Select Page ::

‘Molecular Switch’ that Causes Mucosal Autoimmune Diseases Discovered – Sci-News.com

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

According to an international team of researchers led by University College London and Kings College London, the discovery of a molecular switch that causes the mucosal inflammatory diseases ulcerative colitis, Crohns disease, and celiac disease, could lead to effective new treatments for these autoimmune conditions. The discovery is reported in the journal PLoS Genetics.

According to Soderquest et al, T-bet plays an important role in coordinating the bodys immune responses. Image credit: Werbe Fabrik.

For the first time, researchers have a specific target for the treatment of these life-changing conditions by identifying an immune molecule called T-bet (TBX21) as the key control point that regulates the genetic risk in specific diseases.

Our research outlines a specific focus for the development of new treatments for these diseases which have such a profound effect on sufferers, explained Kings College London Professor Graham Lord, co-senior author on the study.

In the study, Prof. Lord and his colleagues examined how genetic variation affects T-bet binding to DNA, as a key regulatory mechanism in the immune response.

Genome-wide association studies have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that may be causative for autoimmune diseases, the researchers said.

The majority of these polymorphisms are located within non-coding distal regulatory elements.

It is considered that these genetic variants contribute to disease by altering the binding of regulatory proteins and thus gene expression, but whether these variants alter the binding of lineage-specifying transcription factors has not been determined.

The researchers found that T-bet binding sites are specifically enriched in genetic variants associated with the mucosal autoinflammatory diseases.

They also identified genetic variants that alter T-bet binding and gene expression.

We show that SNPs associated with the mucosal inflammatory diseases Crohns disease, ulcerative colitis and celiac disease, but not rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis, are enriched at T-bet binding sites, the authors said.

Furthermore, we identify disease-associated variants that alter T-bet binding in vitro and in vivo.

Our results suggest that genetic polymorphisms may predispose individuals to mucosal autoimmune disease through alterations in T-bet binding, they said.

Other disease-associated variants may similarly act by modulating the binding of lineage-specifying transcription factors in a tissue-selective and disease-specific manner.

_____

K. Soderquest et al. 2017. Genetic variants alter T-bet binding and gene expression in mucosal inflammatory disease. PLoS Genet 13 (2): e1006587; doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006587

Visit link:

'Molecular Switch' that Causes Mucosal Autoimmune Diseases Discovered - Sci-News.com

Gene Therapy Saves Puppies From A Fatal DiseaseAnd Maybe Us Next – Vocativ

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

For decades, some unluckydog lovers have welcomeda bundle of barking joy into their homes, only to see them perish from a mysterious disease mere weeks after their birth. The pups seemingly healthy muscles had literally wasted away in front of their owners eyes until they could no longer stand and breathe.

It wasnt until 2010 that a French research team isolated the genetic cause of this specific muscle-wasting disease in a group of Labrador Retrievers; these dogs were suffering from a single mutation that left them unable to produce an essential protein known asmyotubularin.Whats more, it was the exact kind of mutation and disease also long found in male human babies, too. That made the researchers wonder if these unfortunate puppiescould help us study the disease and even someday find a way to saveboth pets and people.

Now, years down the road, it appearsthey were right, thanks to a cutting-edgegene therapy treatment.

An international group of researchers, including some from the original French team, gathered together 10-week-old puppies with the mutation to take part in a randomized controlled trial. The dogs who were given a treatment that repaired their defectivemyotubularingene avoided the crippling muscle degeneration that killed the placebo-treated dogs by week 17. And by the ninth month of study, the saved puppies muscle and neurological function continued to match readings from healthy dogs, particularly forthose that got the highest doses.

The findings, building on an earlier proof-of-concept study of dogs and mice by the researchers, signal that a scaled-up treatment could save the lives of boys with the same sort of genetic flaw.

I believe that the dog study will be about as close as we will ever get to a human study, senior author Dr. Martin Childers of the University of Washington told Vocativ in an email. Because we found evidence that the gene therapy product spread throughout the entire skeletal musculature of adult dogs after a single infusion, it seems reasonable to expect a similar result in human patients.

Gene therapy has received plenty of attention for its potential to treat otherwise irreparable DNA defects, but according to the researchers, theres been little focus on bone- and muscle-relatedgenetic disorders. The condition treated in the current study, called x-linked myotubular myopathy, affects around one in every 50,000 boys, with most sufferers living no more than a few years. And though theres no true tally of how often it affects dogs, case reports of similar-sounding diseases have been published stretching back decades.

There will undoubtedly be hurdles to climb before the treatment Childers and his team developed, or a similar one, can be tested in people, Childers said. It is always possible that humans might respond differently, thus, clinical trials will be conducted with extraordinary care and oversight, he explained. And though the dogs suffered little adverse effects from the therapy delivered via a harmless virus researchers will still have to watch out for any possible toxicity in people.

That said, the treatment offers hope for both man and mutts. The changes seen after a single treatment have lasted for several years in the small sample of dogs the team has raised. So its possible that people wont need repeated doses or they would be infrequent, Childers said a big positive, given how expensive gene therapy is today.

And its also likely that these treatments, within the larger field of regenerative medicine, will find a place for dogs and other animals sooner than it will for people.

Veterinary medicine is ahead of human medicine in some cases with respect to regenerative technologies, Childers said. Stem cell infusions, for example, have been given to pets and horses for more than a decade.

But people may not have to wait so long for the promise of gene therapy either. Childers is hopeful that Audentes Therapeutics, a San Francisco biomedical company hes collaborating with (and which partially funded the current study), will begin their first human trials of a gene therapy treatment for x-linked myotubular myopathy, based on his teams research, later this year.

The teams findings were published earlier this February in Molecular Therapy.

Gene Therapy Saves Puppies From A Fatal DiseaseAnd Maybe Us Next - Vocativ

Trump’s new national security adviser is a futurist with warnings about technology – TechCrunch

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

A week after Michael Flynns abrupt fall from grace, President Trump will smooth things over with a national security adviser that at least some people can agree on.

Called everything from a warrior scholar to the rarest of soldiers,, Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster is an about-face from the divisive Flynn, who resigned amid the escalating controversy over his contact with Sergey Kislyak, Russian ambassador to the U.S.

McMaster, often described as the armys own futurist, holds a complex view on technology, cautioning against technological hubris as a solution to modern warfare. Be skeptical of concepts that divorce war from its political nature, particularly those that promise fast, cheap victory through technology, McMaster wrote in a 2013 op-ed in the New York Times titled The Pipe Dream of Easy War. He continued:

Wars like those in Afghanistan and Iraq cannot be waged remotely. Budget pressures and persistent fascination with technology have led some to declare an end to war as we know it. While emerging technologies are essential for military effectiveness, concepts that rely only on those technologies, including precision strikes, raids or other means of targeting enemies, confuse military activity with progress toward larger wartime goals.

That same characteristic deep perspective appears to be on display in his controversial but largely well-respected book, Dereliction of Duty, about the failing of military leaders, particularly theJoint Chiefs of Staff, during the Vietnam war. McMasters academic streak is just one of the traits that paints him in stark contrast to Flynn, who is widely regarded as ideologically driven, particularly by anti-Islamic sentiment.

During an April 2015 symposium on Army innovation, McMaster expanded on the risk inherent in an overreliance on military technology.The biggest risk that we have today is the development of concepts that are inconsistent with the enduring nature of war, McMaster said. What we see today is really an effort to simplify this complex problem of future war and to essentially make it a targeting exercise. The idea is that the next technology we develop is going to make this next war fundamentally different from all those that have gone before it.

At a defense conference in London a few months later, McMaster emphasized that traditional manpower cant be ignored in favor of flashy technological advances that appear to provide short-term gains. [There is a] delusion that a narrow range of military technologies will be decisive in future war, he said. Technology is the element of our differential advantage over our enemies which is most easily transferred to our enemies.

McMaster is no technophobe, but he dismisses conceptions of the future of war that cut against wars political nature, wars human natures, wars uncertainty and war as a contest of wills.

Notably, he also really, really hates PowerPoint. Its dangerous because it can create the illusion of understanding and the illusion of control, McMaster told the New York Times. Some problems in the world are not bullet-izable. (Good luck telling that to the commander-in-chief.)

Its too early to tell how McMaster will fit into Trumps roiling inner circle, or perhaps the outermost circle of his concentric inner circles, but McMasters willingness to critique authority around issues of national security is likely to prove relevant.

As Middle East scholar and former U.S. Army officer Andrew Exum writes in the Atlantic:

One thing that stands out in the book is the way in which McMaster criticized the poorly disciplined national security decision-making process in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, and especially the way in which the Kennedy administration made national-security decisions by a small group of confidants without a robust process to serve the president.

Its not hard to imagine howthe Armysbig picture thinkermightextend that criticismto a president who prefers to craftdecisionsthrougha small clusterof loyalists, incorporating little outside input. It remains to be seen if Trump will bring McMaster fully into the fold or if hell just freeze him out like so many other administration officials who have expresseddissent.

Whatever role he ends up playing, McMaster will joinDefense Secretary James Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to round out the trifecta of well-respected military leaders who have Trumps ear.

Trump's new national security adviser is a futurist with warnings about technology - TechCrunch

Renewable energy will displace oil and gas: Futurist – Alberta Daily Herald Tribune

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

The world is moving away from fossil fuels towards renewable energies, and Alberta risks being left behind, says futurist Nikolas Badminton, whose presentation kicks off the Growing the North conference at the Entrec Centre on Wednesday.

Badminton is a Vancouver-based futurist, someone who makes predictions about how technology will shape the future. He says a big shift to renewable energy over the next 10 to 15 years will make fossil fuels far less important, adding Alberta needs an entrepreneurial ethos to adapt to the change.

Albertas sort of lagging behind in this vision of renewables, and I think in a province where youve got over 300 days of sunshine per year, were sort of missing an opportunity for creating an abundance of energy, Badminton said in an interview.

He points out that 51% of Albertas energy is still generated by coal and 39% by natural gas, while hydro and wind only account for 2% and 5%, respectively. In B.C., on the other hand, 90% of power is hydro-generated.

According to Badminton, the beginning of the great shift away from fossil fuels is already evident. Last year Tesla Motors announced it was planning to produce 500,000 all-electric vehicles in 2018, two years ahead of schedule. And Ford announced last month it is launching a fully electric SUV by 2020, as well as 13 new electrified vehicles over the next five years including hybrid F-150s and Mustangs. By 2023, Badminton said, battery-powered cars will be the same price as combustion-engine cars.

The disruption is here.

Its happening in agriculture too, he added: John Deere has just come out with a prototype electric vehicle. I think we can see farming going all electric in the next few years. And last November Alaska Airlines flew the first commercial flight with a renewable biofuel.

Badminton says Alberta should be channelling its talent towards innovation, thinking about technology startups ... Theres such a huge branch of talent in Calgary, Edmonton and across the province that I think it could become a huge innovation centre.

In addition to shifting towards renewables, Badminton endorses the circular economy, an idea advocated by The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a think tank. The concept envisions a world without junk yards; consumer products would be designed to be disassembled, once theyre no longer wanted, so that their materials can be re-used. Things that have to be thrown away, such as packaging, would be compostable.

However, Badminton acknowledged such a massive transformation of the economy would be unlikely to happen without government intervention.

Without these incentives, without certain regulations in place to actually start to force the change, the change is slow to come.

Badmintons talk starts at 8:45 a.m.

khampson@postmedia.com

Twitter @kevinhampson

Futurist Sci-Fi Toys Are Here Now | The Huffington Post – Huffington Post

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

Children are insane. Or, more precisely, they don't think logically as adults do. Children aren't burdened by hardened adult preconceptions and expectations, so suffer fewer roadblocks to learning new things. This different way of seeing things is why children adapt so easily to high tech that confuses the rest of us.

That's the theoretical basis behind "Mimsy Were The Borogoves," a classic science fiction tale from 1943 in which two children find a box of toys from the future that they totally grok but which flummox their Euclidian-conditioned parents. (You can read "Mimsy" here or watch the movie version, The Last Mimzy.)

Could we be approaching the unidentified future from which Mimsy's high tech toys originated?

At the annual Toy Fair, held this past President's Day weekend in New York city, I found some playthings instilled with bleeding edge technologies even I barely understand but that today's youngsters should have no trouble taking to just like the children in "Mimsy" hopefully, without the story's strange consequences.

For instance, there was a futuristic version of one of the most iconic toys of all time Barbie. Mattel showed off Hello Barbie Hologram, which is sort of a personalized 3D animated Amazon Alexa.

You can ask Hello Barbie Hologram Alexa-like questions, prefaced by "Hello, Barbie," such as for the weather. But instead of Stephen Hawking-like monotone responses, you get an effervescent Barbie not only playfully announcing the local outdoor conditions, but you get a visual; for instance, if Barbie tells you it's raining cats and dogs, you get a holographic visual of canines and felines pouring from the sky. You can voice command the hologram Barbie to set alarms, night lights and daily reminders. You can also change hologram Barbie's size and skin tone and ask her to perform a number of dances.

Hello Barbie Hologram will be available sometime this fall for less than $300.

VR has been popping up in a few toys in the last couple of years, but at Toy Fair I saw three unique applications that seem to more holistically integrate VR into the design of the toy rather than haphazardly tacked on.

A start-up called Tilt is advancing "textile tech" in its SpinTales, which uses a duvet, a rug and VR to, well, put a new spin on some old stories for children. The SpinTales app includes three stories: Little Red (as in Little Red Riding Hood), 3 Pigs (as in the Three Little Pigs) and Magic Beans (as in Jack and Beanstalk). You then buy either the SpinTales Enchanted Duvet or the throw Jungle Rug ($99.99 each).

Your child activates one of the games on their smartphone or tablet and picks different activities. When prompted, the child then holds the tablet or smartphone over a matching section on the duvet or rug to activate the 3D VR, which displays an exploration of the immediate vicinity as the character moves around.

What makes SpinTales fascinating is that the bedspread and throw rug are ever-present; they don't have to dug out of a closet or toy chest or located under a pile of other discarded toys, dirty clothes or the bed.

One of the more fascinating VR games I saw isn't a product you'll be able to buy, but a "mixed reality game" technology concept that combines VR and RFID from a Quebec-based developer, bkom Studios. You move physical RFID-equipped tokens around a board; each token then generates a VR character that can be seen on the corresponding app on a smartphone or tablet or a more 360-degree view through VR goggles. Scanning playing cards triggers each character's activities.

bkom hopes to sell the technology for game developers to create new VR/RFID games.

A mixed reality learning VR plaything you soon will be able to buy is "Animal World with Jessica" from Odyssey ($39.95, April/May). Inside the smart box the cover acts as an interactive VR game board includes 65 VR animal cards, VR goggles, eight coloring paper sheets and a combined smartphone/tablet holder.

After downloading the "Animal World" app, a child holds a card so the smartphone or tablet camera can see it, which activates a moving, interactive VR version of that animal viewed on either a touchscreen device or more fully through the VR goggles. The animal can be manipulated while information about it is imparted to the child. Two animals can be created to interact with each other, or your child can switch the camera view and take a selfie with the animal.

At some point, the "Animal World" developers hope to update the app so children will be able to virtually feed the animals as well as talk to them ala Dr. Doolittle. Additional mixed reality educational card sets with different topics are planned.

A plethora of companies have been developing simplistic robot toys and robot learning and construction kits for the last few years. But Fisher-Price has built instead an inexpensive version of a home robot designed to help your youngest kids learn while playing.

The company's cute, nearly foot-tall Teach n' Tag Movi ($49.99, fall) is an interactive learning buddy that can follow directions, play games and displays animated facial expressions that help give it a personality. It can roll around via voice command on three wheels on nearly any surface.

Movi, which will operate on three C cells and is designed for youngsters 3-6, includes three play modes: Alpha Fun Actions, Think & Move Shapes and Learn & Play Games including Red Light/Green Light and Silly Sounds Tag. Two buttons on top of Movi allow for a child's direct input.

Not quite Isaac Asimov's Robbie, the first robot presented in his "I, Robot" collection, another, more optimistic look at our robot buddy future, but getting there.

Hopefully, these robot, VR and hologram toys won't cause the mischief the sci-fi playthings do in "Mimsy," but merely prepare your prodigy for life in their non-fictional future.

Continue reading here:

Futurist Sci-Fi Toys Are Here Now | The Huffington Post - Huffington Post

Bill Gates Warns New Bioterrorism Threat Could Wipe out Over 30 Million People – Futurism

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

Global Health Security

Whenbillionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates gave a speech at the Munich Security Conference for the first time Saturday, he argued a very alarming possibility: the future of international security will be fought on the biological front. Specifically, Gates warned about the dangers of a bioterrorist attack that could wipe out 30 million people in less than a year and how were not prepared for it.

We ignore the link between health security and international security at our peril, warned Gates, who has been spending the better part of 20 years funding global health campaigns. He went on to share some alarming statistics:Whether it occurs by a quirk of nature or at the hand of a terrorist, epidemiologists say a fast-moving airborne pathogen could kill more than 30 million people in less than a year. And they say there is a reasonable probability the world will experience such an outbreak in the next 10-15 years.

What makes Gates warning even more alarming is that fact that bioterrorism can now be done from behind a computer. Its also true that the next epidemic could originate on the computer screen of a terrorist intent on using genetic engineering to create a synthetic version of the smallpox virus . . . or a super contagious and deadly strain of the flu, said Gates.

Gates warnings arent at all farfetched. According to The Guardian, US and UK intelligence agencies have said that Islamic State has been trying to develop biological weapons at its bases in Syria and Iraq.

In order to fight such a threat, Gates recommended using the very same technology that allows for the development of deadly pathogens: genetic engineering. First and most importantly, we have to build an arsenal of new weaponsvaccines, drugs, and diagnostics, he said.

Gates went on to explain in further detail what he thinks needs to be done:

Vaccines can be especially important in containing epidemics. But today, it typically takes up to 10 years to develop and license a new vaccine. To significantly curb deaths from a fast-moving airborne pathogen, we would have to get that down considerablyto 90 days or less. [] The really big breakthrough potential is in emerging technology platforms that leverage recent advances in genomics to dramatically reduce the time needed to develop vaccines.

Of course, these efforts have to be supported by a public health systems that can easily detect the emergence of a deadly pathogen. Because epidemics can quickly take root in the places least equipped to fight them, we also need to improve surveillance, Gates said. That starts with strengthening basic public health systems in the most vulnerable countries. We also have to ensure that every country is conducting routine surveillance to gather and verify disease outbreak intelligence.

Right now, there is still time for us to get ready to fight a bioterrorism pandemic or even avoid one altogether. The key is in how we prepare. As Gates told the conference, Getting ready for a global pandemic is every bit as important as nuclear deterrence and avoiding a climate catastrophe. Innovation, cooperation and careful planning can dramatically mitigate the risks presented by each of these threats.

Go here to read the rest:

Bill Gates Warns New Bioterrorism Threat Could Wipe out Over 30 Million People - Futurism

Watch This Amazing Drone Footage of Falcon 9 Landing – Futurism

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

In Brief

Evidently, SpaceX is getting a lot better at landing its reusable rockets. The Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket that was used to safely transport satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit, and we are now able to see the Falcon 9s third successful landing on solid ground from a drones unique vantage point.

This was SpaceXs first commercial rocket launch from NASAs Kennedy Space Center. The rocket was sent to deliver a payload into space. To capture the moment, a camera-equipped drone was sent to film the Falcon 9s downward journey through the clouds to touch safely down on SpaceXs Landing Zone 1.

The other landings on this same landing zone took place back in December of 2015 and July of 2016. SpaceX was also able to successfully land Falcon 9 on the companys first spaceport drone ship Just Read the Instructions.

Successfully reusing boosters is a critical part of bringing down the cost of these launches because they wont have to build a completely new rocket for every mission. According to SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell, achieving this level of reusability can bring down launches by as much as 30 percent. This could, over time, allow for more frequent launches and faster progress.

More here:

Watch This Amazing Drone Footage of Falcon 9 Landing - Futurism

Cassidy-Collins Patient Freedom Act Looks Better As Other Reform Efforts Falter – Forbes

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

Forbes

Cassidy-Collins Patient Freedom Act Looks Better As Other Reform Efforts Falter
Forbes
In a different political climate, the "Patient Freedom Act" introduced last month by Republican Senators Bill Cassidy and Susan Collins would be getting close scrutiny and perhaps some significant support. It is -- and I apologize for language that ...

Read the rest here:

Cassidy-Collins Patient Freedom Act Looks Better As Other Reform Efforts Falter - Forbes

Vice President Pence Appears to Support EU Freedom of Movement – Breitbart News

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

In the joint press conference with Tusk, Vice President Pence stated in part:

Saturday, as President Tusk said, I was pleased to address the Munich Security Council to speak about the importance of the strategic alliance [inaudible] entered the bond so many years ago in the North American Treaty Organization. But the president did ask me to come here, to Brussels, to the home of the European Union, and deliver an additional message, so today it is my privilege on behalf of President Trump to express the strong commitment of the United States to continued cooperation and partnership with the European Union. Whatever our differences, our two continents share the same marriage, the same values, and above all, the same purpose to promote peace and prosperity through freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. And to those objectives, we will remain committed. This has been European Unions goal since before its formal founding in 1993. What began as a modest Western European trade agreement in 1951, freedom of movement, has grown into a commitment to the four freedoms the freedom of movement, goods, capital, services and people, the common currency, and common approach to foreign and security policy.

Pence continued speaking of the history of the European Union (EU). He moved to speak of U.S. and EU economies and reaffirm our commitment to a free, fair and flourishing economies that undergird our success and a cooperation in achieving that. Maintaining and strengthening our economic vitality will require hard but necessary choices.

Pence also reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to fighting terrorism, mentioned the Islamic terror bombings on Brussels that killed more than 30 people, then called on the European community to intensify efforts to fight radical Islamic terrorism alongside the United States. This will require greater coordination and intelligence-sharing among EU member states and between the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, he said.

Speaking of Russian aggression, Pence said, In addition to confronting terrorism together, clearly, we must stand strong in defense of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nations in Europe.

On Tuesday, Reuters reported that in the week leading up to the vice presidents meetings in Brussels and affirmation of U.S. commitment to the EU, in a conversation with a German diplomat, White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon described the EU as a flawed construct. He cited three confidential sources that had been briefed on the meeting.

The sources stated that Bannon conveyed favor for bilateral relations with Europe. One White House official claimed to Reuters a more brief version of the interaction between Bannon and German ambassador to Washington Peter Wittig than the three other sources. The three sources reportedly described Bannons message to the diplomat as favoring strong nationalist movements. One of the three described the White House position on the EU as not seeing an unraveling of the EU as having grave consequences.

The vice president spoke at the Munich Security Conference in the days before his visit to Brussels as part of his first trip abroad since taking office. Last week, the conference chairman, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, called on Pence to affirm during his visit that the U.S. supports the EU and was not aiming to break up the organization, according to Reuters.

Pence made the trip to the security conference on behalf of President Trump. A senior White House policy adviser previewed the trip last week, promising an overarching message of reassurance. In his speech to conference participants, he brought this promise from President Trump: We will stand with Europe today and every day; we are bound together by the same noble ideals freedom, democracy, justice, and the rule of law.

At Mondays joint press conference, Pence stated, The United States commitment to the European Union is steadfast and enduring. President Tusk, President Trump, and I look forward to working together with you and the European Union to deepen our political and economic partnership.

During his presidential campaign, now-President Donald Trump made clear that he supported the United Kingdoms Brexit vote to leave the European Union. The day after the June 23 Brexit vote, then-candidate Trump compared the vote to the upcoming presidential election in the U.S. and attributed the U.K. vote to leave the EU, and prospectively the U.S. presidential vote, in large part to peoples desire to control borders and block illegal immigration.

USA Today quoted Trump as stating, All over the world [people are] angry. They are angry at the borders. They are angry over people coming into the country and taking over.

In late January, European Parliament chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt, who vehemently opposes Brexit, said, We have a third front undermining the European Union, and it is Donald Trump, who has joined [the far-Right parties] from across the Atlantic. He has talked fairly favorably of other countries wanting to break away from the EU and that he hoped for disintegration from European Union, according to the Telegraph.

In the Monday press conference, President Tusk emphasized a particular portion of his meeting with Vice President Pence, saying, I asked the vice president directly if he shared my opinions on three key matters: the international order, security, and the attitude of the new American administration towards the European Union. Tusk continued, In reply to these three matters, I heard today from Vice President Pence three times yes. After such a positive declaration, both Europeans and Americans must simply practice what they preach.

Request for comment from the vice president on whether the State Department had a role in statements made at Mondays joint Pence-Tusk press conference returned no comment by the time of this report.

Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana.

See the original post here:

Vice President Pence Appears to Support EU Freedom of Movement - Breitbart News

Freedom Investing And Emerging Markets In 2016 – Forbes

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

Forbes

Freedom Investing And Emerging Markets In 2016
Forbes
Studies have shown that countries with more economic freedom significantly outperform those with less freedom not only in per capita gross domestic product (GDP), but also in per capita incomes, health care, education, protection of the environment ...

See the original post here:

Freedom Investing And Emerging Markets In 2016 - Forbes

At African American Museum, Donald Trump Vows to Defend ‘Promise of Freedom’ – Breitbart News

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

Today and every day of my presidency, I pledge to do everything I can to continue that promise of freedom for African Americans and for every American, Trump said to reporters during the tour on Tuesday. So important. Nothing more important.

Trump praised the African American heroes of history, including specifically naming Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Booker T Washington and Rosa Parks.

Im deeply proud that we now have a museum that honours the millions of African American men and women who built our national heritage, especially when it comes to faith, culture and the unbreakable American spirit, he said.

Trump toured the museum with Dr. Ben Carson and his family, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, and Alveda King Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s niece.

Dr. Carsons work as a surgeon is featured in the museum, as part of an exhibit. Trump previewed his administrations plans once Carson is confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Were going to do great things in our African American communities together, Trump said. I look forward to watching that. Hell do things that nobody ever thought of.

Read the original:

At African American Museum, Donald Trump Vows to Defend 'Promise of Freedom' - Breitbart News

Religious Freedom for Me but Not for Thee? – National Review

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

A conflict is brewing at the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) over how the countrys largest protestant denomination will approach religious freedom. The SBCs International Mission Board (IMB) and Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) are both facing criticism for signing onto an amicus brief that supported the rights of a Muslim group in New Jersey to build a place of worship. But more lurks underneath the surface.

IMB president David Platt dealt with the controversy over the brief by apologizing for the distraction last week. And yet the brief was entirely consistent with the SBCs position on religious liberty. On this issue, ERLC president Russell Moore does not have any flexibility: Unlike the IMB, the ERLCs main focus is the political principle of religious freedom. To Moore, that principle is absolutely non-negotiable, as he made clear at their 2016 convention:

Nevertheless, some Southern Baptists question whether their efforts should support religious freedom as a universal, sacred right. Pastor Dean Haun resigned his position with the IMB over the amicus brief, and he told the Baptist and Reflector, I want no part in supporting a false religion, even if it is in the name of religious freedom.

This is a mistake. The IMBs amicus brief was politically sound, and received support from a diverse group including the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and the National Association of Evangelicals. Moreover, the court ruled in the Muslim groups favor, which is good news for liberty per se, and for those of other faiths. If religious freedom for me but not for thee becomes the SBCs standard, then the ERLC would morph into the lowest kind of political operation: one that lobbies for special treatment.

This tendency toward tribalism is nothing new. Indeed, it has dogged Moore and his outfit since Moore made a stand against Donald Trump. It seems clear that the ERLC would not be facing this kind of pressure over its standard practices if Moore had quietly acquiesced to Trumps rise. Instead, he wrote at National Review and elsewhere about Trumps shortcomings on matters of social conservatism.

Using the mosque case as a pretext that Moore is not committed to advancing the gospel, some local pastors are looking to pull funding as retribution against Moore. Prestonwood Baptist Church, a huge congregation in Plano, Texas, just announced that it will join Hauns church in doing that. (The SBC supports the autonomy of local churches on such matters of funding.)

Again, this is a mistake. Freedom to assemble has been, in most places and times, the exclusive right of preferred religious groups. Americas enshrinement of religious freedom is as exceptional as it is valuable. Unfortunately, many on the left snidely put religious liberty into scare quotes, arguing that its time to put florists out of business in order to assert the states absolute right to legislate progressive morality. These strident opponents of robust religious freedom would receive a political victory if Southern Baptists descended into infighting about whether the First Amendment applies to Muslims or if Russell Moore were sacked for not supporting Donald Trump.

More here:

Religious Freedom for Me but Not for Thee? - National Review

How Congress can promote freedom of speech on college campuses – Power Line (blog)

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

Weve discussed Stanley Kurtzs effort, in conjunction with the Goldwater Institute, to promote free speech on college campuses through the enactment of state legislation mandating it. Now, Stanley has a proposal that, if enacted, would do even more for campus free speech.

Stanley wants federal legislation to make the protection of First Amendment rights a prerequisite of federal financial assistance to Americas colleges and universities. He presents his proposal and his reasons here, on NROs Corner. His proposal builds on the work of the National Association of Scholars.

In my view, the presumption should be against the federal government using its financial leverage to tell colleges and universities what to do. Certainly, bureaucrats should be (but arent) loath to indulge in this practice.

On the other hand, federal taxpayers cannot be expected to fund institutions that deny people their basic constitutional rights. The right of free speech is probably our most fundamental constitutional right and, until recently, the free exchange of ideas was considered an essential element of the college experience.

Unfortunately, in the past several decades the academy has ceased to be a reliable defender of the First Amendment. We now face a free speech crisis on many, if not most, college campuses.

Accordingly, the case for congressional action is strong.

Actually, Stanley points out that the Higher Education Act (HEA), enacted in 1965 and last reauthorized in 2008, already affirms the importance of protecting student speech and association rights. Title I, Section 112 of HEA provides that no studentshould, on the basis of participation in protected speechbe subjected toofficial sanction, with protected speech defined as speech protected under the First and 14th amendments to the Constitution.

However, Title I, Section 112 of HEA express only the sense of Congress. Stanley wants to give it teeth by adding enforcement mechanisms.

The HEA is due to be reauthorized this year. This presents Congress with a great opportunity to restore the First Amendment on college campuses.

Stanley concludes:

The American taxpayer is under no obligation to subsidize speech codes, speaker disinvitations, or shout-downs. Its past time that Congress took steps to ensure that taxpayer dollars no long underwrite campus assaults on freedom of speech.

Indeed, it is.

Alliance Defending Freedomsource of many anti-LGBTQ lawsuits and billsfinally labeled a hate group – Daily Kos

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

ADF's David Cortman speaks to reporters outside the US Supreme Court on March 25, 2014, after oral arguments challenging the Affordable Care Act's mandate for birth control coverage.

When the GOP-led House Judiciary Committee held a hearing last week on the "The State of Religious Liberty in America," they brought in a representative of the notoriously anti-LGBTQ legal group Alliance Defending Freedom to testify. The group, armed with some $45 million to fund litigation, has helped inspire a wave of transphobic bathroom bills that have been introduced across the country in recent years. In fact, the group not only testified on behalf of a South Dakota bathroom bill targeting transgender students (and later vetoed by the GOP governor), it offered to provide pro bono legal service to defend the measure if it was enacted.

Finally, the ADF received the appropriate moniker this year of being labeleda hate group courtesy of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Media Matters has since assembled thetop 10 "need to know" items aboutADF,the nationslargest anti-LGBTQ hate group. Here's a sampling from Rachel Percelay:

1. SPLC Labeled ADF A Hate Group Because Of Its Extreme, Demonizing Lies About LGBT People. SPLC added ADF to its list of anti-LGBTQ hate groups because ADFs leaders and affiliated lawyers have regularly demonized LGBT people, falsely linking them to pedophilia, calling them evil and a threat to children and society, and blaming them for the persecution of devout Christians. As SPLC has repeatedly clarified, it does not list organizations as anti-LGBTQ hate groups on the basis of opposition to same-sex marriage or the belief that the Bible describes homosexual activity as sinful. [Southern Poverty Law Center, 2/15/17, 2/15/17] [...]

4. ADF Has Expanded Its Anti-Choice, Anti-LGBTQ Extemism Internationally. While ADF has largely run out of options for promoting the criminalization of homosexuality in America, the group has taken its anti-sodomy agenda overseas. ADF has actively worked to promote and defend anti-sodomy laws that criminalize gay sex in Jamaica, Belize and India. In 2010, the United Nations granted special consultant status to ADF, allowing the group to help shape international human rights policy and treaties. More recently, the group has become involved in the Organization of American States, where ADFs mission has been battling abortion and radical sexual agendas. [Southern Poverty Law Center, 2/15/17; Media Matters, 11/19/14]

Visit link:

Alliance Defending Freedomsource of many anti-LGBTQ lawsuits and billsfinally labeled a hate group - Daily Kos

Georgia Senate introduces new religious freedom bill – 11alive.com

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

Doug Richards, WXIA 5:25 PM. EST February 21, 2017

Aerial images of the Georgia State Capitol. January 2017

ATLANTA -- Georgia senators have introduced a new religious freedom bill.

SB 233 cites the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act passed by Congress in 1993 "and shall in like manner apply to this state or any political subdivision thereof." The bill mirrors a controversial bill introduced in 2015 by Sen. Josh McKoon (R-Columbus), "just an even tighter mirroring by simply citing to the federal language," McKoon said in a text message.

McKoon is one of more than a dozen Republicans co-sponsoring the bill.

House Speaker David Ralston has expressed a desire to allow Congress to handle religious freedom issues now that Republicans control the Congress and White House.

Over the last two years, religious freedom has roiled the Capitol. Last year, Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed a religious freedom bill after Georgia business leaders raised concerns about losing jobs and business. Gay rights activists have contended that religious freedom bills would encourage discrimination against the LGBT community.

( 2017 WXIA)

WXIA

GA 2016 sponsor: Let feds handle 'religious freedom' legislation in '17

See the article here:

Georgia Senate introduces new religious freedom bill - 11alive.com

After being cleared by USADA, Cris Cyborg talks lingering perceptions and dealing with ‘haters’ – MMA Fighting

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

Just two days after Germaine de Randamies unanimous decision victory over Holly Holm to win the inaugural 145-pound title at UFC 208, Cristiane Cyborg Justino the juggernaut of the weight class in every promotion shes been in had her provisional suspension lifted by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for testing positive to a banned substance back in December.

After a two-month investigation, Justino was granted a retroactive therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for Spironolactone, a physician-prescribed diuretic. Though the drug is commonly taken to mask the use of steroids, it was determined that Justino was treating a common endocrine disorder by USADA, and was therefore granted the retroactive TUE.

Still, perception is everything in the fight game. And Cyborg had to endure a lot of presumptions and judgment while the investigation was being conducted.

For the last couple of months, Justino has seen her name smeared in the media and among fans for popping hot a second time to a banned substance. The first time she tested positive was in 2011, when she popped for stanozolol after a 16-second destruction of Hiroko Yamanaka in Strikeforce. That time she served a year suspension, but carried an asterisk with her from that moment forward.

Among the most vocal about her steroid associations was Ronda Rousey, the former bantamweight champion who was for years the dream fight for Cyborg in womens MMA.

Ronda before, she speaked so much about me, and she tried to ruin my name and speak a lot of things, Cyborg said during an interview on Mondays edition of The MMA Hour. And I think five years she was doing this, because she wanted to avoid fighting me. And she tried make bad my name and that there was no need to fight me. But everybody can now see the reality. She lost her two fights, and didnt come back until after one year after the loss to Holly Holm.

Obviously Im going to have haters. Man, I got to say I love my haters because they challenge myselfit challenges me. It challenges me to be better. It challenges me to show who I am, and that I deserve to be who I am.

Cyborg was cageside for de Randamies victory over Holm in Brooklyn, and even posed for a picture with the new featherweight champion afterwards. If the UFC was flying her out to watch the fight, there was reason to believe that she would soon be absolved of her predicament with the UFCs third-party arbiters.

Throughout the USADA investigation, Cyborg said she remained confident that she would be cleared in the latest incident, as she knew her case was explicable. Still, she lost endorsement money and other opportunities.

It was a tough time, but I knew I did nothing wrong, I had not cheated, she told Ariel Helwani.

I lost a lot of public appearances, I lost sponsors, during the two-month investigation. But Im happy, everythings great now, and I have to say thank you to my team, to my lawyer, thank you to Jeff Novitzy who works for UFC who helped me and my team go through everything in the process.

Cyborg said that part of the problem with USADAs process of dealing with a potential banned substance offender is that the red flag shows are flown before the public ahead of any actual investigation. In that way, a lot of people presume guilt over innocence, which then becomes injurious to the brand.

People judge before, Cyborg said. The problem is that some media, they dont know whats going on. And a guy like Joe Rogan, who has six million followers [on Twitter], and these guys say I cheated and that Im going to be banned for life, and then people believe that. People dont wait to see the results, they judge.

Asked what it felt like to get the call last Monday, telling her shed been granted a TUE and was clear to fight again, she said it was relieving.

I was really stressed about everything, because I did a mistake one time in my life, and then I learned a lot of things about this mistake, she said. And the one thing I learned the first time, just some people stay with you. This time, same thing. These are the people I really trust, who stay with me, and I appreciate everyone.

Read the rest here:

After being cleared by USADA, Cris Cyborg talks lingering perceptions and dealing with 'haters' - MMA Fighting

Cris Cyborg explains ramifications of USADA failed drug test – BJPenn.com (press release) (blog)

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

BJPenn.com (press release) (blog)

Cris Cyborg explains ramifications of USADA failed drug test
BJPenn.com (press release) (blog)
Usually when you submit a TUE, it's either granted, or it's denied, or it's denied and incomplete, Jacobs told MMAjunkie. In this case, the specifics of the questions they asked was a little out of the ordinary, and we're cautiously optimistic by ...

See original here:

Cris Cyborg explains ramifications of USADA failed drug test - BJPenn.com (press release) (blog)

Storm erodes LA County beaches. Could it also save them? – The Daily Breeze

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

The biggest storm in years took away something from Southern California that could be missed when the weather heats up the beach.

From Dockweiler State Beach to Redondo Beach, the eyeball test plus a new report on beach erosion throughout California shows how the recent weather system, combined with the El Nio of the past two years, have wiped out (and, in some cases, rearranged) acres of sand.

The report, from UC Santa Barbara and six other researchers, describes the El Nio side of the equation as the most significant erosion-related climate event of the past 145 years.

While South Bay beaches did not experience nearly as much damage over the weekend as spots further north in Malibu where runoff carved out a chunk of beach beneath a restroom at Point Dume lifeguards are moving their towers back as the sand disappears.

Weve definitely lost a ton of beach, said L.A. County lifeguards Capt. Eric Howell. Youll get that anytime theres big surf and rain.

RELATED: Why last weeks storm took down so many trees in the South Bay and Harbor Area

The recent storm, as well has one in January that dumped 3.5 inches on Redondo Beach, was just the latest factor in what has become an ongoing erosion problem up and down the Pacific coast. The study from UC Santa Barbara and others found last winter, which was relatively dry in Southern California but wetter than usual from Seattle down to San Luis Obispo, had created a situation in which beach erosion was 76 percent above normal, and that most beaches in California are eroded beyond historical extremes.

That could be a big problem, the study warns, if El Nio events become more common. About 25 million people live near the coastline.

The research was based on 29 beaches along the 1,200-mile Pacific coast, from San Diego on the south and Monterey Bay and Ocean Beach in Northern California. And while no South Bay beaches were part of the study, the effects here have been similar to whats taken place in other spots a severe loss of sand.

At the least, its an interesting sight for geological-minded beachgoers who marvel at the dramatic changes caused by storms. For some, limited beach access is a beach bummer. At the worst, the changes can be life threatening.

One year ago, El Nio swells transformed Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro into a rocky shoreline, stunning beachgoers. Officials were so concerned, they were considering a massive replenishment project, something that hadnt been done since 1991.

But months later, the sand returned, said Larry Fukuhara, director of programs at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.

Last year was really bad and all of a sudden, that sand came right back, he said.

The beach has lost sand this year, too, but not nearly as much as in 2016, he said.

I thought it was going to be even worse because of the storms, but the rocks are covered up quite a bit, Fukuhara said. Waves and currents are very complex.

The Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors has seen about the same amount of erosion on South Bay beaches this year as it typically does, said spokeswoman Nicole Mooradian, with Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach losing the most sand.

Were seeing a lot just after these storms, but we did see it last year, too, she said. Even though we didnt get hammered by the rain, we still got the swells and storm surges from up north.

The department has built a berm on Hermosa Beach and several on Dockweiler State Beach.

The latter beach will be getting some relief from erosion soon thanks to a $2.7 million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredging project underway in Marina del Rey. Some of the sand being removed from navigation channels and a sand trap near the breakwater will be dumped offshore from Dockweiler State Beach so that waves can replenish the beach naturally, said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesman Jay Field.

But despite the damaging effects of recent storms to the eroding coast, theres one element this year that didnt exist during last years El Nino that could help the eroding coastline: rain.

El Nio was largely considered a dud due to the unusually low rainfall, particularly in Southern California, which received 70 percent less rain than during the past two big El Nio events, the study reads.

One of the particular interests now is to see how the shorelines recover from El Nio, said UC Santa Barbara marine scientist David Hubbard.

Thats where the rearrangement of sand comes into play. While rain and powerful surf eat away at beaches near the shore, storms can speed up the pace at which new sand is brought down to the beach via rivers and creeks. Rain this year seems to be helping in that part of the process.

Finally this year, this is bringing sand back to the shoreline, Hubbard said. Were hoping this will bring beaches back to average.

Go here to read the rest:

Storm erodes LA County beaches. Could it also save them? - The Daily Breeze

Brewer Crushes Beer Bottles Into Sand to Save New Zealand’s Beaches in ‘Brewtroleum’ Sequel – Fishbowl NY (blog)

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

New Zealands DB Breweries and agency Colenso BBDO had a monster hit in 2015 with Brewtroleum, a campaign that took the yeast left over from the brewing process and turned it into a clean-burning, conflict-free biofuelletting consumers, in a sense, save the world by drinking more beer.

The campaign won big at every major award show last year, including snaggingan Outdoor Grand Prix at Cannes. And now, client and agency are back for an encoreone that also has an environmental activation at its core.

DVhas built a fleet of machines that crush empty glass bottles of DB Export into a sand substitute, which will be used to save New Zealands pristine beaches.

Two-thirds of the worlds beaches are retreating, the company says, as demand for sand is high in industries ranging from construction to pharmaceuticals. The bottle-crushing machines will create branded DB Export Beer Bottle Sand, which will be supplied to construction companies and other commercial partners, reducing New Zealands dependence on beach-derived sand.

Again, all New Zealanders have to do to help is chug a bottle of DB Export.

Heres an explanatory video:

A bit about the Beer Bottle Sand Machines themselves: As a bottle is inserted, a laser triggers a wheel of small steel hammers spinning at 2,800 rpm. As the bottle is pulverized, a vacuum system removes silica dust and the bottleslabel, leaving behind 200 grams of sand substitute.

The whole process takes five seconds.

Finding partners for the program was a critical step in achieving scale for the project. The brewer says it is in the process of finalizing a two-year deal to supply DB Export Beer Bottle Sand to DryMix, which is New Zealands biggest producer of bagged concrete. The sand will also be supplied to national roading projects, commercial and residential construction, and even golf bunkers.

Brewtroleums success came through finding partners who could make the idea more than advertising, says Colenso BBDO creative chairman Nick Worthington. Were thrilled to partner with the countrys biggest construction companies to make DB Export Beer Bottle Sand a viable alternative to beach sand. And were excited to work with DB Export drinkers to ensure a reliable supply of empty bottles.

We cant solve the problem alone, but we knew we could do more to help, adds Sean ODonnell, marketing director at DB Breweries. Our ambition is to help drive more recycling while looking out for the beaches which are an integral part of our Kiwi DNA. Were proud to launch an initiative that can help us do our bit to protect our beaches for future generations.

CREDITS Client: DB Breweries Creative Agency: Colenso BBDO Media Agency: PHD PR Agency: Spark PR & Activate Shopper Marketing Agency: Raydar Digital Agency: Union Digital

Brewer Crushes Beer Bottles Into Sand to Save New Zealand's Beaches in 'Brewtroleum' Sequel - Fishbowl NY (blog)

Coastal Hazard: High Surf Advisory For Orange County Beaches – Patch.com

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Danzig

Patch.com

Coastal Hazard: High Surf Advisory For Orange County Beaches
Patch.com
Coastal Hazard: High Surf Advisory For Orange County Beaches. DANA POINT, CA A high surf advisory was announced by the National Weather Service that will e in effect from 7 a.m. Wednesday to 2 am. Friday. "The National Weather Service San Diego ...

Coastal Hazard: High Surf Advisory For Orange County Beaches - Patch.com

Select Page ::