Monthly Archives: July 2017

In a Lost Baby Tooth, Scientists Find Ancient Denisovan DNA – The … – New York Times

Posted: July 8, 2017 at 3:47 am

We think based on the DNA sequences that Denisova 2 is at least 100,000 years, possibly 150,000 years old. Or a bit more, said Ms. Slon. So far it makes it the oldest Denisovan.

She said the baby tooth is at least 20,000 years older than the next oldest Denisovan specimen, a molar labeled Denisova 8. It is also one of the oldest hominin remains found in Central Asia so far.

To determine the origins of Denisova 2 the team first performed a CT scan of the tooth to preserve its structure for future studies. Then Ms. Slon donned a pair of gloves and used a dentistry tool to scrape off the tooths surface in order to reduce contamination lingering from the cave site or where it was stored. Using a different drill bit, she drilled into its root and collected about 10 milligrams of material, which contained DNA.

After sequencing the DNA she compared genetic information from the sample with genetic data already collected from Denisovans, Neanderthals and modern humans.

We saw it was most similar to Denisovan mitochondrial genomes, she said. That was exciting because that was a good indication that this was another Denisovan individual.

Bence Viola, a paleoanthropologist from the University of Toronto and an author on the paper, said there was not too much to be learned from studying the tooths morphology or appearance.

The genetic analysis, on the other hand, provided the keys to learning more about the species. He said the genetic study was something the team most likely could not have done five years ago without destroying the tooth.

For a long time we didnt want to work on it because its such a small specimen, he said.

But by drilling into the tooth and performing the genetic analysis the scientists were able to not only figure out who it belonged to, but also provide relative dates for when the Denisovan lived. The study also suggests that the species had less genetic variability than modern humans, but more genetic diversity than seen in Neanderthal nuclear DNA.

Todd R. Disotell, a molecular anthropologist from New York University who was not involved in the study, said that the teams genetic analysis was rock solid. He said that what he found most interesting was how old the sample was, which showed how long Denisovans lived around the cave, and the insight it provided to the species genetic variation.

This is four people in one cave and they have more variation than is in the Neanderthals, which are spread over 10,000 kilometers and over several hundreds of thousands of years.

He added that the findings help show the diversity of humanlike species that once inhabited Earth at the same time.

Dr. Bernard A. Wood, a professor of human origins at the Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology at George Washington University, said the paper demonstrated the power of molecular biology as a tool for paleoanthropology.

Talk about extracting blood from a stone, he said, this is extracting treasure from a tooth.

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DNA Copying is More Random Than We Thought – R & D Magazine

Posted: at 3:47 am

For the first time, scientists have been able to watch individual steps in the replication of a single DNA molecule and found that the process contains much more randomness than previously thought.

Almost all life on Earth is based on DNA being copied, or replicated, and understanding how this process works could lead to a wide range of discoveries in biology and medicine.

Its a different way of thinking about replication that raises new questions, says Stephen Kowalczykowski, professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at the University of California, Davis.

Using sophisticated imaging technology and a great deal of patience, the researchers were able to watch DNA from E. coli bacteria as it replicated and measure how fast enzyme machinery worked on the different strands.

How DNA replication works

The DNA double helix is made from two strands that run in opposite directions. Each strand is made of a series of bases, A, T, C, and G, that pair up between the strands: A to T and C to G.

The first step in replication is an enzyme called helicase that unwinds and unzips the double helix into two single strands. An enzyme called primase attaches a primer to each strand that allows replication to start, then another enzyme called DNA polymerase attaches at the primer and moves along the strand adding new letters to form a new double helix.

Because the two strands in the double helix run in opposite directions, the polymerases work differently on the two strands. On one strandthe leading strandthe polymerase can move continuously, leaving a trail of new double-stranded DNA behind it. But on the other, lagging strand, the polymerase has to move in starts, attaching, producing a short stretch of double stranded DNA, then dropping off and starting again.

Conventional wisdom is that the polymerases on the leading and lagging strands are somehow coordinated so that one does not get ahead of the other. If that did happen, it would create stretches of single-stranded DNA that are highly susceptible to damaging mutations.

Banners in the breeze

To carry out their experiment, the researchers used a circular piece of DNA, attached to a glass slide by a short tail. As the replication machinery rolls around the circle, the tail gets longer.

They could switch replication on by adding chemical fuel (nucleoside triphosphates, NTPs) and used a fluorescent dye that attaches to double-stranded DNA to light up the growing strands.

Finally, the whole set up is in a flow chamber, so the DNA strands stretch out like banners in the breeze.

A real paradigm shift

Once the researchers started watching individual DNA strands, they noticed something unexpected. Replication stops unpredictably, and when it starts up again, can change speed.

The speed can vary about tenfold, Kowalczykowski says.

Sometimes the lagging strand synthesis stops, but the leading strand continues to grow. This shows up as a dark area in the glowing strand, because the dye doesnt stick to single-stranded DNA.

Weve shown that there is no coordination between synthesis of the two strands. They are completely autonomous, Kowalczykowski says.

What looks like coordination is actually the outcome of a random process of starting, stopping, and variable speeds. Over time, any one DNA polymerase will move at an average speed; look at a number of DNA polymerases synthesizing DNA strands over time, and they will have the same average speed.

Kowalczykowski likens it to traffic on a freeway.

Sometimes the traffic in the next lane is moving faster and passing you, and then you pass it. But if you travel far enough you get to the same place at the same time, he explains.

The researchers also found a kind of dead mans switch or automatic brake on the helicase, which unzips DNA ahead of the rest of the enzymes.

When polymerase stops, helicase can keep moving, potentially opening up a gap of unwound DNA that could be vulnerable to damage. In fact, exposed single-strand DNA sets off an alarm signal inside the cell that activates repair enzymes.

But it turns out that when it gets uncoupled and starts to run away from the rest of the replication complex, helicase slows down about fivefold. So it can chug along until the rest of the enzymes catch up, then speed up again.

This new stochastic view is a new way of thinking about DNA replication and other biochemical processes, Kowalczykowski says.

Its a real paradigm shift, and undermines a great deal of whats in the textbooks, he says.

A paper outlining the research appears in the journal Cell. Additional coauthors are from University of California, Davis and the Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The National Institutes of Health supported this work through grants.

Source:http://www.futurity.org/dna-replication-up-close-1476752

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New DNA Tech Creates Digital ‘Sketch’ of Terrorists’ Faces (Video) – 107.180.56.147 (press release) (registration) (blog)

Posted: at 3:47 am

Bad news for criminals who are trying to remain hidden, nameless and faceless. New technology can predict what a terrorists face looks like from less than a drop of blood or single strand of hair.

Called the Parabon Snapshot, this new groundbreaking technology can take traces of DNA and literally put a face to the crime.

From a terrorist who built a bomb intended to kill hundreds of Americans through to a thief who stole your grandmothers handbag, this is the sort of American innovation that makes it hard for a bad guy to stay anonymous.

(Law enforcement now has a new DNA tool that helps nab suspects and close cases. The service, developed by Parabon NanoLabs of Reston, Virginia, is called the Parabon Snapshot DNA Phenotyping Service (Snapshot). It predicts the physical appearance of individuals from the smallest of DNA evidence samples, creating a composite image or snapshot of any DNA source. Courtesy ofParabonand YouTube)

Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) funded this exciting innovation and Parabon NanoLabs created it. DTRA safeguards Americans by focusing on combating weapons of mass destruction around the clock.

In war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan, there are networks that build improvised explosive devices or IEDs. As such, there has been an urgent need to provide enhanced tools to help military teams identify, track, dismantle and defeat terrorist networks.

Similarly, terrorist plots such as the recent attacks in Manchester, Brussels and Paris have involved explosive devices so investigators immediately searched for clues to identify the bombmaker or possible bomb making network.

Snapshot is one very exciting solution for both the military and law enforcement. If the bombmaker left any trace of DNA, then the tech can take it and read the DNAs code to build a composite image of the bombmaker.

This new technology can build a picture, but how good is it? Extremely good.

Snapshot can predict the shape of a persons face. Within the face, it will predict the terrorist or criminals eye color and hair color. The tech can reveal skin color, going so far as to add the degree of freckling or pigmentation.

And it can accurately predict not just the appearance of the criminal, but also biogeographic ancestry in great detail as well.

In the simplest terms, the Parabon Snapshot uses DNA to build a picture of what a criminal looks like.

Effectively, Snapshot reverse engineers the DNA to provide a picture. It can do this because DNA carries genetic instruction that dictates a persons physical characteristics. Snapshot understands how this genetic data translates into physical appearance.

If you give Snapshot a DNA sample, it can then read thousands of the genotypes also known as genetic variants and translate them into a visual image of a perpetrator.

This is a big leap ahead for the use of DNA in capturing terrorists and criminals.

Just like how each persons fingerprint is unique, the same is true for DNA. A forensic DNA sample from a crime scene or terrorist strike can be matched to a database, for example, to try to identify the culprit.

But now if there is no match in a database, then there is still a way to use the DNA to put a face to the crime.

Investigators can use the DNA as a human blueprint too and have Snapshot transform it into a picture.

Early adopters in law enforcement, military and counter terrorism team have had great success with this new tool. It has been so successful that in that short span of time, Snapshot has been used by more than 80 agencies and Snapshot analysis has been undertaken in ten countries.

Investigators have been using Snapshot to help solve tough current criminal cases as well as crack cold cases.

Detectives from the Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland,for example, recently used the Parabon technology to create a composite for a suspect in a series of unsolved burglaries and rapes that occurred between June 19, 2010 and Sept. 2, 2012.

(The Montgomery County Police Department held a news conference on Monday to discuss an unsolved 1992 homicide and to release a new suspect composite that has been produced by Parabon NanoLabs. Courtesy ofmyMCMediaand YouTube. Posted on June 12, 2017)

The technology has alsoreportedlybeen used by police in Florida to make arrests related to a 2011 homicide.

Rockingham County Sherriffs Office in North Carolina also used Parabon technology during its successful investigation intothemurdersof Douglas Troy andLaDonna French.

Although there was lots of different DNA at the crime scene, there was no police database match. In Januray 2015,a month after the debut of Parabons Snapshot service,Rockingham County Sherriffs Office contacted the company.

Jos Alvarez, Jr.was arrested for the murder in August 2015.

In July 2016 Alvarez pled guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and was sentenced to two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.

(Learn More. Courtesy ofQ13 Fox News, Dark Sleuth and YouTube. Posted on April 6, 2016)

Other applications

Beyond a military and law enforcement tool, Parabonsaysit is developing other potential applications for their research, including the ability to predict the risk of developing Alzheimers Disease.

Original posthttp://www.foxnews.com/tech/2017/07/06/new-dna-technology-creates-digital-sketch-terrorists-faces.html

To contact Parabon, visit their website athttps://snapshot.parabon-nanolabs.com/.

For ordering information, please emailsnapshot@parabon-nanolabs.comor call(703) 689-9689 x251

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The Psoriasis Myth – Medical News Bulletin

Posted: at 3:45 am

Myth: Psoriasis is a disease that will impact someone for the entire lifetime, there is no cure.

Truth: This is false. Almost psoriasis is a very persistent disease, there are number of treatments that can be used to help combat this ailment. Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease in which the bodys immune cells start to attack itself. Psoriasis affects approximately 2% of all adults and is often associated with a poor quality of life and other diseases such as obesity and diabetes hypertension and metabolic syndrome. In this disease, an immune cell called interleukin-23 is hypothesized to play an important role in the bodys inappropriate inflammatory state. This Al is believed to be responsible for inducing and maintaining inflammatory cells. Currently, there are a number of available therapies that can be used to help treat psoriasis. Some of these treatments include antibodies whose purpose is to attack immune cells responsible for the inflammatory response in the body. One example is Ustekinumab, which targets a subunit in interleukin-23. Previous research has shown that this drug is safe, well-tolerated, and effective in treating psoriasis patients.

Recently, a clinical trial compared the efficacy onset, and duration of clinical response between Ustekinumab and another antibody drug, risankizumab. In this study, patients were administered one of the two antibodies and were analyzed for their responses. Although both drugs prove to be effective against arises in more than half of the patients, it was found that Usenkinumab was more effective. As well, it was found that patients who were administered Usenkinumab had both faster and longer benefits in response to this drug, in comparison to riskankizumab. Read more about the effectiveness of different antibody treatments in psoriasis here.

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Debate Rages Over Safety Of CRISPR Gene-Editing Technique – IFLScience

Posted: at 3:45 am

In the last few years, CRISPR the precise and easily available gene-editing technique has gone from strength to strength. Right now, its more potential than practical, but its uses are almost countless. From removing genetic diseases from babies before they are born to causing cancerous cells to self-destruct, its more likely than not it will rapidly become a key tenet of modern medicine.

The technique is being used in a massive number of trials right now, and a few of them have highlighted that its far from fully understood and far from being perfected. One particularly controversial study released back in May claimed that CRISPR was in fact dangerous, but now another study, currently sitting on the bioRxiv pre-print server, has dismissed this research as flawed.

The original study looked at the effect of using CRISPR in mice, and found that it introduced a large number of previously unknown mutations into their genome. The mice were blind, and the gene-editing technique was used to effectively cure them of this affliction.

While it was successful, it also appeared to inadvertently lead to mutations elsewhere at least 1,500 of them, in fact. Of these, just over 100 mutations were more serious, involving not just DNA base pair changes, but full deletions or insertions of new segments of DNA.

What is CRISPR? Wired via YouTube

Although there were no physiological side effects, unwanted mutations are always a cause for concern. As a result, the authors concluded that CRISPR has the potential to be quite hazardous to the normal operation of biological systems.

When this study was released, it caused quite a stir. Similar studies had only shown a handful of changes, which turned out to be harmless. People were quick to point out that the study was very small, involving just three mice, and that the changes made elsewhere on their genomes could easily be attributed to normal genetic mutations that take place all the time.

Now, a Harvard University-led team have suggested that these unwanted mutations have a far more innocuous explanation.

Apart from the fact that there is no direct line of evidence demonstrating that CRISPR caused the mutations, the team note that the mice used in the study were very closely related. This means that whatever mutations one had, the other would have had too.

Combined with the fact that the mutations were found nowhere near the actual gene-editing site, the authors conclude that, once again, CRISPR is probably safe after all. Plenty more trials are needed to verify this, of course but the point here is that this study raised a massive red flag when it wasnt justified in doing so.

[H/T: New Scientist]

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Family coping as daughter suffers from rare genetic disorder – The Augusta Chronicle

Posted: at 3:45 am

BEECH ISLAND The brand-new bright pink wheelchair sits in a corner in the darkened living room while 5-year-old Kylee OShields sits in the old one in the living room. There is an improvised foam padding to cover the metal where the headrest fell off and she loses a piece of her wheelchair wherever she goes, said her father, Rick.

The OShields like the new wheelchair provided by South Carolina Medicaid but its just too heavy and the family is trying to raise money to buy a wheelchair van for the nearly daily trips the girl must make to doctors appointments and therapy. It is just the latest challenge for a family with a girl born with a very rare genetic disorder.

Kylee has Bohring-Opitz syndrome and it is a bit of a mystery how many other children there are like her. The Genetics Home Reference of the National Library of Medicine cites two previous studies, one of which includes Kylee, of 40 documented cases worldwide. But the OShields are part of a Facebook support group for parents of children with the syndrome and they think there is closer to 100 worldwide.

The syndrome is caused by a gene mutation and children with it often have distinctive eye and skull shapes, developmental delay and poor muscle tone, among other health problems. In Kylees case, when she was born she was diagnosed with a joint disorder but after the family started a Facebook page for her that got international attention, other mothers messaged her to tell her to look into different syndromes.

A blood test sent to a lab in the Netherlands turned up the genetic defect. The syndrome also has a high prevalence of a particular kidney cancer called Wilms tumor and when the family had her checked there was one already covering 75 percent of her kidneys. Quick treatment probably saved her life, but the family said it showed divine intervention.

In recent years Kylee has nearly doubled in size to about 50 pounds, making it difficult for her mother to get her in and out of their current van as well. Medicaid will help pay for a conversion of the current van but it already has 115,000 miles on it and the family is wary of putting all of that money into a van that wont last.

The family has started a GoFundMe page and will hold a fundraiser July 29 at Midland Valley Community Church of the Nazarene. They think it will take about $50,000 to get a suitable van.

Because the syndrome is so rare and because each child is different, there is no roadmap for the family to follow on what Kylees future might hold. She cant crawl or walk but her therapists are working on strengthening her legs and use a type of walker to get her hips used to standing. One mother of a child with the syndrome proudly posted a photo of her daughter sitting up for 30-40 seconds.

We share in the achievements, Laura OShields said. The support group allows them to keep in touch and offer advice. When one child had problems with constant vomiting, something Kylee went through, I was able to suggest things to them, Laura OShields said.

Sometimes, when they are out with Kylee in public, people will offer their sympathies but Laura OShields has a polite response to their pity.

Why? she asked. Shes fine. Shes growing. Shes happy.

Reach Tom Corwin at (706) 823-3213

or tom.corwin@augustachronicle.com.

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Saturday’s Sound Off – The Mercury

Posted: at 3:44 am

Well the property tax bill is here again. Another year and nothing has been done. What are our state representatives doing? I know what Rep. Tim Hennessey is doing, nothing. He is all for property taxes. We need someone who will work for us, not against us. This person is not Tim Hennessey,

A Senior

All 13 judges on the Ninth and Fourth Circuit Courts who ruled against President Trumps travel ban were all appointed by a Democratic president. How can they all be that stupid or is it political judicial activism at work because a good high school student knows the Constitution better than that? We still have a lot of draining to do yet in Washington.

Truth Be Told

Why did they put rusty guard rails along Industrial Highway? Maybe they will paint them bright yellow yet.

This place is politically incorrect. We say Merry Christmas and One nation under God. We salute our flag and give thanks to our troops. If this offends you, leave. Happy Birthday America.

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For Sanatoga Sam the only thing that Trump is trying to do is to get the Federal Reserve under his control to line his greedy little pockets far far more than they already are. He is truly a thief. Keep following him and youll be on the outside looking in. Also, for the Revolutionist, you cannot lose something you have never had.

Former Republican

During the campaign, Donald Trump said he could go out in the street and shoot someone and wouldnt lose any votes. So picture this Trump supporters: youre walking down the street with your family, Trump comes out and shoots somebody. You turn to him and say Thank you sir, Im sure they all deserved it. I could actually see that happening.

Just remember the names Smith and Flynn with Russian collusion for Trump.

Jay Miller

This is in response to Sanatoga Paul Reveres comments about the lefties holding Trump back. The Republicans have the House, the Senate and the White House and they cant agree on anything, yet you have to be like Trump and blame it on the lefties and the Democrats. You like Trump probably cant even have a family reunion because it would break out in a horrific fight.

Last Saturday night I wanted to go to the baseball game but my wife wanted to go to the movies. I was outvoted 1-1 again.

Sarcastic Sam

This is for Fact. Under Obamas watch there were a great number of elderly veterans who died waiting to get into the VA because of the ineptitude run under Obama and the red tape. And heres another thing Fact, check out the veterans and the last three years under Obama who committed suicide. Wait till you Google that number. Its all there. So check it out and then why dont you get back to us and tell us what those numbers were because we do have it here.

Moms Mobley

Besides his hair color, charitable donations, sexual assaults, the law, health care, ISIS, Obama, Clinton, the properties he owns, his tax returns, his golf score, the fake Time magazine covers, the amount of money he got from his dad, Russia and making America great again, he hardly lied about anything believe me.

As an American I would like to ask you a question. How safe and secure can we feel knowing that our leaders have a problem with the truth and the facts? Can you go to sleep at night without worrying about what your leader is going to tweet at 4 a.m.? The truth is about the nation of our great nation and it looks like the foundation is crumbling.

KM

On July 4 I watched the movie Independence Day and its too bad that our current president isnt like the president in that movie, Mr. Whitmore, played by Bill Pullman. We need a president like him.

Jean

To the person that tried to compare heroin to opioid painkiller abuse, give it some real thought. Painkillers are pills taken by mouth. Heroin you put in a needle to inject it. Theyre not the same. Stop trying to compare it and stop trying to say how painkillers lead to that. Theyre not the same in any way. Get the facts straight.

I am a Democrat and yes Donald Trump is my president. I just wish he would start acting like one and stop acting like hes still in the second grade. Grow up, be a man and man-up. Just do your job.

I dont really believe these stories about genetically modified food being bad for you. I just had a delicious leg of flounder and I feel fine.

Jim Fitch

Sound Off is a forum to spur dialogue from residents of the communities we serve on topics of interest in those communities. Fair game are comments that raise issues of note or amplify ongoing debates.

We will not publish comments that are potentially libelous, slanderous, mean-spirited, vulgar or inappropriate. Publications of Sound Off comments are at the sole discretion of the publisher.

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Reason You’re Alive is a feel-good experience – TheSpec.com

Posted: at 3:44 am


TheSpec.com
Reason You're Alive is a feel-good experience
TheSpec.com
The author of "The Silver Linings Playbook" introduces readers to David Granger, a politically incorrect Vietnam veteran who takes pride in the fact that he's basically too ornery to die. By book's end, everyone will wind up loving the camouflage ...

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How anti-choice zealots cry censorship whenever they are challenged – Salon

Posted: at 3:44 am

If youve made a habit of either watching Fox News Tucker Carlson Tonight or following the anti-abortion groups that frequently appear on the program, then youve heard allegations that these organizations and the anti-choice misinformation they spread are being censored by any number of media platforms.

Most recently, Lila Rose, founder of the anti-abortion group Live Action, appeared on the June 26 edition of Tucker Carlson Tonight and claimed that Twitter was censoring Live Actions ads. Beyond alleging that Twitter was biased against the anti-abortion group, Rose also conveniently mentioned that Live Action had a $40,000 fundraising goal to meet within the week. Mere hours after Roses appearance, Live Actions homepage carried alarge addecrying Twitters censorship and begging for donations to meet the fundraising deadline. By June 30, the organization had reached its fundraising goal and wasaskingsupporters to continue donating in order to guarantee it could continue working to expose the abortion industry.

Rose is merely the latest person in a long list of anti-abortion extremists to baselessly allege censorship as a tactic in order to raise support and rile up right-wing media allies. When viewed as part of a larger pattern of behavior, it becomes clear that for these anti-abortion groups, crying censorshipto any perceived slight functions as a strategy to gain attention and support for their anti-choice misinformation.

Live Action ads and Twitter

During her June 26appearanceon Tucker Carlson Tonight, Rose claimed that Twitter was refusing to promote ads from either her or Live Actions Twitter accounts. Rose alleged that a Twitter bot had been telling them for months, that this is banned, we wont let you put this out. According to Rose, It took over a year for us to finally get from Twitter whats wrong with these tweets. and finally they said that any tweet that shows an ultrasound, that shows a prenatal life and affirms it, that exposes Planned Parenthood, violates the hate and sensitive policy. Carlson echoed Roses allegations and called Twitters policy an atrocity.

In a blog post, Live Actionpointedto Twitters advertising policies against inflammatory content andalleged that Twitter told them to delete tweets calling for the end of taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood, tweets of our undercover investigations into Planned Parenthood, and tweets including ultrasound images of fetuses. Live Action includedemailsfrom Twitter support staff in the blog post, in which a Twitter representative citedtweets mentioninginfanticideand anotherincluding abirth videoas examples of content that violatedthe platforms sensitive advertising content policy.

The hate and sensitive policy Rose cited is in actuality the platformsad policyon hate content, sensitive topics, and violence. In a statement to Carlson, the social media platformsaid, Twitter has clear, transparent rules that every advertiser is required to follow, and the political viewpoints of an organization do not impact how these rules are applied. Twitters hate content policy also covershate speech or advocacy; violence or threats of violence against people or animals; glorification of self-harm or related content; organizations associated with promoting hate; and offensive, vulgar, abusive or obscene content.

Despite this, Live Actionhas continued to assert that Twitter is playing politics,citinga few tweets by Planned Parenthood to demonstrate the perceived imbalance. These Planned Parenthood tweets mention extremists and talk about Trump defunding the non-profit but without pointing an accusatory finger at a specific group. Many of Live Actions tweets which Twitter did not accept as ads target Planned Parenthood specifically.

Letsnot forgot Live Action is still free to tweet and keep such content on its Twitter account, as Roseclarifiedduring an interview onEWTN News Nightly. The content merely does not meet clear and non-ideological standards for promotion or sponsorship, as dictated by Twitters easily locatedadvertising policies.

Given these facts, it appears that Roses appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight and claims of censorship werepart of a fundraising strategy for Live Action. As RosetoldCarlson, Were actually doing a campaign right now to get people to fund Live Action and to get out the information that Twitter is trying to block using other platforms using Facebook, using YouTube, using the blogosphere, obviously coming on here and talking with you.

After Roses June 26 appearance, Live Action sent afundraisingemailabout the segment, claiming that Live Action is being suppressed and asking supporters to help us strengthen our efforts against the abortion industry. Live Actions censorship allegations also animated other right-wing media outlets.The Washington Timespromoteditsfundraising appeal, stating, Looking to take their business elsewhere, Live Action started a campaign to raise money to inundate other social media platforms with the pro-life message. On June 29, Christian Broadcasting Network published an article on Live Actions claims about Twitters ad policy, at the end of which itstatedthat Live Action has launched a campaign to compensate for their losses due to Twitters censoring, and directed readers to Live Actions fundraising page.RoseandLive ActionalsopushedthenarrativeonTwitter, using the hashtag #DontDeleteMe despite all content remainingpubliclyavailable on the platform.

Center for Medical Progress videos

In May 2017, the anti-abortion group Center for Medical Progress (CMP)circulateddeceptive video footage that had been barred from release by a federal judge. The videoquickly spreadthrough social media accounts of anti-abortion leaders and groups before Judge William Orrick ordered all copies of the video be taken down as there was aheightened concernfor the safety of abortion providers identified in the footage.

As copiesof the video were removed following Orricks order, anti-choice activists claimedcensorship had occurred and pointed a finger at almost every social media platform as potential culprits. During a May 31appearanceon Fox News Tucker Carlson Tonight, Rose accused both YouTube and Twitter of participating in the chilling effect right now on journalism that is the opposing viewpoint on abortion by complying with the court order to remove the video. Live Action alsoclaimedthat YouTube had caved to the abortion industrys censorship pressure while LifeSiteNewsarguedthat video hosting websites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Vimeo were on a witch hunt against the latest undercover Planned Parenthood video, deleting instances of it wherever they find it.

The anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony ListaccusedYouTube of partnering with Planned Parenthood to cover up the truth that #PPSellsBabyParts a common social media hashtag among staunch anti-choice activists. Liz Wheeler of right-wing news outlet One America News Network (OANN) took personal offense when YouTube removed a clip of her show, Tipping Point, in which she played some of the barred footage. In a follow-up clip, amusinglyavailable on OANNs YouTube channel, Wheeler said YouTube was trying to silence me and asked, What are liberals so afraid people will see that theyll censor me to ensure nobody sees [footage from the barred video].

Although anti-choice groups and right-wing media outlets alike cried censorshipwhen various platforms removed the video, the fact remains that itwas legally barred from release giving these platforms little choice even if they agreed with CMPs highlydiscreditedclaims. Undeterred, these groups and outlets evenextendedtheir criticisms to attack Orrick andattemptedto have him removed from CMPs case an effort that another federal judge ultimatelydismissedas lacking merit.Despite claiming the video was being censored, anti-choice groups still (somehow!)continuedto re-post andspreadthe video across the internet after Orricks order.

Operation Rescues Google ranking

The extremistanti-choice groupOperation Rescueclaimedthat Google was engaged in censorship after its page views decreased for when internet users searched forabortions in US orabortion statistics. The group alleged that Googles search engine has manipulated search parameters to dramatically reduce exposure to Operation Rescues webpages containing misleading abortion statistics.

In April, Googleannounceda policy change regarding how sites containing misleading or false information would be ranked. If Google is censoring anti-abortion pages as Operation Rescue argued it isnot doing a great job with it. Although the page rankings fluctuate,search results for abortions in US and abortion statistic still yield anti-choice sites, includingFox News, National Right to Life Committee, abortion73, and American Life League.

By alleging it wasbeing censored, Operation Rescue effectively sounded the alarm for other anti-abortion groups to use their own rankings on Googles search results to claim discrimination and promote their content. Within a day of OperationRescues initial post, similar stories were running onLifeNewsand the right-wing outletOneNewsNow. Operation Rescue also sent a fundraisingemailasking for support to launch a massive campaign to ensure our critical abortion research and pro-life content is available, and no longer pushed down by the pro-abortion radicals at Google.

March for Life coverage

Every January, anti-abortion groups andmediaoutletsallegethatmainstreammedia are censoring their protest, called the March for Life, againsttheRoe v. Wadedecision. The supposed lack of coverage has galled anti-abortion groups to such an extent that they started anumbrella groupcalled Alliance for Fair Coverage of Life Issues, which primarily focuses on the March for Life Media Censorship. Many members of the group havecomplainedabout the media blackout of the March for Life on major media platforms. Rep. Alex Mooney R-W.Va., who is one of the two politicians in the Alliance, stated, The liberal medias consistent censorship of the annual March for Life is nothing short of shameful.

However, as some right-wing media outlets have themselves suggested, describing coverage of the March for Life as suffering from consistent censorship is inaccurate.After the most recent March for Life, the extreme right-wing outlet Church Militantpraisedthe media because the 2017 March for Life is receiving more media coverage than ever. Church Militant pointed out thatC-SPANandCNNlivestreamed the march, whileNPRfeatured stories from attendees. In addition,The New York Times,The Washington Post, andABC Newsall ran stories about the march.

The March for Life also benefited from the attention garnered by the Womens March in January 2017. Several anti-abortion groups and individuals tried toco-optthe message of the Womens March to push a so-called feminist anti-choice message. The Womens March ultimatelyadopteda pro-choice message, but the anti-abortion groups stillgainedsubstantialmediacoveragefrombeingsupposedlybannedfrom being sponsors ofthe Womens March.

Anti-abortion messages at schools

In March,anti-choicegroupsandmediaoutletsbegan crying censorship when anti-abortion chalk messages scrawled by a chapter of Students for Life of America (SFLA) were scrubbed from sidewalks at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. Thehate groupAlliance Defending Freedom (ADF) came to SFLAs defensedeclaring, University officials cant chalk up their censorship to following orders to enforce an unconstitutional campus policy on sidewalk chalking. SFLA President Kristan Hawkinsagreed, saying, Too frequently we see that public colleges and universities feel they can engage in censorship of a student group just because officials dont agree with the viewpoint of those students.

In reality, the messages had beenremovedovernight during a regular cleaning process, and had nothing to do with the content of the chalking.

Hawkins also usedTucker Carlson Tonights right-wing platform toraiseanother issue of censorship in schools. During the June 2 appearance on the show, Hawkins supported a high school student whoclaimedher school had denied her permission to form a SFLA chapterbecause it was too controversial. According to school officials, the studentssimplydidnt followthe requirements for club formation and would be approved once they did.

Buffer zones

In 2014, ADF successfully arguedMcCullen v. Coakleybefore the Supreme Court,striking downa Massachusetts buffer zone law that banned anti-choice protestors inside a 35-feet parameter around abortion clinics. ADFclaimedthat this buffer zone in which anti-abortion extremists were not allowed to protest created a censorship zone where the First Amendment doesnt apply. Equating buffer zones with censorship has been a common tactic of anti-choice groups when challenging laws that mandate them. For example, ADF alsousedthe censorship zone argument when arguing against a Pittsburghordinance. Similarly, the anti-abortion group Created EqualclaimedOhios 15-feet buffer zone constituted a censorship zone that infringed on its right to protest outside abortion clinics.

Despite censorshipclaims from anti-abortion groups, buffer zones are essential for abortion access and to deter threats of violence against patients, providers, and clinics. The Massachusetts ordinance that was struck down inMcCullen v. Coakleywasoriginally introducedbecause of a 1994 shooting at a Brookline, MA clinic that killed two people. While anti-abortion protesters complain about the ability to spout their hateful rhetoric,violenceat abortion clinics has not only continued but increased in recent years; in 2015, ashootingat a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic killed three people and injured nine more. Data from the National Abortion Federation (NAF)showsthat protests outside abortion clinics rose in 2016 to the highest level since NAF began tracking them in 1977. There wasalsoan increase in a wide range of intimidation tactics meant to disrupt the provision of health care at facilities, including vandalism, picketing, obstruction, invasion, trespassing, burglary, stalking, assault and battery, and bomb threats.

As recent cases in Kentucky and Missouri have shown, someanti-choicegroupsintentionally harass abortion providers or engage in civil disobedience outside clinics. When these groups face backlash or legal pushback, they invokecensorshipas a tactic in order to continue their campaigns of harassment.

Crying censorship: An anti-choice tactic

These examples are wide-ranging, reaching from social media platforms, to news coverage, to sidewalk access, but the common thread and indeed, the underlying tactic at play is anti-abortion groups labeling a perceived injustice against them as censorship.These groups have much to gain and very little to lose by employing this tactic. By claiming theyve been unjustly censored, anti-abortion groups not only elevate their lies and misinformation, they are also able to incite followers and raise funds by claiming they are being persecuted.

Crying censorship is a win-win tactic for anti-abortion extremists. Meanwhile, clinic intimidation andviolencecontinues to rise asright-wing mediaagitate their increasingly polarized base to support anti-abortion causes,and an increasing number oflawsare being implemented to limit abortion rights. Anti-choice organizations also have thebenefitof PresidentDonald Trumpsadministrationbeing filled withanti-choiceextremistsalreadyon arampageagainstabortionandcontraception access.

But please, thoughyou have an overtlyanti-choice administration that relies on a direct pipeline of information from anti-abortion extremists, continue to feign outrage about being unable to place ads on Twitter.

Read more:
How anti-choice zealots cry censorship whenever they are challenged - Salon

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Glenn Greenwald: CNN Engaged In ‘Corporate Bullying And Creepy Censorship’ On Pro-Trump Reddit Story – Townhall

Posted: at 3:44 am

CNN is still licking their wounds after a rather disastrous couple of weeks, where a shoddy Russia-Trump story led to three staffers resigning, a Project Veritas investigation exposed that the network's producers peddled the Russia story for ratings, and what came off as a wholly inappropriate veiled threat against an anonymous Reddit user who created a Trump WWE video, which the president tweeted before the Fourth of July Holiday. The video shows Trump beating up WWEs Vince McMahon, whose face has been superimposed with the CNN logo. The media went apoplectic as an attack against the press; it wasnt. This spurred the network's reporters to find the user and pretty much threaten to dox him if he continues to post things CNN doesnt like. Yet, before we get to that, lets revisit the Russia-Trump story that had to be retracted, along with The Intercepts Glenn Greenwald torching the media for their repeated trip ups in covering this story.

Three prominent CNN journalists resigned Monday night after the network was forced to retract and apologize for a story linking Trump ally Anthony Scaramucci to a Russian investment fund under congressional investigation. That article like so much Russia reporting from the U.S. media was based on a single anonymous source, and now, the network cannot vouch for the accuracy of its central claims.

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Several factors compound CNNs embarrassment here. To begin with, CNNs story was first debunked by an article in Sputnik News, which explained that the investment fund documented several factual inaccuracies in the report (including that the fund is not even part of the Russian bank, Vnesheconombank, that is under investigation), and by Breitbart, which cited numerous other factual inaccuracies.

And this episode follows an embarrassing correction CNN was forced to issue earlier this month when several of its highest-profile on-air personalities asserted based on anonymous sources that James Comey, in his congressional testimony, was going to deny Trumps claim that the FBI director assured him he was not the target of any investigation.

Greenwald then lays into other outlets for peddling shoddy stories, like the Russian hacking into the Vermont power grid, the piece about an anonymous group identifying sites that peddled disinformation stories planted by Russia, the server in Trump Tower thats used to communicate with a Russian bank, and the claim that Wikileaks Julian Assange and Vladimir Putin are best friendsall of which fell apart. Yet, the media wonders why conservatives are using them for punching bags; its because theyre on a witch-hunt against this president. Not only that, theyre sucking at it. It only gives the Trump administration more ammunition and more for his supporters to relish when he delivers an uppercut to the liberal news media, who for months could not contain their outrage that he beat her majesty, Hillary Rodham Clinton. He noted that no one is perfect, and that we all make mistakes. Townhall (and by Townhall, I mean myselfmea culpa) posted about the Vermont grid story, albeit a short blurb that really didnt go into a deep dive, but it was not correct and we added a correction. At the same time, were not in the same mold as other outlets concerning the Russian threat. To this day, there is zero evidence that Trump campaign officials colluded with the Russians to tilt the election.

What is most notable about these episodes is that they all go in the same direction: hyping and exaggerating the threat posed by the Kremlin. All media outlets will make mistakes; that is to be expected. But when all of the mistakes are devoted to the same rhetorical theme, and when they all end up advancing the same narrative goal, it seems clear that they are not the byproduct of mere garden-variety journalistic mistakes.

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The importance of this journalistic malfeasance when it comes to Russia, a nuclear-armed power, cannot be overstated. This is the story that has dominated U.S. politics for more than a year. Ratcheting up tensions between these two historically hostile powers is incredibly inflammatory and dangerous. All kinds of claims, no matter how little evidence there is to support them, have flooded U.S. political discourse and have been treated as proven fact.

And thats all independent of how journalistic recklessness fuels, and gives credence to, the Trump administrations campaign to discredit journalism generally.

That story was posted on June 27. It took less than a week for CNN to get another face full of buckshot when they decided to search for the Reddit user that created the video of Trump beating up CNN right before the Fourth of July holiday. The user is not someone to be defended aggressively. Hes admitted to posting racist and anti-Semitic material on the site. Hes apologized, but heres where things got controversial [emphasis mine]:

CNN is not publishing "HanA**holeSolo's" name because he is a private citizen who has issued an extensive statement of apology, showed his remorse by saying he has taken down all his offending posts, and because he said he is not going to repeat this ugly behavior on social media again. In addition, he said his statement could serve as an example to others not to do the same.

CNN reserves the right to publish his identity should any of that change.

And of course, Greenwald had a response:

There is something self-evidently creepy, bullying, and heavy-handed about a large news organization publicly announcing that it will expose someones identity if he ever again publishes content on the internet that the network deems inappropriate or objectionable. Whether it was CNNs intent or not, the article makes it appear as if CNN will be monitoring this citizens online writing, and will punish him with exposure if he writes something the network dislikes.

[]

Moreover, if this persons name is newsworthy on the ground that racists or others who post inflammatory content should be publicly exposed and vilified does it matter if he expressed what CNN executives regard as sufficient remorse? And if his name is not newsworthy, then why should CNN be threatening to reveal it in the event that he makes future utterances that the network dislikes?

If youre someone who believes that media corporations should expose the identity even of random, anonymous internet users who express anti-Semitic or racist views, then you should be prepared to identify the full list of views that merit similar treatment. Should anyone who supports Trump have their identity exposed? Those who oppose marriage equality? Those with views deemed sexist? Those who advocate communism? Are you comfortable with having corporate media executives decide which views merit public exposure?

Whatever else is true, CNN is a massive media corporation that is owned by an even larger corporation. It has virtually unlimited resources. We should cheer when those resources are brought to bear to investigate those who exercise great political and economic power. But when they are used to threaten and punish a random, obscure citizen who has criticized the network no matter how objectionable his views might be it resembles corporate bullying and creepy censorship more than actual journalism.

The point with all of this is that its not just conservative media that are complaining about CNN and others tripping up. Greenwald is no fan of Donald Trump, conservatives, or our intelligence community - specifically the CIA - but hes also known for keeping both sides honest. In February, he criticized the media for forgetting that the Obama administration was heavy handed with the press, especially when it came to whistleblowers. He also said what the Deep State is doing to the Trump White House by intentionally leaking highly sensitive information is a prescription for the destruction of democracy."

The Intercept is a site where leakers to come forward with information that exposes government corruption or malfeasance. Its the safe space for leakers, but its another thing to leak classified material in the hopes of hamstringing an administration from governing because youre upset about an election result. Earlier this year, he told Amy Goodman of the left wing Democracy Now that the actions of the Deep State are akin to a soft coup as well:

Even if youre somebody who believes that both the CIA and the deep state, on the one hand, and the Trump presidency, on the other, are extremely dangerous, as I do, theres a huge difference between the two, which is that Trump was democratically elected and is subject to democratic controls, as these courts just demonstrated and as the media is showing, as citizens are proving. But on the other hand, the CIA was elected by nobody. Theyre barely subject to democratic controls at all. And so, to urge that the CIA and the intelligence community empower itself to undermine the elected branches of government is insanity. That is a prescription for destroying democracy overnight in the name of saving it.

Vox Media, which isnt a right wing rag either, also were appalled by CNNs apparent threat are highly unethical:

A plain reading of CNNs article, however, contradicts what the network and Kaczynski are saying. If CNN really intended to withhold HanA**holeSolos information regardless of what he did, then why didnt the news organization say it was withholding his private information simply because hes a private citizen? Why did it go on to add all the conditions about his behavior? And why did it say it could release the private information with an explicit condition tied to his behavior?

Personally, if I reported this story, it would have been pretty straightforward: CNN is not publishing HanA**holeSolos name because he is a private citizen. Period. The rest of the information in that paragraph is unnecessary, because a media organization simply shouldnt release a private citizens personal information. He shouldnt have his private information threatened just because the president picked up one of his Reddit sh**posts, which he made with the expectation that he would be kept anonymous. (Though it is a truly bizarre turn of events that its even possible to write this sentence.)

In journalism, there is a clear line between public and private figures. Public figures are held to a higher standard since they represent not just themselves but their offices, their industries, and so on. But private figures are given a veil of privacy, since its not really in the public interest to get some random persons private information.

The month isnt over yet; CNN could step on the rake once more. Stay tuned.

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Glenn Greenwald: CNN Engaged In 'Corporate Bullying And Creepy Censorship' On Pro-Trump Reddit Story - Townhall

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