Daily Archives: July 4, 2017

Newly Identified Small RNA Fragments Defend the Genome When It’s ‘Naked’ – Bioscience Technology

Posted: July 4, 2017 at 7:49 am

Our genomes are minefields, studded with potentially damaging DNA sequences over which hundreds of thousands of sentries stand guard. These sentries, called epigenetic marks, attach to the double helix at such spots and prevent the underlying DNA sequences from springing into destructive action.

About half the human genome is composed of these damaging sequences. They are places where ancient viruses and parasitic elements called transposons and retrotransposons have incorporated themselves over the long course of evolution. It's astonishing, then, to consider that during two of the most crucial processes in the life cycle, the sentries are removed, leaving the genome naked. The defenders are quickly welcomed back, but only after an interval in which the epigenetic slate is wiped clean.

Today in Cell, a team from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) describes its discovery of what might be considered emergency replacements for the sentries, shock troops pressed into service across the genome only during these curiously undefended moments. Specifically, these defenders are protecting the genome in mammalian embryos, at the very early point in their development before they are implanted in the wall of the maternal uterus.

The preimplantation embryo is one of two normal settings in which epigenetic marks are wiped clean before being reinscribed. The other setting is a step in the formation of germline cells - sperm and eggs -- which have temporary defenders already known to biology, so-called piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). The research published today, led by first author Andrea Schorn, a postdoctoral investigator in the lab of Rob Martienssen, demonstrates that another species of small RNA performs an analogous genome-defending role in preimplantation embryos during an interval of epigenetic reprogramming. Dr. Martienssen is a CSHL Professor and HHMI-Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation investigator.

The newly identified defenders come in two varieties - RNA fragments consisting of 18 and 22 nucleotides. These RNA fragments, Dr. Schorn discovered, are perfect complements of sequences in retrotransposons that must be engaged in order for the genomic parasites to be activated.

This fact led to the discovery. Schorn scrutinized the contents of mouse embryonic stem cells and found many free-floating RNA fragments 18 nucleotides in length. Computer analysis revealed that their sequences perfectly matched sequences within transfer RNAs. tRNAs are ubiquitous, and are involved in the synthesis of proteins. It has been known for decades that tRNAs are hijacked by long terminal repeat (LTR)-retrotransposons, a portion of their sequence docking at a primer binding site (PBS) and initiating a process that activates the genomic parasite.

"Knowing that LTR retrotransposons need tRNAs to replicate, it was very tempting to believe that these 18-nucleotide tRNA fragments we were seeing in preimplantation embryonic stem cells could interfere with that process," says Schorn. "We think the cell is deliberately chopping up full-length tRNAs into smaller fragments precisely because both tRNAs and the fragments cut from them recognize the PBS. This means the small, tRNA-derived fragments would be able to occupy that site and inhibit retrotransposon replication and mobility," Martienssen explains.

The implications, Martienssen says, are potentially profound. This appears to tell us one way in which the genomes of mammals have tolerated vast numbers of transposons and other parasitic elements, even during periods when the genome is wiped clean of repressive epigenetic marks. "It's plausible that this is a very ancient mechanism that cells have found to not only inhibit retrotransposons but help in protection against viruses as well," Martienssen says.

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Human Longevity, Inc. Researchers Develop New Algorithm to Rapidly and Accurately Predict HLA Types Using … – PR Newswire (press release)

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The HLA region, located on chromosome 6, is one of the most diverse regions in the human genome with thousands of alleles present in the human population. The HLA complex is responsible for regulation of the human immune system and thus plays an important role in diseases of autoimmunity (such as rheumatoid arthritis), cancer, organ transplant compatibility, allergic reactions and response to vaccines.

Since HLA gene regions have a high degree of DNA sequence similarities it has been difficult to accurately predict HLA type using whole genome sequencing technologies. Instead, HLA typing has been done through more cumbersome serotyping and targeted sequencing, costing hundreds of dollars per test. Given HLI's expertise in complete and accurate whole genome sequencing, machine learning and other informatic areas, the HLI-led team set out to develop a new tool, xHLA, to see if it could indeed be used with current generation sequencing technology for more precise and rapid HLA typing. They also wanted to compare xHLA to current HLA typing methods on the market.

The team tested xHLA against seven other HLA typing methods using three whole genome and three whole exome public datasets and showed that in all cases xHLA outperformed the other tests. The xHLA's runtime was approximately 3 minutes for each 30x whole genome sample compared to 15 minutes to 5 hours for the other algorithms. One of the differentiators of xHLA is that it uses protein level sequence alignment which results in a more comprehensive alignment matrix giving higher accuracy than other methods.

The team concluded that this new tool should enable rapid and accurate HLA typing for any individual who has their genome sequenced by HLI. HLI currently offers physician ordered whole genome sequencing as a product, HLIQ Whole Genome and through the suite of Health Nucleus products which are: Health Nucleus Platinum, Health NucleusX Gold (HNX Gold) and Health NucleusX (HNX). In one whole genome sequence test HLI can offer screening for genes and variants proposed by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), pharmacogenetic testing, inherited cancer testing, carrier screening and now, rapid and accurate HLA testing.

Venter, who is HLI's co-founder, executive chairman and head of scientific strategy, commented, "This paper is proof of the power of informatics and the need for complete and accurate clinical grade genomic sequencing to solve important scientific and clinical issues. The xHLA algorithm should enable seamless, accurate and rapid HLA typing for all genomic sequencing done today. HLI clients can get their HLA type as a part of their genome report, something that no other center can currently offer."

In addition to researchers from HLI, scientists from Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, Minneapolis, MN; the J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA; and the Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA all participated in this work.

About Human Longevity, Inc.

Human Longevity, Inc. (HLI) is the genomic-based, health intelligence company empowering proactive healthcare and enabling a life better lived. HLI combines the largest database of genomic and phenotypic data with machine learning to drive discoveries and revolutionize the practice of medicine. HLI's business areas include the HLI Health Nucleus, a genomic powered clinical research center which uses whole genome sequence analysis, advanced clinical imaging and innovative machine learning, along with curated personal health information, to deliver the most complete picture of individual health; HLIQWhole Genome and HLIQ Oncology. For more information, please visithttp://www.humanlongevity.comorhttp://www.healthnucleus.com.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/human-longevity-inc-researchers-develop-new-algorithm-to-rapidly-and-accurately-predict-hla-types-using-illumina-next-generation-sequencing-technology-300483023.html

SOURCE Human Longevity, Inc.

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What is psoriasis, what are guttate and pustular psoriasis, is there a cure, what causes it and which celebrities … – The Sun

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The skin condition psoriasis affects thousands of men and women across the UK

THE skin condition psoriasis affects thousands of men and women across the UK, with many sufferers believing there is an enormous amount of stigma around the disorder.

Kim Kardashian has revealed she has finally learned to live with the condition which she described as her biggest flaw while model Cara Delevigne is also a sufferer.

Caters News Agency

The condition causes red and crusty patches with silvery scales to flare-up on the skin.

They normally appear on the elbows, knees, scalp, and lower back, but can crop up anywhere on the body.

The patches can sometimes be itchy or sore.

Roughly two per cent of the population are affected by psoriasis and and the number is roughly split equally between men and women.

Its severity varies from person to person and for some people it is merely a small irritation.

In more serious cases it can have a crushing impact on a sufferers life.

E!

Psoriasis isnt fully understood by health professionals but it is thought to be caused by a problem with the immune system.

People with the condition have increased production of skin cells.

Normally skin cells are replaced over a three to four week period.

When someone has psoriasis this process only lasts six or seven days and thats what causes the red patches to emerge.

In people with psoriasis the immune system accidentally attacks healthy skin cells by mistake.

The disorder is thought to run in the family but the precise role genetic plays is unclear.

Many peoples symptoms are triggered meaning the rash will occur when they injure the skin, get a throat infection, or use certain medicines.

Guttate and pustular are two different types of the skin condition psoriasis.

Pustular psoriasis is a rare type of the disease, which causes pustules and pus-filled blisters to form on the skin.

It also makes the skin around the blisters turn red although the pus is not infected and the person is not contagious.

Outbreaks can flare up any time and cases of the condition can include certain medicines, infections and even pregnancy.

Treatment includes using topical creams, light therapy and a combination of therapies.

Meanwhile guttate psoriasis causes pink rashes to form across the chest, arms, legs and scalp.

It is usually caused by an infection and while outbreaks can be a one-off they can also go away and come back.

Infections that cause the condition include tonsillitis and pharyngitis as well as viral infections such as chikenpox and rubella.

The rashes usually go away by themselves, but if not steroid creams and anitibiotics can be prescribed.

A GP can usually spot it simply by its appearance on the skin, but sometimes they will take a small sample to be examined under a microscope.

This will rule out other skin disorders.

Psoriasis has no cure but treatments can reduce the itchiness and the appearance of skin patches.

Topical treatments, meaning creams and ointments, can be rubbed into the skin.

If these arent effective that phototherapy can be used to treat it.

SWNS:South West News Service

This involves the skin being exposed to ultraviolet light.

In truly severe cases oral or injected medicines are available that work throughout the whole body.

One of the more high-profile psoriasis sufferers is Kim Kardashian, who in the past has been seen with big red patches on her arms.

The mum of two,inherited the condition from her mum Kris Jenner and was first diagnosed back in 2010.

Kim told her website: Everyone with psoriasis has different symptoms; sometimes the rashes are itchy, sometimes theyre flaky. Mine flares up from time to time for different reasons.

Model Cara Develvingne also suffers from the skin condition, which is brought on by stress.

Her punishing schedule led her to develop psoriasis which had to be laboriously covered up in thick make-up.

People would put on gloves and not want to touch me because they thought it was, like, leprosy or something, said the 24-year-old.

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What is psoriasis, what are guttate and pustular psoriasis, is there a cure, what causes it and which celebrities ... - The Sun

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Chief medical officer calls for gene testing revolution – BBC News – BBC News

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Tycoons fund biotech firm with ambitions to ‘revolutionise’ cancer treatment – Herald Scotland

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BUSINESS heavyweights Brian Kennedy and Sir Brian Souter have thrown their support behind a Borders-based drug firm that aims to make chemotherapy four times more effective than current treatments.

The tycoons have participated in a 1.8 million funding round at Ryboquin ahead of a planned acquisition of current partner Nanogenic Solutions, which has developed a method for revolutionising the treatment of diseases at a genetic level.

Mr Kennedy, who teamed up with Graeme Souness in an ultimately failed attempt to acquire Rangers in 2012, has also joined the board of the Ryboquin.

The Selkirk-based companys executive chairman Paul Murray said the backing of Mr Kennedy and Sir Brian was testimony to the potential of Ryboquin.

The groups chief executive officer Alan Walker added: Mr Kennedy rose from fairly modest circumstances to a personal wealth of many hundreds of millions through his business acumen. Hes successful, hes shrewd and he is a nice guy who is easy to work with. Hes already brought a new dimension of big business to what is still quite a small company.

Mr Kennedy said: I am delighted to be part of Ryboquin and to be working with the team that could make great progress in the treatment of cancer and other diseases.

Spun out of Edinburgh-based medicine developer Ectopharma in 2013, Ryboquin is focused on commercialising patented intellectual property in the area of delivering gene therapy, primarily to cancer patients.

Going forward, he said the business would continue to develop its own products, but had also agreed in principle to acquire Nanogenics.

Ryboquin currently licenses Nanogenics gene therapy delivery system LipTide, which was initially developed by University College London.

He said there was no timetable for the acquisition but that a seven-figure investment would likely be required in the future.

The acquisition is agreed but not yet actioned so at some point we will require further funding. The implication is that it is good to have shareholders who have a history of wealth, he said.

Mr Walker added that LipTide gave the business a potential revenue stream.

To be quite frank, its been tough trying to raise money through traditional sources, he said. We dont have venture capital money, which is why we place the emphasis on high net worth individuals. But if we can make LipTide a commercial success we can become cash flow positive and the need for equity funding goes down, if not goes away.

The current 1.8m round, led by existing backers, business angel group TRI Capital and Scottish Investment Bank, will be used to accelerate product development and finance corporate expansion.

Mr Walker said clinical trials of its Ryboquin ECP-102 product, currently being developed with the University of Strathclyde, will take place in 2019, with Manchesters Christie hospital the likely venue.

Ryboquin ECP-102 aims to radically improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy, by utilising LipTide, a microscopic particle which delivers RNA (Ribonucleic acid) to affected cells. RNA is one of four major macromolecules, along with DNA, which are essential for all known forms of life.

When the human genome was cracked, we thought we had the solution to all these genetic diseases, but you couldnt deliver the genetic material to the right place and only the right place, so this great promise was not realised, said Mr Thomson. Nanogenics product solves that problem and actually delivers the genetic material.

Currently, there are believed to be some 8,000 diseases caused by mutations in genes, from cystic fibrosis to cancers. And developing a drug delivery system that can treat such diseases on a targeted cellular level has become one of the biggest pursuits in global biotechnology.

This is what genetic medicine has been waiting for all these years; if you can affect specific genes and change [a patients] genetic make-up, youre looking at a revolutionary treatment.

Mr Walker said the company was in discussions with global pharmaceutical companies to promote LipTide. He has recently returned from a trade show in California where he held meetings with 36 potential partners.

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Up close and personal: How the life science industry can improve outcomes through precision medicine – MedCity News

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Earlier this year, theNorth American Association of Central Cancer Registriesestimated that 1.69 million people in the U.S. alone will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in 2017. With such a huge number of people being diagnosed with complex diseases, such as cancer, the industry must continue to step up efforts to improve the outcomes. One option showing considerable potential is taking a precision medicine approach to determine the patients optimal treatment based on their personal molecular makeup and genomic profile.

Precision medicine gained significant attention following the launch of thePrecision Medicine Initiative, which saw the White House under President Obama invest $215 million, to broadly support research, development, innovation into the area.Similar projects, such as the Precision Medicine Catapult in the UK, added to the buzz. This interest, combined with technological developments and advances in data mining, has started to show promising results.

The life sciences industry, however, is facing a roadblock when it comes to turning promising research into a practical treatment option. Clinicians and researchers alike are finding it difficult to understand the data available to them and then translate the findings into treatments that will significantly improve clinical outcomes for patients. So, what can the life science industry do to turn precision medicine into reality?

What is holding back advances?

The emergence of new technology, combined with the use of huge knowledge databases, has been largely credited for recent advances in precision medicine. By using Next Generation Sequencing tools alongside gene expression profiling, physicians and researchers can better understand the makeup of the disease and how it is affecting the patient, within minutes.

By using data and research from previous laboratory experiments, researchers can identify the drug on the market with the highest chances of being effective against the particular proliferation mechanism driving the disease. This type of approach will revolutionize the treatment of complex diseases such as cancer, and in theory could saves countless lives around the globe. However, this requires a blend of deep technical and scientific skills, technical know-how to crunch the data, and scientific understanding to draw accurate clinical inferences. Without this blended approach, precision therapy for cancer will remain promising yet impractical.

Case study: Wake Forest Hospital and Elseviers R&D Solutions

Elsevier completed a precision medicine pilot with Dr. Francisco Castillos from Wake Forest, a small oncology practice in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (NC). The pilot aimed to treat three late-stage cancer patients, who had exhausted all standard-of-care treatment options, using a two-pronged precision medicine approach.

Castillos was able to understand in detail the pathways activated in the individuals cancer using Elseviers Pathway Studio tools. Then, he could point to what FDA-approved drugs that would be effective for the particular molecular mechanism driving the disease, or point to the relevant clinical trials. These analyses were reached through a combination of aggregating and harmonizing data, and Castillos scientific understanding and insight. While this study proves the viability of precision medicine in cancer, it is not an approach that can be replicated at scale.

A better use of data is key to precision medicine success

To achieve successful precision medicine at scale and to be able to offer it as an everyday treatment option, researchers in drug R&D need to better understand and manage the reams of unstructured data available to them. The data generated from understanding disease mechanisms is vital to successful drug development. Researchers need to find actionable insights relating to a particular gene, disease or biomarker, which requires searching the relevant published scientific literature, abstracts and clinical trial data and connecting the disparate pieces of information.

The type of approach conducted by Castillos, combining the use of molecular profiling and data mining tools, will help researchers tap into the existing repository of therapeutic drugs already on the market. In the last 25 years, hundreds of FDA-approved drugs have become available, with well-known mechanisms of action. With this approach, it would be possible to identify which approved therapies may be the best choice for a given patient or patient group/sub-group, based on what is driving their disease at a molecular level.

Not limited to the treatment of cancer

Precision medicine is the face of 21st-century medicine and can be used to treat many complex diseases, even at the earliest of stages, when a tissue biopsy is available and a genomics profile can be evaluated. The one treatment fits all approach is no longer the only viable option. Those suffering from complex diseases such as multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, and depression are prescribed medication every day that proves ineffective due to their genetic makeup and individual factors which determine patient response. According toNNT,the 10 top-selling drugs in the U.S. help at best one in four of the patients using them, or in the worst case just one in 24 patients benefit from the drug theyre taking.

There is no denying that challenges involved with precision medicine are complex and there is lots of work to be done by the life science industry. Despite this, precision medicine will inevitably become the expected method of treatment for many diseases. Back in 2006, there were only13 examplesof precision medicine drugs, treatments and diagnostics products available. By 2014, this number had increased to 113, and is only set to grow following a better understanding of what the data generated by technology actually means, and how it can be used.

To do this, physicians and clinical researchers need to better understand the data available to them using digital solutions that accelerate patient analysis and accurately mine the data. Only then can they can match patients to an FDA-approved drug, and improve outcomes for patients all over the world.

Photo: Getty Images

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Milo Yiannopoulos’ new book is hardly ‘Dangerous’ – USA TODAY

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Jocelyn McClurg , USA TODAY 12:01 a.m. EDT July 4, 2017

by Milo Yiannopoulos

(Dangerous Books)

in Non-Fiction

Oh, Milo.

Youve done the impossible. Written a book thats largelyboring.

Booted by major publishing house Simon & Schuster, controversial right-wing provocateur and incendiary quipsterMilo Yiannopoulos now has self-published his so-called Dangerous manifesto (Dangerous Books, 288 pp., ** out of four stars).

Simon & Schuster, already under fire for signing a "hate speech" book deal with the British bad boy and self-proclaimed Dangerous Faggot, unceremoniously dumped Yiannopoulosin February after a podcast emerged in which he seemed to condone sex between men and boys. He resigned from Breitbart News amid the uproar.

He relives this unpleasant episode right off the bat, bashing S&S and assuring his "enemies" that he has not been "vanquished." But if you're looking for clarity, good luck. He says hewas the "victim of sexual abuse" (he had what apparently was consensual sex with a priest when he was 13) while refusingto be a victim, because, you know, he loathes the victim culture. But he does say: "I do not condone, in any way, pedophilia."

Anyway, a look at the table of contents seems promising, whether you love or hate the guy, although judging by his chapter headings, just abouteverybody hates him. ("Why the Progressive Left Hates Me," Why the Alt-Right Hates Me, Why Twitter Hates Me, Why Feminists Hate Me, "Why the Media Hates Me," Why Black Lives Matter Hates Me, Why Muslims Hate Me).

Yes, Yiannopouloscan be very funny, in that flamboyant, bitchy, post-Oscar Wilde manner he laments is going the way of the closet. (See Why Establishment Gays Hate Me.)

Milo Yiannopoulos had to self-publish his new book after it was dropped by Simon & Schuster.(Photo: Drew Angerer, Getty Images)

When hes preening about how good-looking he is and boasting about his "massive" ego, hes almost endearing in a little-boy-lost kind of way. But too oftenhe tosses wit aside for insipid earnestness: Hewants Dangerous to be taken seriously as a how-to politically incorrect "textbook" for his college fan boys.

He throws around statistics and name-dropshistorical figures (Marx, Nietzsche, Thomas Aquinas) like hes trying for an A on a term paper. The rest of the time he rehashes old feuds (Leslie Jones, Lena Dunham, Amy Schumer) and justifies his far-right political views about ugly women, fat people, Muslim migrants, black criminals and the "fake news"mainstream media.

Of Girls star Dunham, he writes: "My old favorite Lena Dunham is a particular travesty, being both shockinglyunattractive and determined to pose nude or semi-nude at everychance she gets. And she loves bitching about how people give her ahard time about it. So as a thoughtful gentleman, I will comply. Noone wants to see obese hairy men with their tops off, so why doesshe assume people want to see her sprawling naked like a beachedmanatee?" Yiannopoulosis pleased that Dunham is getting "skinny," thanks to stressingover President Trump. Big of him!

Who's your Daddy? Milo Yiannopoulos has a thing for the president.(Photo: Mark Wilson, Getty Images)

Same old Milo, practicing abrand of free speech that's a license tooffend and demean. #Sad, even if one agrees that today's babyfied, "safe space" campusesare just as loony and dangerous on the opposite extreme.

If theres a bright spot here, its Yiannopoulos adoration for fellow Internet troll (his words) Trump. The English expatishilarious on the subject of the American president he worships and calls Daddy.

Trump, Yiannopouloswrites, is a fabulously camp cultural figure. Hes the drag queen president! Its easy to see why so may gays I know secretly adore him. All that pizzazz and bluster!

Now, 288 pages on that amusing topic might even land him a legit publisher and a callback fromBill Maher. He could title it: My Big Daddy Issues.

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Here’s How to Avoid the News (And Enjoy Yourself) Over the 4th of July Holiday – Vogue.com

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No matter your political proclivities, there seems to be one thing people can agree on: The 24/7 onslaught of CNN news alerts, partisan tweets, and Facebook debates is seriously exhausting. Political news overload is real , and its wreaking havoc on the mental health of people across the country. This peak political saturation can really make you yearn for simpler times when people were obsessed with the song of summer , Pokmon Go, or who Taylor Swift is dating. Remember . . . joy?

Perhaps, now more than ever, we need these simple pleasuresthe shows, books, podcasts, and Instagram handles that provide sweet escapes from Trumpland. Vogue rounded up some preferred palate cleansers to help you escape the political crush and dive into your holiday. Whether youre embarking on a lush Instagrammable summer vacation or not, these picks will provide a vacation for the mind.

Podcasts

Who? Weekly Billed as the podcast that tells you everything you need to know about the celebrities you dont, hilarious hosts and entertainment writers Lindsey Weber and Bobby Finger break down the hottest celebrities on the D-list (also know as whos). Finally figuring out who Tarek and Christina El Moussa are has a way of making you forget about Jeff Sessions, at least for a few minutes.

Ronna & Beverly Like the modern-day incarnation of Mike Myerss Coffee Talk sketch on SNL , actress-comedians Jessica Chaffin and Jamie Denbo masterfully masquerade as 50-something Jewish mothers Ronna and Beverly, whose brash, politically incorrect interview style make them perfect for grilling celebrity guests.

Instagram

A distinctly un-political meme-a-palooza:

The meme giantess (in the vein of Betches and The Fat Jewish) will make your late-night phone scrolls fun again.

Babyface Overload:

This feed filled with baby faces, is pure, unadulterated cuteness.

A #WadeWorldTour:

Do yourself a favor and acquaint yourself with Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Unions recent romp through Paris mens Fashion Week and beyond it may inspire some fanfic of your own.

Television

Glow The White House photo ops may be populated entirely by white guys, but Netflixs latest sensationshort for gorgeous ladies of wrestlingis a festival of female power at a time when we need a boost.

The Bachelorette ABCs cheese-tastic reality juggernaut wont necessarily provide solace from the toxic bro culture of Washington, D.C., but the fantasy dates, helicopter aerial viewporn, and free Neil Lane engagement rings dont disappoint in the mindless entertainment department. And Monday night Bachelorette Twitter > political Twitter any time.

Kevin Hart: What Now? You don't have to like his frenetic buddy comedies, but Harts latest stand-up special on Netflixin which he mocks the everyday drama of family life with his wife, kids, and technologically challenged father delivers.

Billy on the Street Pop culture savant Billy Eichners manic roving game show (aka Cash Cab on cocaine, on iTunes and Amazon Video) guarantees actual LOLs. The Russia investigation will be the furthest thing from your mind as Billy thrusts his microphone into unsuspecting New Yorkers faces and demands to know, Are you jealous of Beyoncs success?

Cartoons for adults: Retro reruns (like Frasier and The Office ) have never felt cozier and more reliable. And adult cartoons like Family Guy and The Simpsons , with its silly jabs at society, feel newly funnyand all too relevant.

Music

Jay-Zs 4:44 Not since James Comeys statement will you be so thrilled to deep-dive into a piece of writing , or, in this case, an album. Form your own hot take about what Jays reference to Becky with the Good Hair really means!

Balaga from Broadways Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 cast recording This wild Russian party song beats endless reports about the Russian investigation every time.

Despacito remix (Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi, featuring Justin Bieber) May the emergent song of summer spark a new wave of Latin pop that transports you far, far away from Trumps travel ban.

Books

Harry Potter and Hercule Poirot fanfiction This crossover fanfic between the boy wizard and Agatha Christies most famous detective is an addictive palate cleanser.

Al Franken, Giant of the Senate Musings from one of the original entertainer-turned-politicians prove that having political-outsider status isnt always catastrophicIn Frankens case, its totally hilarious.

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Here's How to Avoid the News (And Enjoy Yourself) Over the 4th of July Holiday - Vogue.com

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Trump’s Celebration of an Exclusionary Vision of Freedom – The Atlantic

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On Saturday night, roughly 12 hours after tweeting that Mika Brzezinski was dumb as a rock and 12 hours before tweeting a video of himself side-slamming CNN, Donald Trump spoke at a Celebrate Freedom Concert at Washingtons Kennedy Center. Journalists covering the event focused on Trumps jabs at the media. But they missed his veiled attack on another group of Americans whose First Amendment rights he threatens: Muslims.

In his remarks, Trump promised (in July!) that, Were going to start saying Merry Christmas again. He referred repeatedly to our God. And he explained that, we want to make sure that anyone who wants to join our country shares our values.

By Trumps standards, those comments might sound anodyne. But consider his audience. The Celebrate Freedom Concert was co-hosted by the First Baptist Church of Dallas. Warming up the crowd before Trump spoke were the churchs choir and orchestra and its senior pastor, Robert Jeffress, one of Trumps favorite evangelicals. During the campaign, when other Christian leaders were criticizing Trumps vulgarity and religious illiteracy, Jeffress declared that, I dont care about that candidates tone or vocabulary, I want the meanest, toughest, son of a you-know-what I can findand I believe thats biblical. Christians, he explained, should look for a strongman. Jeffress later said he was getting sick and tired of these namby-pamby, pantywaisted, weak-kneed Christians who say theyre going to stay home in November out of moral principle.

Trump rewarded Jeffress by inviting him to give the sermon at the church service he attended on inauguration morning. In his remarks, Jeffress told Trump that, I dont believe we have ever had a president with as many natural gifts as you. In May, Trump invited Jeffress to the White House to watch him sign an executive order on religious liberty. As the Messiah College professor John Fea has noted, many Christian conservatives derided Trumps move as meaningless and useless. Not Jeffress, who called Trump the most faith-friendly president in U.S. history. In introducing him at the Freedom Concert on Saturday night, Jeffress said the President has not only met but he has exceeded our every expectation and that we thank God every day that he gave us a leader like Donald Trump

But Jeffress and Trump share more than just a high opinion of Donald Trump. They share a deep antipathy toward Muslims and Islam. Jeffress, to be fair, isnt exactly ecumenical when it comes to any other faith. Hes called Buddhism and Hinduism false religions. Hes said, you cant be saved being a Jew. Hes called Mormonism a cult. And hes called Catholicism a counterfeit religion invented by Satan.

But hes saved his harshest and most extensive vitriol for Islam. In 2010, Jeffress criticized conservatives who opposed building an Islamic Community Center near Ground Zero in lower Manhattan merely because they considered the location insensitive. Jeffress offered a broader justification. The only argument that makes sense against building that mosque, he insisted, is that Islam is an oppressive religion. Islam, he added, is a religion that promotes pedophilia. It is time to take off the gloves and stand up and tell the truth about this evil, evil religion. Jeffress logic, needless to say, justifies opposing the construction of a mosque anywhere in the United States.

In 2015, Jeffress showed up Fox News to defend Ben Carsons claim that a Muslim should not be president. Jeffress explained that he could only vote for a Muslim who disavowed portions of the Koran and renounce[d] Mohammed. That same year, Jeffress called the Koran a false book, Mohammed a false prophet and Islam a false religion that will lead you to hell. Last July, he declared that, Mohammad was nothing but a bloodthirsty warlord. And last March, he said President Obama was once again assuming his favorite role, not as commander in chief but as defender in chief of Islam. By contrast, Jeffress insisted, Donald Trumps statements that Islam hates us was absolutely true. There is something within Islam that is engendering this hatred toward the rest of the world Trump is telling the politically incorrect truth.

Jeffress also shares Trumps enthusiasm for the words Merry Christmas. In 2015 he actually created a website that listed the Dallas-area businesses that used the salutation (they received the honorific nice) and those that did not (which were classified as naughty). But Trumps promotion of the phrase takes on a different meaning at an event co-sponsored by an avowed anti-Muslim bigot. So do Trumps references to our God and his declaration that we want to make sure that anyone who wants to join our country shares our values.

What values, after all, do Trump and Jeffress share? Not a commitment to marital fidelity. Not a commitment to honesty, charity, or humility. The value that unites them, above allthe one that led Jeffress to favor Trump over his more devout, more socially conservative Republican rivals during the primariesis their shared belief that the American government should favor Christianity over Islam. Thats the odd form of freedom they celebrated together at the Kennedy Center on Saturday night.

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Trump's Celebration of an Exclusionary Vision of Freedom - The Atlantic

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Algerian university accused of censorship – BBC News

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BBC News
Algerian university accused of censorship
BBC News
Leila Sidhoum has accused the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Algiers 3 of censorship and intimidation. She said she had already successfully defended her work before a board. Ms Sidhoum, who is also an assistant professor at the ...

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Algerian university accused of censorship - BBC News

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