legislative seat and a Constitutionalist for the other. Sort of a Golden Corral buffet of candidates, although theres no seconds for any particular office.

The downside of that system is that longtime Washington voters dont realize its not that way in most other states. In many, you register for a party when signing up to vote, and may be limited to that partys ballot in a primary election. Or you might be able to ask for the other partys ballot at the polling station, but you cant get both and skip back and forth.

Washington went through a long court battle with the states Democratic, Republican and Libertarian parties over its primary system. When its Blanket Primary was ruled unconstitutional, it came up with the Top Two Primary, where party affiliation is technically a mere preference and the two candidates with the most votes move on to the general, even if that means its two Democrats or two Republicans facing off in November.

The Top Two might serve as an object lesson of being careful what you complain about, because you can always wind up with something you like less. Under the old Blanket Primary, if the Republicans fielded a candidate in the bluest of districts, or Democrats found someone in a ruby red one, they still made it to the general and a chance for lightning to strike. With the Top Two, there are districts where it doesnt make sense for one party to even try, and they sometimes dont.

Free and open voting in most primaries may be the reason that some Washington voters went ballistic when their presidential primary ballot arrived last week. Voicemails and emails from some seemed just a half-step from declaring I could have a ballot envelope with their party affiliation checked when I pry it from their cold, dead hands.

Personally, I dont care how you vote in this or any election. I generally hope you do vote, because otherwise why am I writing so much about elections? But if you dont want to vote for any reason, I can respect that.

I wont be voting in the presidential primary because the newspaper has a policy that its reporters not advocate for or against political issues or participate in political party activities. Voting in the presidential primary is a party activity something that often gets ignored in the overheated cable news coverage that treat presidential primaries pretty much the same as the general election.

Democrats are trying to decide who their nominee should be. In general, a strong supporter of, say, Bernie Sanders only cares what independents think if they are going to vote for Sanders. If theyre going to vote for someone else, he or she would likely say, What do you know? and just as soon they toss their ballots in the trash. Supporters of all other candidates likely take similar views.

Republicans have already decided, so President Donald Trump is the only name on their ballot in Washington and many other states. Its not really a primary as much as an affirmation.

Will the party affiliation boxes keep some Republicans from marking a Democratic ballot for the candidate they think will be the weakest against Trump? Probably not, and the likelihood that Democrats will even be able to spot them in the lists is pretty far-fetched unless its an extremely well-known Republican like Dan Evans or Slade Gorton.

Before you decide that you dont want to check that box, however, lets review some of the basics.

Checking the Democrat or Republican box in the presidential primary doesnt mean you will only be able to vote for that partys candidates in the state primary in August. That one remains the Top Two primary, with a single ballot that is almost certain to have some choices of candidates from parties youve never heard from.

Likewise, checking the Democrat or Republican box in the presidential primary does not mean you must vote for that partys presidential candidate in November. Its not a contract, its a chance to express an opinion.

If youre worried about someone seeing the envelope with your name and the party box you checked, and think for some reason that the postal carrier cares or even has time to check put your ballot in a drop box where it will mix with dozens or even hundreds of other ballots and provide you with some extra privacy.

Not checking the box but sending in your ballot means the local elections office will think you just forgot. The staff will likely contact you to correct that oversight. You could change your mind at that point. If not, eventually your ballot isnt going to be counted.

Some of the Democratic candidates on the ballot arent running anymore, because the ballot was printed before they dropped out, and some might drop out after Tuesdays primaries in 14 states. You can still vote for them if you want.

Like all other elections, no one will know whose name you mark, although if you check the Republican box its a pretty sure bet youre voting for Trump because hes the only option. You could write in a name, but those wont be tallied because the state GOP isnt listing any write-in options.

If you dont like checking the party box, thats within your rights. But dont call the local elections office to complain about having to do it. Dont write a nasty note on the envelope or on the ballot, because they dont make the rules.

You can call your state legislators and lobby for an affiliated option in 2024, but thats really only a half measure. Washington has had that in some presidential primaries; the state counted those votes separately, and they werent used for anything connected to selecting the people who would be running for president in November.

If you want to have a say in whos running in November, youll have to check the box.

Spin Control: Yes, you have to check a party box. No, that shouldn't stop you from voting - The Spokesman-Review

Who Is Immediately Vested Upon Plan Termination? – PLANSPONSOR

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

I work with a 403(b) plan sponsor that will be terminating its plan. Can you confirm that affected participantsthose who would be immediately vestedonly includes non-vested participants that have not taken their full account value and have not had a 5-year break-in-service? In other words, if a non-vested participant took a distribution one year before the plan termination, that person would not be affected?

Stacey Bradford, Kimberly Boberg, David Levine and David Powell, with Groom Law Group, and Michael A. Webb, vice president, Retirement Plan Services, Cammack Retirement Group, answer:

Correct, non-vested employees who took distributions prior to the plan termination date would not be affected. Per the IRS webpage on 401(k) plan terminations (the rules are the same for 403(b) plans with regard to this particular issue):

100% vesting

All affected participants become fully vested in their account balances on the date of the full or partial plan termination, regardless of the plans vesting schedule.

Full termination Affected participants are current or former employees who havent received full payment of their vested interest by the plan termination date, unless theyve incurred at least 5 consecutive 1-year breaks in service.

Thus, if the participant in question took a full distribution of his vested amount one-year prior to the plan termination date, that person would not need to be fully vested in amounts that were not vested as of the date of that prior distribution because it occurred prior to the plan termination date.

Note that this response only addresses vesting upon plan termination; see our prior Ask the Experts column on this issue of whether such full and immediate vesting can occur on the date there is a complete discontinuance of contributions to a 403(b) plan.

NOTE: This feature is to provide general information only, does not constitute legal advice, and cannot be used or substituted for legal or tax advice.