Young adults struggle to plan amid health-care uncertainty – CNBC

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The biggest choice for young people is to decide whether or not it makes sense to use a high-deductible plan with a health savings account or not, said CFP Eric Roberge. HSA premiums are typically lower, but the deductibles are high, scaring many young people away.

"They simply see a huge deductible and want to avoid paying that at all costs," said Roberge, of Beyond Your Hammock.

"The truth is that many people can benefit from such a plan, as long as they actually sock away the premium savings in case of emergencies," he added. "Lower premium costs can help you save money if you don't use the insurance all that often."

For a healthy, young person who gets an annual physical and not much else, an HSA can be a fantastic opportunity, Roberge said. The trick is to put the premium savings into the HSA. You get a tax deduction for such a contribution, you may be able to invest that money inside the HSA and you can use the money for qualified medical expenses at anytime throughout your life, he explained.

HSAs are the only accounts, including retirement funds, where the money grows tax-free and can be taken out, for medical purposes, tax-free, Roberge added. What's more, the unspent funds roll over year to year.

For those considering self-employment, Life Planning Partners' McClanahan advised waiting to make that move until there's clarity around what Congress is going to do. If you already have good health-insurance coverage, don't make any changes quite yet.

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Young adults struggle to plan amid health-care uncertainty - CNBC

In US first, scientists edit genes of human embryos – ABC News

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For the first time in the United States, scientists have edited the genes of human embryos, a controversial step toward someday helping babies avoid inherited diseases.

The experiment was just an exercise in science the embryos were not allowed to develop for more than a few days and were never intended to be implanted into a womb, according to MIT Technology Review, which first reported the news.

Officials at Oregon Health & Science University confirmed Thursday that the work took place there and said results would be published in a journal soon. It is thought to be the first such work in the U.S.; previous experiments like this have been reported from China. How many embryos were created and edited in the experiments has not been revealed.

The Oregon scientists reportedly used a technique called CRISPR, which allows specific sections of DNA to be altered or replaced. It's like using a molecular scissors to cut and paste DNA, and is much more precise than some types of gene therapy that cannot ensure that desired changes will take place exactly where and as intended. With gene editing, these so-called "germline" changes are permanent and would be passed down to any offspring.

The approach holds great potential to avoid many genetic diseases, but has raised fears of "designer babies" if done for less lofty reasons, such as producing desirable traits.

Last year, Britain said some of its scientists could edit embryo genes to better understand human development.

And earlier this year in the U.S., the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine said in a report that altering the genes of embryos might be OK if done under strict criteria and aimed at preventing serious disease.

"This is the kind of research that the report discussed," University of Wisconsin-Madison bioethicist R. Alta Charo said of the news of Oregon's work. She co-led the National Academies panel but was not commenting on its behalf Thursday.

"This was purely laboratory-based work that is incredibly valuable for helping us understand how one might make these germline changes in a way that is precise and safe. But it's only a first step," she said.

"We still have regulatory barriers in the United States to ever trying this to achieve a pregnancy. The public has plenty of time" to weigh in on whether that should occur, she said. "Any such experiment aimed at a pregnancy would need FDA approval, and the agency is currently not allowed to even consider such a request" because of limits set by Congress.

One prominent genetics expert, Dr. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute in La Jolla, California, said gene editing of embryos is "an unstoppable, inevitable science, and this is more proof it can be done."

Experiments are in the works now in the U.S. using gene-edited cells to try to treat people with various diseases, but "in order to really have a cure, you want to get this at the embryo stage," he said. "If it isn't done in this country, it will be done elsewhere."

There are other ways that some parents who know they carry a problem gene can avoid passing it to their children, he added. They can create embryos through in vitro fertilization, screen them in the lab and implant only ones free of the defect.

Dr. Robert C. Green, a medical geneticist at Harvard Medical School, said the prospect of editing embryos to avoid disease "is inevitable and exciting," and that "with proper controls in place, it's going to lead to huge advances in human health."

The need for it is clear, he added: "Our research has suggested that there are far more disease-associated mutations in the general public than was previously suspected."

Hank Greely, director of Stanford University's Center for Law and the Biosciences, called CRISPR "the most exciting thing I've seen in biology in the 25 years I've been watching it," with tremendous possibilities to aid human health.

"Everybody should calm down" because this is just one of many steps advancing the science, and there are regulatory safeguards already in place. "We've got time to do it carefully," he said.

Michael Watson, executive director of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, said the college thinks that any work aimed at pregnancy is premature, but the lab work is a necessary first step.

"That's the only way we're going to learn" if it's safe or feasible, he said.

Marilynn Marchione can be followed at http://twitter.com/MMarchioneAP

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In US first, scientists edit genes of human embryos - ABC News

Gene therapy reverses muscular dystrophy symptoms in dogs – New Atlas

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Researchers have used a new gene therapy technique to reverse the symptoms of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in dogs (Credit: mvaligursky/Depositphotos)

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common and, sadly, the most severe form of the debilitating genetic disorder. Now researchers have used a new gene therapy technique to restore muscle strength and stabilize the symptoms of the disorder in dogs, in an important step that could one day lead to the treatment being applied to children.

Affecting one in 5,000 boys (but very rarely occurring in girls), DMD usually begins to show itself around the age of three to five, and progresses quickly from there. It disrupts dystrophin, a protein that's responsible for maintaining muscle integrity and strength. As a result, DMD causes the muscles to weaken and waste away, often rendering a patient unable to walk by age 12 and unlikely to live beyond their mid-20s.

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To combat genetic disorders, researchers often insert a healthy copy of the affected gene into a viral vector essentially, a harmless shell of a virus that carries the material into cells. Unfortunately, that tactic doesn't work with DMD: the gene contains 2.3 million base pairs, making it far too big a load for a viral vector.

To get around this problem, researchers from the Gnthon laboratory at AFM-Tlthon and the Royal Holloway University of London developed microdystrophin, a shortened version of the dystrophin gene that contains only about 4,000 base pairs. When this is combined with a viral vector and injected into a patient, functional proteins are once again produced.

The scientists tested their new gene therapy technique on 12 Golden Retrievers that were naturally affected by DMD. They injected microdystrophin into the animals intravenously, and observed them for more than two years afterwards. After just one dose, the researchers noted that dystrophin production returned to normal, significantly restoring muscle function in the dogs and stabilizing their other symptoms without any side effects.

This is the first time such a treatment has been seen in large animals, and given the similarities in symptoms and size between dogs and children, this success raise hopes for an eventual human treatment.

"This preclinical study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of microdystrophin, and makes it possible to consider developing a clinical trial in patients," says Caroline Le Guiner, main author of the the study. "Indeed, this is the first time that it has been possible to treat the whole body of a large-sized animal with this protein. Moreover, this innovative approach allows treatment of all patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, regardless of the genetic mutation responsible."

The research was published in the journal Nature Communications.

Source: AFM-Tlthon

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Gene therapy reverses muscular dystrophy symptoms in dogs - New Atlas

University of Maryland scientists research gene linked to depression – Baltimore Sun

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Although medications exist to treat depression, many scientists arent sure why theyre effective and why they dont work for everyone.

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine believe they may have found a key to the puzzle of major depression that could lead to therapies for those who dont respond to medications already on the market.

A new study by the researchers has identified the central role a gene known as Slc6a15 plays in either protecting from stress or contributing to depression, depending on its level of activity in a part of the brain associated with motivation, pleasure and reward seeking.

Published in the Journal of Neuroscience in July, the study is the first to illuminate in detail how the gene works in a kind of neuron that plays a key role in depression, according to the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Specifically, the researchers found that mice with depression had reduced levels of the genes activity, while those with high levels of the genes activity handled chronic stress better.

Though senior researcher Mary Kay Lobos primary studies were done with mice, she also examined the brains of people who had committed suicide and found reduced levels of the genes activity, confirming a likely link.

She hopes now that drugs could be developed that would encourage the genes activity.

I thought it was fascinating we had this system in place that allows us to go after things or be motivated or have pleasure and I was interested in how it becomes dysfunctional in certain diseases like depression, Lobo said. I hope that we can identify molecules that could potentially be therapeutically treated or targeted to treat depression.

Lobo and her colleagues have been examining the gene for years. In 2006, they discovered that it was more common among specific neurons in the brain that they later learned were related to depression. Five years later, other researchers learned the gene played a role in depression and Lobo and her research colleagues decided to investigate what that role is in those specific neurons.

About 15 million adults, or 6.7 percent of all U.S. adults, experience major depression in a given year, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. It is the leading cause of disability for Americans aged 15 to 44. It is more prevalent in women and can develop at any age, but the median age of onset is 32.5.

David Dietz, an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the State University of New York at Buffalo, said little was known previously about the biological basis of depression in the brain. Many drugs used to treat depression were discovered serendipitously, he said, and it wasnt clear why they worked.

Were starting to really get an idea of what does the depressed brain look like, Dietz said. When you put the whole puzzle together, you see where the problem is. For too long weve been throwing things at individual pieces. Its so complex and we have so little information that it was almost bound to be that way. For the first time this is one of those bigger pieces you can slide into the jigsaw puzzle.

Lobo said its not clear yet how Slc6a15 works in the brain, but she believes it may be transporting three types of amino acids into a subset of neurons called D2 neurons in a part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens. The nucleus accumbens and D2 neurons are known to play a role in pleasure, activating when one eats a delicious meal, has sex or drinks alcohol.

The amino acids would then be synthesized into neurotransmitters. Depression previously has been linked to imbalances of the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine.

So even though people may have proper levels of amino acids in their bodies, the neurons in their brains that need them may not be getting enough if the transporter is not working as it should.

This gene is critical for putting very specific amino acids in the right place so that neurotransmitters can be synthesized, said A.J. Robison, an assistant professor in the Department of Physiology at Michigan State University. Its the location, location, location idea. Its not the amino acids, its where theyre at and in which cells.

Robison said Lobos next step would be discovering more about how the transporter gene works.

The fact that this transporter seems to be important is what the paper shows and how it does it is not shown, and thats a challenge for her, he said. Figuring out the how of it is the next step and Dr. Lobo is particularly positioned to do it.

Lobos team was able to use gene therapy, a form of therapy in the early stages of being studied in humans, in the mice to boost the genes activity. The mice were exposed to larger, more aggressive mice, which usually causes depressive symptoms. But the gene therapy helped protect the mice against the stress, the team found. When the team reduced the genes activity in the mice, just one day of exposure to the aggressive mice was enough to cause symptoms of depression.

Gene therapy is starting to be used in the treatment of some types of cancers, but Lobo said science had not yet advanced to the point where it can be used for treating neurological issues in human patients. A more likely treatment would be a drug that targets the genes activity directly, she said.

I think this is a major step toward our understanding of the precise maladaptive changes that occur in response to stress, said Vanna Zachariou, an associate professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. It can be a more efficient way to target depression because its not simply targeting monoamine receptors or dopamine but targeting molecular adaptations that occur. It doesnt act necessarily as the drugs we have available, so it might create an alternative avenue to treat depression.

Lobo said she wouldnt refer to Slc6a15 as a depression gene, saying the disease was complex and could have many factors.

I wouldnt say theres one depression gene she said. A number of things play a role, and also theres no depression neuron, theres multiple depression neurons.

There also may be different types of depression with different symptoms, she said. With the disease, some sufferers sleep a lot, while others sleep a lot less, for example.

With all these complex diseases, its hard to link it to something, she said. Like Huntingtons disease, we know theres a specific gene that causes Huntingtons disease. For depression we dont have that.

cwells@baltsun.com

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University of Maryland scientists research gene linked to depression - Baltimore Sun

New Evidence Suggests Alzheimer’s Doesn’t Destroy Memories, it Only Blocks Them – Futurism

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In Brief The key to recalling memories from the void of Alzheimer's disease may be to use lasers to activate certain neurons in the brain. If this research undertaken on mice could be applied to humans, it could help the millions suffering from the disease. Lighting the Way Ahead

Scientists at Columbia University discovered during a study published in the journal Hippocampusthat the memories of mice with Alzheimers disease can be recovered optogenetically meaning with the use of lights. This could shift our understanding of the disease from the idea that it destroys memories to the concept that it simply disruptsrecall mechanisms.

The results were garnered by comparing healthy mice with mice given a disease similar to human Alzheimers. First, parts of mices brains were engineered to glow yellow during memory storage and red during memory recall. Then, the mice were exposed to the smell of lemon followed by an electric shock associating the two memories.

A week later, they were given the smell of lemon again: the healthy mices red and yellow glows overlapped and they expressed fear, showing they were accessing the right memories. However, the Alzheimers brains glowed in different areas, and the diseased mice were indifferent, showing they were recalling from the wrong sections of the brain.

The team, lead by Christine A. Denny, then used a fiber optic cable to shine a blue laser into the mices brains. This successfully reactivated the lemon and electric shock memory and caused the mice to freeze when they smelt it.

The research could possibly revolutionize Alzheimers research and treatment, helping the 5 million Americans who are suffering fromthe disease. Ralph Martins at Edith Cowan University in Australia told New Scientist that it has the potential to lead to novel drug development to help with regaining memories.

However, the crucial question is whether mice brains and the artificial Alzheimers disease that the team exposed them to are sufficiently similar to the human variant for the results to be medically significant. In particular, humans loose more neurons than mice during the course of Alzheimers, and it would be extremely difficult to target specific memories because our brains are far more complicated.

While further studies must be done, thesefindings are one of many promising avenues that are currently being developed in Alzheimers research. Artificial intelligenceis being applied to the condition and has successfully predicted who will develop Alzheimers 10 years out, the leukemia drug nilotinib has been shown to help combat the condition and finally,a metabolic enhancement for neurodegeneration treatment has also reversed some of its symptoms.

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New Evidence Suggests Alzheimer's Doesn't Destroy Memories, it Only Blocks Them - Futurism

New Study Reveals That The Brains of People With Depression Look Different – Futurism

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In Brief Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have found that the brain's white matter is of lower quality in individuals with depression. This is the largest of its type to date, and it could help produce a better treatment for the world's leading disability. White Matter Matters

A new study published in Scientific Reportshas revealeda link between depression and the structure of white matter in the brain, which we use to process our emotions and thoughts. The research, which was conducted by the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, analysed data from 3,461 people in the U.K. Biobank database, making it the largest study of its kind in history.

The scientists used diffusion tensor imaging which is based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to create highly detailed maps of the fibers in the brain. When they compared depression sufferers to healthy individuals they realized that there were substantial differences in the integrity (or quality) of the white matter.

Heather Whalley, who led the team, said in a Biobank press release that there is an urgent need to provide treatment for depression and an improved understanding of it[s] mechanisms will give us a better chance of developing new and more effective methods of treatment. Our next steps will be to look at how the absence of changes in the brain relates to better protection from distress and low mood.

Depression is epidemic in todays society, with 40 million adults 18 percent of the populationbeing affected in the U.S. alone. However, only a third of people suffering from anxiety related disorders receive treatment. Research like this study is pivotal to improving the quality of millions of lives by uncovering thephysical causes of the disorder.

The studyadds toa growing body of research that supports theunderstanding that depression as a physical condition rather than a chemical or purely psychological one. This has instigated a fundamental change in the way depression is treated.

For example, researchers at UCLA have begun to use magnetic pulses to target the specific parts of the mind that are associated with depression actually changing how the brain circuits are arranged, how they talk to each other as the press release stated.

In order to fight depression these types of research are crucial let us all hope one of them leads to a cure capable of helping millions.

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New Study Reveals That The Brains of People With Depression Look Different - Futurism

5 faith facts about Sam Brownback: Political champion of religious freedom – Crux: Covering all things Catholic

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WASHINGTON, D.C. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, President Trumps nominee for international religious freedom ambassador, describes religious freedom as the choice of what you do with your own soul.

If confirmed, the 60-year-old, two-term Republican governor, former U.S. senator and one-time presidential candidate would be the first politician confirmed as the ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. Previous ambassadors were religious or nonprofit leaders, and Brownback would follow a rabbi and a Protestant minister.

Religious Freedom is the first freedom, he said in a tweet responding to Trumps announcement. I am honored to serve such an important cause.

Here are five faith facts about this Methodist-turned-Catholic politician:

As senator, he supported the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act, which also created the ambassadorial post.

During his two terms as governor, his actions on international religious freedom would be minimal, said Rabbi David Saperstein, the most recent international religious freedom ambassador. But Brownbacks support of the State Department office while he was senator, and his efforts to end the South Sudan civil war, were noteworthy, Saperstein said.

Issues of religious freedom were very much at stake in his lead work on the Sudan Peace Act, he said, adding he thinks Brownback will be an effective ambassador-at large.

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, at far right, and three bishops attend the religious freedom rally on Feb. 17, 2016, in Topeka, Kan. With Gov. Sam Brownback is, from left, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger of Salina, and Bishop Carl A. Kemme, of Wichita. (Credit: Photo courtesy of Joe Bollig/The Leaven.)

Brownback has been a bit of a Christian church hopper. He grew up a Methodist butconverted to Catholicism in 2002.Today he attends Topeka Bible Church, said Teresa Jenkins, a spokeswoman for the nondenominational evangelical church with an average weekly attendance of 1,400.

Sometimes, he rises early for Mass before joining his family at the church, calling the routine, according to author Jeff Sharlet, a great mixture of the feeding.

Sharlets book,The Family, about a secretive Christian group to which Brownback belonged, said the governor was baptized not in a church but in the Catholic Information Center, a Washington chapel run by Opus Dei.

In 2016, he joined a Rally for Religious Freedom alongside Catholic bishops, the lead pastor of Topeka Bible Church and Barronelle Stutzman, a Washington state florist who was sued after she cited her religious beliefs in refusing to create an arrangement for a gay wedding. I have never seen a bigger rally at this statehouse than this one, Brownback told the demonstrators, according to a Catholic diocese website. It is fantastic.

When then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry, now U.S. energy secretary, invited 49 other governors to attend The Response: A Call to Prayer for a Nation in Crisis in Houston in 2011, Brownback was the only other governor who showed up in person. (One other sent a video.)

In 2012, he was criticized by church-state separationists for promoting a ReignDownUSA.com prayer event for which he said, Weve been favored like no nation in history and yet too often weve forgotten God.

The National Association of Evangelicals called Brownback a strong candidate. Faith and Freedom Coalition declared help is on the way after dozens of reports of Christian persecution abroad in the last month alone. Southern Baptist ethicist Russell Moore noted Brownbacks dealing with AIDS in Africa and advocating on behalf of persecuted religious minorities. Focus on the Family founder James Dobson called him a man of deep personal faith.

The 2016 bill allows religious organizations to establish religious belief as qualification for membership, he said at that time.

The ACLU, reacting to his nomination, said, In Gov. Brownbacks view, religious freedom has meant issuing a license to discriminate against others, especially against LGBT Kansans.

University of Vermont political science professor Peter Henne said a Brownback appointment could change emphasis on LGBTQ issues abroad: If there are countries repressing LGBTQ people for reasons they claim are related to religion, we might not push back on that as much as we would otherwise, he said.

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5 faith facts about Sam Brownback: Political champion of religious freedom - Crux: Covering all things Catholic

Does Trump Religious Freedom Pick Sam Brownback Believe in Dominionism? – Daily Beast

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Kansans will be glad to see the last of Gov. Sam Brownback, whose disastrous supply-side economic policies have turned the state into a dysfunctional Brownbackistan with spiraling deficits and public services in tatters.

But Brownback, President Donald Trumps pick to lead the State Departments Office of International Religious Freedom, brings to the office a religious rsum that is bizarre to say the least.

A practicing Catholic himself, Brownback is closely linked with the New Apostolic Reformation. He has appeared at numerous NAR events, including The Response, the huge 2011 prayer vigil hosted by then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry (Brownback was the only other governor to attend); the Kettle Tour, a national series of events meant to link prayers to those of past generations; and four iterations of The Call, prayer rallies organized by NAR leader Lou Engle. Brownback was once even roommates with Engle for several months after his Washington, D.C., condominium burned down.

Brownback was pressured to denounce the movement, which many Pentecostal Christians believe to be a cult, in the 2010 gubernatorial election. He refused to do so, though he said Engle has said things I dont agree with and that they only worked together on human rights and helping people live better.

When Brownback won, NAR leader Chuck Pierce boasted that his prayers had gotten Brownback elected.

Modern Day Prophets

Its easy to see why Brownback wants to distance himself from the NAR as soon as you start learning about the NAR.

NAR founder C. Peter Wagner, Engle, Pierce, and other NAR leaders believe themselves be modern day prophets who will establish dominion over all aspects of American society to prepare it for the Kingdom of God.

For the NAR, the restoration of the Kingdom of God will be the result of active efforts on the part of these new prophets, including the dominion of Christians over the seven mountains of culture and the mass conversion of Jews to Christianity. When apostles hear the word of God clearly and when they decree His will, history can change, Wagner said in 2001.

The churchs vocation is to rule history with God, said Engle.

Because the NAR derives its authority not just from the Bible but also from present day prophecies, the results can be bizarre. For example, NAR leaders have ascribed the problems of citiesliberalism in general, but also specific disasters like earthquakes and terrorist attacksto the cities being controlled by demons. The demon Baal controls the Freemasons; the demon Jezebel controls the Democratic Party.

As The Daily Beast reported two years ago, Wagner said in 2011 that the nuclear meltdown at Fukushima was a result of the Japanese emperor having had sex with the sun goddess, that there is a lot of demonic control in Congress, that it is important to cast spells to protect politicians from witchcraft, and that non-Christian religions are part of the kingdom of darkness.

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His successor, Pierce, said in 2011 that God told him in 2005 that a black man would be elected president; that, in 2008, God said President Obama would cause the United States to split into two nations by abandoning Israel; and that the resulting civil war would tear down, raise up, overthrow, [and] rebuild our society. He added that Obamas 2011 speech about Israel had caused tornadoes in Missouri and that his own prayers can cause earthquakes (as well as electoral results).

Dominion Over United States Politics

Among all the various sects of the American fundamentalist right, the NAR is the most overt about seeking dominion over politics, culture, and all other aspects of daily life. As Pierces comments indicate, the NAR sees no distinction between secular and religious. It is uniquely unapologetic about obliterating the church-state line in order to bring about the End Times.

And, paradoxically, it is open about working in secret, holding that deceptive tactics are necessary to do Gods work.

In 2009, for example, two NAR prophets told Rick Perry that God had anointed Texas to lead the United States into revival and that Perry himself would play a central role. Perry, in turn, organized the Christians-only prayer rally the Response, which drew 30,000 people and which, Perry said, was based on a prophecy from the Book of Joel, which NAR leaders often cite.

Perrys 2012 and 2016 runs for president may have been a sideshow for most people, but for the NAR, they were the hoped-for culmination of dominion over United States politics. Sen. Ted Cruzs candidacy was also framed in explicitly messianic, dominionist terms by his father, Rafael Cruz, a well-known dominionist pastor not affiliated with the NAR.

It Is Time to Cause a Revolution

In this context, seemingly innocuous statements begin to take on a sinister resonance.

For example, at a Washington gathering of the Kettle Tour, Brownback said, Weve made it up the mountain a long way, but we have to make that final assault on the peak. We can make that final leap to the top, if we stay on our knees.

Innocent metaphor? Or reference to Seven Mountains dominionism, which refers to government and other institutions as mountains that must be conquered by believers?

Later, after becoming governor, Brownback declared several statewide Days of Restoration. Does restoration simply mean restoring Christianity to the center of American religious life, or does it refer to the NAR doctrine of restoration of Christian rule over the Earth?

In 2014, Brownback spoke at a Topeka prayer gathering whose organizer said, We need revival, we need a Great Awakening, but it is time to cause a revolution. We need to get some freedom fighters up and going to take this country back.

Typical Christian right rhetoric? Or something more literal and more ominous?

Or, as is more likely the case, something in between, with meanings elastic enough to mean different things to different people?

Even the human rights work that Brownback said he did with Engle, including staged apologies to Native Americans and African Americans, were part of the NAR policy of Identificational [sic] Repentance and Reconciliation, aimed at removing barriers that prevent non-white people from becoming evangelical Christians.

According to Wagner, these barriers are actually demons such as Baal, Leviathan, and the Queen of Heaven, fed by the sins committed against these groups. Brownbacks apology to Native Americans was literally an exorcism.

Redefining Religious Freedom for the World

Once again, the trouble with people like Brownback isnt the beliefsits the actions.

As governor, Brownback delivered on his dominionist promises. He convened multiple prayer gatherings and campaigns. He regularly consulted with Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council. And he issued a wild executive order in 2015 decrying the recent imposition of same sex marriage by the United States Supreme Court and specifically exempting all religiously affiliated organizations from having to recognize legal same-sex marriages or accommodate them in any way.

As the United States new point man on religious freedom, Brownback will surely take his expansive redefinition of religious freedom onto the international stage. Programs that empower women violate the religious freedom of religious conservatives. LGBT equality is against religious freedom. Promoting anything other than the so-called natural family is against religious freedom as well.

Indeed, its an easy step from the dominionist notion that religion must be all-pervasive in all aspects of society to the redefinition of religious freedom to allow discrimination in the workplace, discrimination on the part of public employees, and nullification of legal marriages. There is no place for the secular in this understanding of religion.

Brownback and his allies in the NAR already have a built-in international network of religious extremists. The sponsors of Ugandas Kill the Gays law, for example, were trained by Kansas Citys International House of Prayer, affiliated with Lou Engle, and Engle frequently exhorted his followers to support the backers of the bill.

We dont know, thanks to Brownbacks equivocation, how much of the dominionist theology of the NAR he believes and how it might impact his actions in his new international role.

Does Brownback see his role as a secular one promoting the value of religious freedom for people of all faiths? Or does he, like his partners in numerous religious events and political initiatives, see it as a divinely ordained mission? Or, once again, somewhere in between? Does the United States chief international representative for religious freedom believe that he must rule history with God?

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Does Trump Religious Freedom Pick Sam Brownback Believe in Dominionism? - Daily Beast

Defining Freedom: Metro Atlanta teacher completes 48-state tour to find true meaning – WXIA-TV

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ATLANTA-- How do you define freedom? Gwinnett County teacher Alex Robson is completing a 48-state tour to ask everyday people how they define it.

Robson is asking people what freedom means to them, where they live and how they express freedom. He calls it the "Freedom Summer," and along the way he is collecting note cards - asking people to write how they define the term.

Traveling around his summer school teaching schedule, Robson made it a point to drive to each of the 48 states and 78 cities during the Freedom Summer tour so that he could reach as many people as possible.

Over the last 10 years of Robson's Freedom Cards project, Robson has interviewed celebrities, politicians, and everyday people to see how they define freedom.11Alive reached out to Robson about his Freedom Summer project.

His interview is below:

What is the most powerful story you've heard while collecting the Freedom Cards?

While I was in Kansas, I met a Gold Star Mother who is a mother who lost a child while serving in the military. She and I had quite a connection because I have the same name as her son, Alex. She made his favorite meal and we talked a lot about how for everyday people Alex was a soldier who died in battle and that it was an honorable way to die. To his parents, he wasn't a soldier. He was their son and he never came home. They didn't just sacrifice a soldier; they sacrificed their son. On their Freedom Card, they had a picture of their son and the words "this is the face of freedom."

How do you define freedom?

My definition of freedom is that you can have dreams and you can act on those dreams without people telling you not to. As a teacher, some of my students don't have the same opportunities that other students have. Many of them face obstacles, whether it is socioeconomic or have families that are not able to support them. I believe that being a teacher helps me spread freedom in America.

"All of these stories are connected and interwoven in a complex way," Robson says. "Even though we are inherently different, we are all connected that we get to share the same freedom."

To participate in the Freedom Cards project, send a 3x5 note card to: The Freedom Cards PO Box 606 Atlanta, Georgia 30301

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Defining Freedom: Metro Atlanta teacher completes 48-state tour to find true meaning - WXIA-TV

The ‘Health Care Freedom Act’ Is a Scandal – New York Magazine

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Ad will collapse in seconds CLOSE / the national interest July 27, 2017 07/27/2017 10:59 pm By Jonathan Chait Share Photo: Yuri Gripas/AFP/Getty Images

Shortly after 10 p.m., the Senate Republican leadership introduced the Health Care Freedom Act. As advertised, the bill would eliminate the individual mandate, a key underpinning of the exchanges that allow insurance to be made affordable to people too affluent for Medicaid who cant get it through work. But the changes would not end there. States could have more leeway to weaken consumer protections. Health-savings accounts, a tax shelter used by affluent people, would grow. Planned Parenthood would lose federal funding, as would the Centers for Disease Control, whose public health budget would be cut 14 percent.

More detailed analysis is difficult given the time constraints. That is, of course, the point. Since their unexpected election victory forced them to actually write and pass replacements for Obamacare, the Republican proposals have been a series of public-opinion disasters on a scale unseen in the annals of polling. The partys response to the publics disgust has been to conceal its intentions, and the Senate vote is the ultimate expression of that furtive impulse. Mitch McConnells sincere belief is that his plan can only pass if experts and authorities the Congressional Budget Office, insurance actuaries, think tanks cannot inform his members of its likely effects.

A handful of recalcitrant Republican senators called the preliminary outlines of this bill a disaster, and insisted they would vote for it only if the House promised not to pass it into law. Even this absurd condition was not met. House Speaker Paul Ryan released a statement indicating that he would like to go to conference and write a different bill, but pointedly refusing to rule out passing the Senate bill unaltered. Attempts to further clarify his position simply underscored Ryans outright refusal to commit himself to the simple and clear promise not to pass the law.

Republican aides say it is a coin flip whether the House will pass the Senate bill. There really is no cover for senators who vote for this, no room to insist they have been fooled if it passes into law unaltered. Their cooperation in the charade has been given willingly.

The public, on the other hand, has ample grounds for complaint. The Senate is engaged in a mockery of legislating. The Senate vote is a scandal, a crime against the public good.

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Sundays vote to elect a constituent assembly could further undermine the countrys democracy or unleash large-scale political violence.

The socialist nation is in free-fall. The Times Andes bureau chief lets us know whats going on, why, and what might come next.

The first major legislation passed during Trumps presidency will be a bill he opposed and now has no choice but to sign.

A hack forever tainted in Trumps eyes by his one moment of decency.

The nuclear deal was meant to reduce the risk of war. With the president backing away from it, get ready for fireworks.

Its too early to tell whether Democrats have a real shot at winning back the House next year, but a big jump in candidates running is a good sign.

Donald Trump likes having generals around, and he really likes John Kelly. But can a Marine run a White House whose boss loves chaos above all?

Trump tweeted that he is proud of Priebus and all they accomplished.

Please dont be too nice, Trump told police in Long Island.

If the climactic vote on the skinny repeal had gone the other way, the result would have probably been the same: GOP failure, with much time lost.

The U.S. believes the missile used to send a satellite to space could be a precursor to an ICBM.

Brian Kilmeade says the same dumb thing Paul Ryan said a few months ago.

Republicans came within one vote of passing a health-care bill that they wrote over lunch and admitted was a disaster. Thats a national crisis.

Kasich has never bent the knee to Trump. But viable primary challengers to sitting presidents come from the fever swamps, not the sensible center.

Moscow is taking away a vacation home where U.S. diplomats walk their dogs and have cookouts.

Consider the violence the president has done to the structures of American democracy in just the past seven days.

A proposed zoning change to the area near Grand Central is set to remake the neighborhood for decades. But at what cost?

Republicans couldnt come up with a workable health-care plan, so they kept kicking the can down the road. The road finally ended in the Senate today.

An eight-year crusade to destroy universal coverage has failed, and a social achievement endures.

Three Republicans Susan Collins, John McCain, and Lisa Murkowski voted against the bill.

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The 'Health Care Freedom Act' Is a Scandal - New York Magazine

Freedom Park will be an inspirational addition to Raleigh if it ever gets built – News & Observer

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News & Observer
Freedom Park will be an inspirational addition to Raleigh if it ever gets built
News & Observer
In Raleigh, once its $5 million price tag has been raised, a design by the Durham office of Perkins+Will for the North Carolina Freedom Park will offer an optimistic take on slavery and the African-American experience here. Slated for a postage-stamp ...

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Freedom Park will be an inspirational addition to Raleigh if it ever gets built - News & Observer

Is One Judge Trying to Implement Eugenics? – CBN News

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In todays politically divided society, its rare that an issue sparks bipartisan moral outrage. But thats exactly what happened recently over a Tennessee judge who offered to cut the prison sentences of inmates who received vasectomies or long-lasting contraceptive devices.

Back in May, General Sessions Judge Sam Benningfield signed a standing order that allowed inmates at White County jail to have their sentences reduced by 30 days if they agreed to receive a vasectomy, or for women, a Nexplanon birth control implant that lasts up to four years. In in an interview with Tennessees WTVF-TV last week, the judge shared that the sterilization and contraceptive services were provided cost-free by the Tennessee Department of Health.

White County inmates were also offered two days off their jail sentences if they completed a State of Tennessee, Department of Health Neonatal Syndrome Education Program, which aims to educate people about the dangers of having children while under the influence of drugs.

I hope to encourage them to take personal responsibility and give them a chance, when they do get out, to not to be burdened with children. This gives them a chance to get on their feet and make something of themselves, Judge Benningfield told WTVF.

Judge Benningfield explained that his goal was to help break a vicious cycle of repeat offenders who often enter his courtroom on drug related charges, and when they are released, cant afford child support and have trouble finding jobs.

I understand it wont be entirely successful but if you reach two or three people, maybe thats two or three kids not being born under the influence of drugs. I see it as a win, win, he added.

Dozens of inmates signed on, but as news of the program spread, the words unethical, unconstitutional, and eugenics began circulating among the general public.

District Attorney Bryant Dunaway, who oversees prosecution of cases in White County, shared his concerns about the program with WTVF.

Its concerning to me, my office doesnt support this order, Dunaway said.

Its comprehensible that an 18-year-old gets this done, it cant get reversed and then that impacts the rest of their life, he added.

Last Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee released a statement regarding Judge Benningfields order:

Offering a so-called choice between jail time and coerced contraception or sterilization is unconstitutional. Such a choice violates the fundamental constitutional right to reproductive autonomy and bodily integrity by interfering with the intimate decision of whether and when to have a child, imposing an intrusive medical procedure on individuals who are not in a position to reject it. Judges play an important role in our community overseeing individuals childbearing capacity should not be part of that role.

Amid the widespread criticism, Benningfield rescinded the order yesterday in a one-page court filing, The Washington Post reported. He wrote that any inmates who elected for the procedures and took serious and considered steps toward their rehabilitation would still receive credit toward their sentences, but that the plan was otherwise terminated.

Further, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Health told the Post that state health officials opposed Benningfields policy from the start and denied the judges claims that the procedures were state-funded.

Benningfield, however, maintained that the department was involved. In his filing Thursday, he wrote that he was forced to rescind the order because the department had decided it will no longer offer free vasectomies to White County inmates and will not provide the free Nexplanon implant in exchange for shorter sentences.

I wasnt on a crusade, Benningfield told the Times Free Press on Thursday. I dont have a mission. I thought I could help a few folks, get them thinking and primarily help children.

The problem with Bennigfields statement is that it mirrors the rhetoric of eugenicists throughout history who advocated for the sterilization, institutionalization, or death of entire races and classes of human beings.

Many pro-life advocates have identified abortion as the eugenics movement of our day. But as this case highlights, the attempted undermining of human dignity comes in many forms.

Sadly, abortion is far from a bipartisan moral issue in this country. It is particularly noteworthy, therefore, that a vocal majority of people in the medical, legal, and media communities were able to unilaterally denounce Bennigfields policy as the gross violation of human rights that it was. Thank God for that.

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Is One Judge Trying to Implement Eugenics? - CBN News

There’s a way Tonya Evinger can pull off an all-time upset of ‘Cyborg’ at UFC 214 – MMAjunkie.com

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Three titles are on the line tonight at UFC 214, and when it comes to the odds, a couple are reasonably close, and the thirds a blowout.

Tonya Evinger (19-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is a massive underdog against Cristiane Justino (17-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) when they fight for the vacant womens featherweight title, the first championship bout of the night at UFC 214. The event takes place at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FXX and UFC Fight Pass.

Cyborg is as much as a 13-1 favorite over Evinger, and that number is high for a few reasons. For starters, Justino is a featherweight, and Evinger is moving up from bantamweight for the opportunity. Both are former Invicta FC champions. But Evinger also is taking the fight on relatively short notice after Megan Anderson dropped out.

Justino has blitzed through most of the opposition in her career. And she widely is expected to do the same to the reasonably unheralded Evinger.

But UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby believes theres a way Evinger could pull off a stunner.

I think Tonya Evinger is probably the best fighter youve never heard of, Shelby said as part of the UFCs Watch List video for UFC 214. (Shes) just an uber-talent on the ground. And I think if you fight Cris Cyborg, if theres anywhere shes to be beaten, I think the best chance is on the ground and thats what Evinger does best.

She is a phenomenal grappler. She has an incredible win streak, an incredible career, so much experience it will be really interesting to see if she can go in there and get Cyborg to the ground. I mean, nobodys going to stand there with Cris, right? Lets be serious.

Can Evinger get Cyborg to the ground, out of her striking comfort zone, and pull off the upset? Well find out tonight.

Also on the main card, Shelby and fellow matchmaker Mick Maynard discuss with broadcaster Jon Anik light heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier (19-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) and his rematch with Jon Jones (22-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) in the main event, plus welterweight champ Tyron Woodley (17-3-1 MMA, 7-2-1 UFC) and his title fight against Demian Maia (25-6 MMA, 19-6 UFC).

The gentlemen also break down Donald Cerrone (32-7 MMA, 19-4 UFC) vs. former welterweight champ Robbie Lawler (27-11 MMA, 12-5 UFC), and top light heavyweight contender Jimi Manuwa (17-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) vs. Volkan Oezdemir (14-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) on the main card. Plus, they look at the featured preliminary card featherweight bout between Jason Knight (17-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) and Ricardo Lamas (17-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC).

Check out the Watch List video above.

And for more on UFC 214, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

The Blue Corner is MMAjunkies official blog and is edited by Mike Bohn.

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There's a way Tonya Evinger can pull off an all-time upset of 'Cyborg' at UFC 214 - MMAjunkie.com

UFC 214 fight card, odds, prelims: Jones, Woodley, Cyborg all large favorites – CBSSports.com

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Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier are expected to put on a show Saturday night in Anaheim, California. Assuming both fighters make it to the main event for UFC 214, we should be able to settle in for one of the best grudge matches of all time when these two light heavyweights clash for the belt. After earning a decisive unanimous decision in their first go-round, Jones has been installed as a prohibitive favorite over the champion Cormier.

Here's how the rest of the card shakes with the latest odds from Bovada.

Jon Jones -270

Daniel Cormier (c) +210

Light heavyweight title

Tyron Woodley (c) -205

Demian Maia +165

Welterweight title

Cris Cyborg -1100

Tonya Evinger +650

Women's featherweight title

Robbie Lawler -160

Donald Cerrone +130

Welterweight

Jimi Manuwa -185

Volkan Oezdemir +150

Light heavyweight

Jason Knight -125

Ricardo Lamas -105

Featherweight

Aljamain Sterling -145

Renan Barao +115

Catchweight (140 pounds)

Renato Moicano -180

Brian Ortega +150

Featherweight

Andre Fili -400

Calvin Kattar +300

Featherweight

Alexandra Albu -160

Kailin Curran +130

Women's bantamweight

Drew Dober -315

After a six-fight stretch of being the betting underdog in his fights, welterweight champ Tyron Woodley will be a sizable favorite over Demian Maia when they square off in the co-main event. Former Invicta champ Cris "Cyborg" Justino will be a huge favorite over Invicta's current 135-pound champ Tonya Evinger when they battle for the 145-pound strap.

The closest odds on the main card will be the welterweight slugfest between Robbie Lawler and Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. For my money, I'd take a flier on Volkan Oezdemir when he squares off with Jimi Manuwa. Oezdemir is coming off a first-round knockout win and his 14-1 in his pro MMA career. He's getting good value against the British 205-pounder looking to get into title contention.

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UFC 214 fight card, odds, prelims: Jones, Woodley, Cyborg all large favorites - CBSSports.com

‘First human cyborg’ sucker-punched in subway station – New York Post

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An epileptic Bronx woman dubbed one of the first human cyborgs was sucker-punched Wednesday morning as she was exiting a Midtown subway station, police sources said Thursday.

The victim, Emily Borghard, 28, had just gotten off the 7 train at the Grand Central-42nd Street subway station and took the escalator to the mezzanine level when she was socked in the left side of her face by 28-year-old career criminal Deaja Hardy at around 6:05 a.m., sources said.

Borghard, who suffered redness and swelling to her face from the blow, quickly flagged down transit officers who arrested Hardy at the scene.

With what Ive been through getting hit in the face is not a good thing, Borghard, a member of the famed subway vigilante group The Guardian Angels, told The Post Wednesday.

Borghard has a computer chip implanted in her brain as a means to prevent chronic seizures, making her one of the first human cyborgs, according to the Wall Street Journal.

During the time that Borghard went undiagnosed, she suffered hundreds of seizures a day.

I was not functioning. I could not recall day to day events and every time I had an episode it was like getting hit in the head with a baseball batmy memory of it was gone, Borghard told Readers Digest in an interview last month.

Borghard had her first terrifying experience with a seizure in 2005 when one occurred while she was driving a car, causing her to drive off the road and plunge into a creek in upstate New York where she grew up.

I was lucky that someone saw it happen because if not, they might not have known I was in the creek, Borghard told Readers Digest.

Borghard says she has no memory of the event and only knows what happened through police reports and what she has been told.

Doctors eventually planted the neuro-stimulating chip inside her head and today shes nearly seizure-free.

It gives it a little zap to the brain to get it to stop what its doing and shock it back into normal rhythm, Borghard told the Wall Street Journal in a podcast interview in May.

If you would have asked me if any of this would have been possible I would have laughed, Borghard told the Wall Street Journal.

Despite her condition, Borghard refused medical treatment at the scene of Wednesdays assault, according to police.

Hardy, her attacker, has 22 prior arrests on his record, including one on Feb. 21, 2013 for assaulting a 75-year-old man in Midtown while the victim was eating breakfast, sources said.

In that instance, Hardy whacked the elderly man in the head multiple times with the victims own set of keys at an office building on West 37th Street when Hardy entered the building and was told he couldnt come in, sources said.

The 75-year-old man suffered a laceration to his head.

At Hardys Manhattan Criminal Court arraignment for the attack on Borghard, he was released without bail.

His next court date is on Sept. 11.

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'First human cyborg' sucker-punched in subway station - New York Post

League Casters Compare Future Of Healthcare To Death By Cyborg Man-Crab – Kotaku

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The uncertain future of our nations health care system, or being ground to death by a giant cyborg?

In a talk show-stylesegment that aired between games one and two of TSM vs. FlyQuest in todays League Championship Series matches, Josh Jatt Leesman and Sam Kobe Hartman-Kenzler debated which is more terrifying: the League of Legends champion Urgots newly reworked ultimate, or the future of American healthcare. (The segment was recorded and published to YouTube two days prior to airing on the LCS stream.)

For reference, the Urgot ultimate launches a hook into enemies, which tethers them to the horrific melding of man and machine. If the enemys health drops below a certain threshold, Urgot drags them in, shoots them in the face and grinds them up in his ab-gears.

American healthcare, meanwhile, has had millions of Americans on the edge of their seat, wondering if their current plans will still be effective the next day.

On Thursday afternoon, the Senate is expected to vote on whats been dubbed the skinny repeal, a

The segment is meant to be lighthearted, so Kobe and Jatt debate the two with a comedic back-and-forth. Both seem to land on the Urgot ultimate, one claiming that by definition, its more terrifying (a successful Urgot ultimate applies a fear effect to nearby enemies).

A few responses on social media noted the strange jump from League analysis into politics, though This Or That has certainly never shied away from riffing on controversial subjects.

So, this or that?

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League Casters Compare Future Of Healthcare To Death By Cyborg Man-Crab - Kotaku

‘Cyborg’ and Dana White give 6-year-old cancer survivor thrill of lifetime at UFC 214 – MMAjunkie.com

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UFC July 29, 2017 5:15 pm MMAjunkie Staff

MMAjunkie is reporting live from todays UFC 214 event. Join us for play-by-play and official results at 6:30p.m. ET.

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UFC July 29, 2017 5:14 pm MMAjunkie Staff

MMAjunkie is reporting live from UFC 214 in Anaheim, Calif., which kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET. Discuss the event here.

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Videos July 29, 2017 5:13 pm MMAjunkie Staff

UFC 214 takes place todayin Anaheim, Calif. Watch a live stream of the post-event press conference here at 1:30 a.m. ET.

45m

UFC July 29, 2017 5:00 pm Matt Erickson

Check out who our staff members are picking in the five fights on the main card at todays UFC 214, which features three title fights.

1hr

Videos July 29, 2017 4:45 pm Trent Reinsmith

Probably the most anticipated rematch in UFC history and three total title fights. What more do you need?

1hr

UFC July 29, 2017 4:30 pm Mike Bohn and Abbey Subhan

Check out all of the pre-event main-card facts for UFC 214, where Demian Maia and Donald Cerrone both could tie the UFC all-time wins record.

1hr

UFC July 29, 2017 4:29 pm Mike Bohn

Todays UFC 214 event has a stacked card, and even the prelims are star-studded. As we learn in our UFC 214 pre-event facts, Renan Barao has absolutely flawless takedown defense.

1hr

Videos July 29, 2017 4:28 pm Mike Bohn and Abbey Subhan

Former UFC light-heavyweight champion and pound-for-pound great Jon Jones finally returns to the octagon. Check out all of his career facts ahead of todays UFC 214 headliner.

1hr

News July 29, 2017 4:00 pm Blue Corner

Check out some of the weeks best fighter posts on Twitter, Instagram and other social media for what they do outside the cage.

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Videos July 29, 2017 3:30 pm MMAjunkie Staff

Rizin FF grand prix heavyweight Tyler King believes his opponent, Amir Aliakbari, is a fugazi. On Sunday, he plans to prove it to the world.

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'Cyborg' and Dana White give 6-year-old cancer survivor thrill of lifetime at UFC 214 - MMAjunkie.com

2 killed overnight at Chicago beaches – WGN-TV

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CHICAGO -- Two people were killed because of the dangerous conditions at Chicago beaches.

The Chicago Fire Department responded to multiple calls of people in the water overnight.

The first came in around 2:30 Saturday morning. Divers pulled a 27-year-old man from the water near the 59th Street Harbor. He was in cardiac arrest and died at the hospital.

Another call came in around 3:45 a.m. A man and woman were in the water near Oak Street Beach.

The fire department said the woman was able to get out on her own, but the man was missing.

"We're not exactly sure why they were in the water, but we know these big waves probably contributed to that. It made it difficult for our rescuers to get in the water and locate the second victim," Deputy District Chief Ron Dorneker, Chicago Fire Department Marine and Dive Operations, said.

Rescuers were able to locate the 28-year-old man and pulled him out of the water.

He was taken to the hospital in extremely critical condition. He was later pronounced dead.

"These are dangerous waves," Dorneker said. "They shouldn't be underestimated. We're asking people to please stay out of the water during these high wave conditions."

The National Weather Service has issued a beach hazard warning through Saturday evening.

Waves are expected between three-to-six feet in the morning Saturday, decreasing to two-to-four feet in the evening.

Sixteen Chicago beaches have swim bans Saturday. Six beaches have swim advisories.

For a complete and updated list, click here.

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2 killed overnight at Chicago beaches - WGN-TV

Beaches of Busan awash in esports history – ESPN

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Haeundae Beach in Busan, South Korea, is one of the most popular vacation spots in the country and home to some of the most memorable moments in esports history.

On the beaches of Busan, South Korea, if you build it (and play video games on it), they will come.

If it's not broke, don't fix it -- just make it look nicer. That was the mantra the players conveyed to Blizzard when clamoring for an update to an esports icon: StarCraft: Brood War.

Is it 1998 again? Brood War's resurgence in South Korea means StarCraft pros are taking up the mantle of old-school competition once more. "Eat, sleep, train, repeat," says FlaSh.

Once a young prodigy nicknamed "BaBy," now with over $300,000 in prize money just this year, Jun "TY" Tae Yang has spent most of his life working up the ranks of professional StarCraft.

2 Related

In 2005, at the height of the StarCraft: Brood War craze in South Korea, more than 100,000 people reportedly packed Gwangalli Beach to witness the country's two largest esports teams, SK Telecom T1 and KTF MagicNs (now KT Rolster), play in the finals of ProLeague. Back then, admission was free, resulting in fans arriving in Busan the night before and sleeping under the stars for a chance to get a coveted seat near the front. Brood War was more than a phenomenon in South Korea; it was a way of life for a lot of people, a new tradition ingrained in the country's roots, and the setting of the Busan beaches was the perfect canvas for the fans to paint a picture for their love of the games.

Over the years, Gwangalli Beach would continue to be the home of summer finals for ProLeague, fans flocking to the event and unaware bystanders drawn to the colorful performance occurring at the end of the beach.

One of the most famous moments in Busan was in 2008 when Samsung KHAN challenged OGN Sparkyz for the same ProLeague championship SKT prevailed over KTF three years prior. In front of a sea of fans, Samsung and esports' ultimate showman Lee "Firebathero" Sung-eun put his team ahead 3-1 in the best-of-seven series and proceeded to perform the most outlandish victory celebration in esports history by stripping off his clothes to reveal a swimsuit, running past a swarm of his fans into the freezing nighttime ocean. He finished it all off by putting on a pair of sunglasses before gyrating on top of his team's bench right beside his head coach, all while enjoying a chocolate popsicle.

Samsung would go on to win the series 4-1, and Firebathero would dance the night away, becoming the symbol of what esports on the beaches of Busan stood for -- excellent play and a party-like atmosphere, which coupled together created a spectacle needed to be seen to believe.

As Brood War's presence began to fade, it wouldn't be until 2011 when another premier esports final would be held in Busan. This time it would StarCraft's successor, the aptly named StarCraft II, that would take center stage. This time the very popular Haeundae Beach was site of the game's top individual tournament, the Global StarCraft League. The final was a clash of Protoss players, the "Protoss President" Jang "MC" Min Chul, an already multiple GSLS champion, facing a rookie player making his way up in the ranks, Ahn "Seed" Sang-won.

An extravagant stage it was, but the crowd was too small to create the same atmosphere of the past, rows of seats left empty during the final. When Seed took home the championship in a massive upset and fireworks went off in the background to crown the winner, the feeling of the crowd, the electricity of days gone by, couldn't be mirrored.

Major esports events would return to Busan three years later when League of Legends, the game closest to capturing the same lighting in the bottle Brood War possessed, held its first final in Haeundae. A full crowd watched Samsung Blue and KT Arrows play one of the best matches in the game's history on that night, gasping and yelling at every turn in the best-of-five series that went to the final bell. At the match's close, it was the Arrows, an unlikely band of over-aggressive misfits, with the title, having gone to all five games in each of its three playoff matches.

In the prize ceremony, at the forefront of the team, was the Arrows' leader and the season's overall MVP, Lee "KaKAO" Byung-kwon who inhabited the same spirit as Firebathero did almost a decade earlier, playing to the crowd and grinning like a Cheshire cat. No, the crowd wasn't the same size as it was back in 2005 -- seats were sold and more limited -- and it didn't have the same fervor as when Lim "Boxer" Yo-hwan's SKT conquered his rival Lee "YellOw" Jin-ho's KTF. However, unlike the StarCraft II event, the old esports gods of the past were visible in background, the players of today, the ones who grew up watching the ProLeague finals on television, carrying on the legacy of Busan to a new generation.

Today, outside of special events, like the upcoming StarCraft: Remastered tournament in Gwangalli, the beaches of Busan lack major finals. League of Legends, although still widely popular, hasn't returned since the Arrows captured the domestic title, choosing stadiums and arenas to hold finals instead. The two beaches, Gwangalli and Haeundae, are forever etched inside StarCraft II, with both beaches having maps dedicated to them that are still playable to this day.

No one knows what is next for esports in South Korea. Overwatch continues to grow worldwide, but the uncertain future of Overwatch League in the country leaves the game in a stagnant state in the country. And StarCraft: Remastered, an HD upgrade from the original Brood War game that started the legend of esports in Busan, is yet to be released, and its future as a competitive title is still in question.

This week, though, as a special stage is built for the StarCraft: Remastered event, the old fans of the game will flock like the old days, and bystanders -- some too young to even know who or what a "Firebathero" is -- will turn their heads and move closer to the stage, as esports returns once again to the beaches of Busan.

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Beaches of Busan awash in esports history - ESPN

Marshfield, Scituate, Hingham beaches reopen, Wollaston closed – Wicked Local Braintree

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High bacteria levels from storm runoff over the past week that closed 12 beaches on the South Shore have subsided, leaving only Wollaston Beach closed.

All five ocean beaches in Marshfield, Lighthouse and Humarock beaches in Scituate and Town Beach in Hingham passed followup testing in water samples collected on Thursday.

White Horse Beach in Plymouth, originally listed by the state as closed, is open.

All four sections of Wollaston Beach remain posted, although followup tests showed negligible bacteria levels.

The other 61 salt-water beaches on the South Shore passed bacteria tests this week and are open for swimming.

See water quality test results for each community and for Cape Cod, the South Coast and North Shore.

For more on Quincy beaches, call 617-376-1288, or visit tpl-beaches. For more on Wollaston Beach, call 617-626-4972.

HOW BEACHES ARE TESTED

Sixy-five beaches on the South Shore are tested for intestinal bacteria found in humans and animals.

High levels indicate the possible presence of disease-causing microbes that are present in sewage but are more difficult to detect. Bacterial colonies are filtered from three ounces of water and placed on a gel infused with nutrients and chemicals designed to promote growth.

Left in an incubator, the single cells isolated on the filter grow explosively, forming colonies visible to the naked eye. After one day, the colonies are counted and if they exceed 104 colonies, the beach is closed to swimming.

If the past five samples have a mean exceeding 35 colonies, the beach must also be closed to swimming.

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Marshfield, Scituate, Hingham beaches reopen, Wollaston closed - Wicked Local Braintree