Monthly Archives: May 2022

Op-Ed: Leave abortion law to the states? Just look at the Fugitive Slave Act to see how that will go – Los Angeles Times

Posted: May 21, 2022 at 7:02 pm

Why not leave abortion to the states?

One of the most common arguments made by those who want to downplay the significance of Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.s leaked draft opinion in Dobbs vs. Jackson Womens Health is that it would not make abortion illegal. Rather, it would merely return the abortion debate to the legislative sphere, where it belongs. Individual states would pass their own abortion laws, as restrictive or nonrestrictive as their electorate wants them to be.

There is a certain soothing quality to that argument. But issues of individual rights bearing such heavy moral weight cannot be contained within state boundaries. Lets leave it up to the states will quickly become we expect other states to comply with our laws and will demand federal action to guarantee it and one only needs to look at the Fugitive Slave Act to highlight the very real constitutional challenge before us.

Slavery remains a moral stain on the history of the republic. It demonstrated the weaknesses of American federalism when faced with fundamental issues of human rights. Even as individual states chose different paths on slavery, the question of how to manage relations between slave and free states, and what to do about people who traveled across state lines, became a persistent problem. The Fugitive Slave Act, a revision of a 1793 statute enacted as part of the Compromise of 1850, aimed to offer a legal solution. It allowed California to enter the Union as a free state, but required all states, even those that did not allow slavery within their boundaries, to cooperate with the forcible return of escaped enslaved people.

Moral and legal complexities multiplied. There was the internal warfare of bleeding Kansas where pro- and antislavery militias fought for control of the territory, and the barbarity of the Dred Scott decision, which denied enslaved people human rights even if they lived in free states. Allowing slavery anywhere required protecting it everywhere. Subsequent compromises that favored popular sovereignty, allowing local majorities to endorse or reject slavery, never satisfied pro-slavery factions if they lost out, and antislavery states proved reluctant to help slave catchers.

Federalism did more to exacerbate regional divisions on slavery than solve them. This is the context for Abraham Lincolns proclamation that the nation could not continue half slave and half free. Indeed, when South Carolina announced its decision to secede in December 1860, its grievances included the charge that the federal government had not done enough to ensure that all states enforced the Fugitive Slave Act. Denouncing an increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the Institution of Slavery, which led to a disregard of their obligations, South Carolinians claimed the northern states had essentially canceled the Constitution. By this logic, there could be no guarantee of any states rights unless other states respected and supported them. Enforcement of state laws could not end at the state line.

State legislation of abortion could easily create similar paradoxes, especially considering the mobility of people, ideas and goods in our globally linked world. Citizens in a state that bans abortion could travel to other states for the procedure, if they have the means. Gov. Gavin Newsom has made it clear that California will welcome out-of-state patients and Connecticut has already passed a new law protecting medical providers who treat patients from other states. Some large employers, such as Tesla, have recently signaled their willingness to support employees who need to travel to another state for medical care.

Yet the drafters of Mississippis abortion law did not go to all this trouble to overturn Roe vs. Wade just see it persist elsewhere. Texas antiabortion law already criminalizes aid to women who want an abortion does that include those who provide travel assistance to a more permissive state? What if a resident of a state that allows abortion has a medical emergency while visiting a restrictive state and cannot travel home?

Floridas recent struggle with Walt Disney Co. after its leadership spoke out against the so-called Dont Say Gay bill indicates how states might deal with businesses that challenge their abortion legislation. Furthermore, in an era when medication abortions already make up more than half of the U.S. total, what happens when a state forbids its citizens from ordering such drugs by mail or seeking consultations by telemedicine with a practitioner in a permissive state?

The paradox of states eventually demanding federal recognition and support for their particular laws applies to more than just abortion. In the 20th century, locale-by-locale alcohol prohibition led to a constitutional amendment (and then to its repeal); marijuana laws and gun rights raise similar problems today. States struggle to manage different local laws on issues with which people deeply disagree, as do citizens, especially if they regularly travel from one jurisdiction to another.

Federalism, which allows individual states to become laboratories of democracy by experimenting with different approaches to public problems, is one of the great strengths of our constitutional order. But the republic has to guarantee some baseline rights shared by all citizens, which imposes limitations on how widely states can diverge.

There are few options for resolving conflicts among state laws. The Constitution can be amended, which takes time and requires a great deal of consensus. Or Congress can pass national legislation. If neither happens the issue lands at the Supreme Court.

That was the reality that led to Roe in the first place, and it has not changed. Tossing the issue back to the states, as the Alito draft proposes, will not bring the country any closer to a resolution on abortion rights it will just open up 50 new fronts in the fight. The formal decision on Dobbs will not be the last federal word on abortion. This isnt the end of the controversy; were barely at the start.

Ronald J. Granieri is a history professor at the U.S. Army War College and a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. His personal opinion does not necessarily reflect that of the U.S. Army or the Department of Defense.

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Op-Ed: Leave abortion law to the states? Just look at the Fugitive Slave Act to see how that will go - Los Angeles Times

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Panic-Driven Crypto & Stablecoin Regulation Would Create Further Instability – Forbes

Posted: at 7:02 pm

In reaction to the volatile events of the last few weeks, both the stock and cryptocurrency markets have taken a deep dive. While this downturn is distressing to many, it has emboldened progressive politicians and activists whose motto is never let a crisis go to waste.

Critics of cryptocurrency have doubled down on their calls for heavy-handed regulation. They have seized on the struggles of stablecoin TerraUSD UST (UST), which has fallen from its $1 peg to its current price of around 8 cents. TerraUSDs instability is yet another reason we must closely regulate stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies, proclaimed Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown in a statement quoted by Politico.

Yet there are some important facts to keep in mind before we rush into panic-driven regulation. One is that TerraUSD appears to be an outlier among stablecoins cryptocurrencies pegged to hard assets such as the dollar and nearly all of the leading stablecoins have so far held their value.

As listed on CoinMarketCap as of this writing, the top stablecoins by volume and market cap including USD Coin USDC (USDC) and Pax Dollar (USDP) are staying at their price peg of $1 per unit. Paul Jossey, cryptocurrency attorney and adjunct fellow at my organization, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, notes that it is remarkable that so many stablecoins have proved resilient despite the dives in prices for stocks and ordinary cryptocurrencies.

Further, regulation that is arbitrary and overly burdensome actually adds volatility to the cryptocurrency and stablecoin markets. As I wrote in a 2019 paper on cryptocurrency, Protecting entrepreneurs from government overreach is important not only to ensure that society gains from beneficial innovation, but also to moderate the kind of volatility that arises from government intervention.

For instance, when China banned certain cryptocurrency exchanges in 2018, the price of Bitcoin BTC (BTC) dropped 10 percent in one day. When China declared virtually all private cryptocurrency activity illegal last September, Bitcoin dropped 5 percent and Ether (ETH) dropped 7 percent.

Arbitrary regulatory crackdowns in the U.S. have had similar negative effects on the cryptocurrency market. When the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) threatened various punitive actions against cryptocurrencies as an asset class in January and February of 2018, Bitcoins price plummeted by 36 percent.

Currently, the arbitrary regulation by enforcement in which the SEC deems cryptocurrencies as securities without authority from Congress or even formal rulemaking also creates uncertainty that weighs down the markets. As does the stifling regulatory framework for stablecoins proposed last fall in the report of the Presidents Working Group on Financial Markets (PWG) that would effectively limit stablecoin issuance to large banks.

The volatility in the crypto and stablecoin markets should indeed get the proverbial ball moving forward on regulatory policy, but with a focus on the right type of regulation. Policymakers should start designing a regulatory framework that focuses on disclosure and the prevention and punishment of fraud but otherwise leaves consumers, entrepreneurs, and investors free to make their own choices and take their own risks. They should also utilize the concepts of competitive federalism and competitive regulation to give stablecoin buyers and issuers the choice of a primary regulator.

Draft legislation from Senate Banking Committee Chairman Pat Toomey (R-PA) is a big step in the right direction. Toomeys Stablecoin Transparency of Reserves and Uniform Safe Transactions (Stablecoin TRUST) Act creates a regulatory framework that zooms in on disclosure and preventing fraud yet preserves and enhances competition and choice in the stablecoin market.

Under Toomeys bill, most stablecoin issuers would be required to disclose the precise assets that back the stablecoin and how the redemptions work. In return, the issuers could operate with their choice of primary regulator and with limits on the authority of other regulatory agencies over their businesses.

The bill allows stablecoin issuers to either choose a federal license from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency or a money transmitting or other stablecoin-issuing license from a state. The bill also allows banks to issue stablecoins that meet the disclosure requirements if they create legal entities for the stablecoins separated from depositor funds.

Issuers who meet these requirements will be shielded from arbitrary actions by the SEC, as the bill explicitly bars the SEC from regulating these stablecoins as securities. This would greatly reduce regulatory uncertainty, as the SEC has taken the position that virtually any circulating cryptocurrency may be deemed a security and be subject to many of the regulations that have driven companies away from the stock market.

The bills giving stablecoin issuers the choice of receiving their licenses or charters from the federal government or the states is consistent with the system of competitive federalism envisioned by the Constitutions framers. As George Mason University Law Professor and CEI board member Michael Greve writes in his book Real Federalism, Real federalism aims to provide citizens with choices among different sovereigns [and] regulatory regimes.

My CEI colleagues and I have called for bolstering the optional federal chartering that exists for banking and utilizing it for small-dollar lending and insurance. Such a system would also be the best approach for regulation of the frontier industry of stablecoins.

It is especially important that the federal government not be the sole licensor for stablecoins given the dearth of its approval for new or de novo bank charters since the Obama administration. As I have written, the federal government only approved one new bank from 2010 to 2015, and only a handful since then. This type of bureaucratic backlog creates a risk of stagnation in an already troubled economy.

In uncertain and volatile times, created in significant part by government spending and shutdowns and lockdowns of businesses, its more important than ever to not add more chaos to cryptocurrency or any other sector with sweeping and unfocused regulation. Instead, policymakers must create regulatory frameworks that are stable applications of the rule of law.

John Berlau is a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and author of the book George Washington, Entrepreneur: How Our Founding Fathers Private Business Pursuits Changed America and the Word

Former Competitive Enterprise Institute Research Associate Christian Johannessen contributed to this column.

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UPSC CSE Key May 20, 2022: What you need to read today – The Indian Express

Posted: at 7:01 pm

FRONT PAGE

SC: GST panel proposals not binding, can disrupt fiscal federalism

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development and Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination:

General Studies II: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein

General Studies III: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.

Key Points to Ponder:

What is The Goods and Services Tax (GST)?

The Kelkar Task Force on the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, 2003 and the Genesis of Goods and Services Tax (GST)

Goods and Services Tax (GST) and 101st Amendment Act, 2016-Know in detail

What are the different types of Goods and Services Tax (GST)?

Know the differences between Central GST (CGST), State GST (SGST), Union territory GST (UTGST) and Integrated GST (IGST)

How would a particular transaction of goods and services be taxed simultaneously under Central GST (CGST) and State GST (SGST)?

What are the benefits of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India?

Goods and Services Tax (GST)-Issues and Challenges

GST Council and Article 279A of the Constitution-Key Provisions

GST Council and Members-Know in detail

What is the role of GST Council?

What is the nature of Federalism in India?

Important features of Indian federalism-Know in detail

The Constitution of India provides for a federal system of government, But the term federation has nowhere been used in the Constitution-True or False?

What Supreme Court of India said on Federalism in India in Union of India and Anr versus M/s Mohit Minerals Through Director case?

What observations did the Supreme Court made on the GST Council and on countrys federal structure? (Hint: Recommendations of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council cannot be binding on the Centre and states and many more)

Another definition of Federalism given by Supreme Court in todays Verdict-Federalism In India is a dialogue in which the states and the Centre constantly engage in conversations, and though the Constitution confers the Union with a higher share of power in certain situations to prevent chaos and provide security, the states can still resist the mandates of the Union by using different forms of political contestation

The relationship between two constituent units that are not autonomous but rely on each other for their functioning is not in practice always collaborative or cooperative-Decode the quote

Remember this Statement-The federal system, the court said, is a means to accommodate the needs of a pluralistic society to function in a democratic manner. It attempts to reconcile the desire of unity and commonality along with the desire for diversity and autonomy.

Decode the quote- Democracy and federalism are interdependent on each other for their survival such that federalism would only be stable in well-functioning democracies.

Competitive Federalism Cooperative Federalism and Fiscal Federalism are very much in news. What do you understand by these terms in Indian Scenario?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Explained: The SC ruling that GST Council decisions are not binding on Centre or states

12 Different Types of Federalism (with Examples and Pros & Cons)

The Paradox of Centralised Federalism: An Analysis of the Challenges to Indias Federal Design

After NGT notice, Govt forest panel seeks report on Arunachal projects

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change

Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Key Points to Ponder:

Locate on Map: Dibang multipurpose project, Lower Subansiri hydel project, Etalin dam Project

Locate on Map: Dibang and Subansiri, Rivers (Source, Location etc.)

What do you understand by the term Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)?

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environment Protection Act, 1986-How they are related with each other?

Why Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is Important?

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and India-connect the Dots

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Rules Amendment, 2006-Key features

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2020-Key Highlights

Environmental Impact Assessment-Achievements, Issues and Challenges

Supreme court of India on Environment Impact Assessment (ex-post facto environmental clearance)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Cabinet set deadline for Ken-Betwa link before it got clearances in place

Ignoring green commitments: Weak political will, lack of a monitoring system

For safety of Gaganyaan crew, ISRO will simulate failure with abort missions

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

Key Points to Ponder:

Gaganyaan Mission-Know the key features

Gaganyaan Mission-What makes this Mission very Unique?

Indias Manned Mission to Space-Know in detail

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)-About the Organisation

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Gaganyaan: Second unmanned mission planned in 2022-23 followed by human spaceflight, says govt

Pvt players in space sector can boost defence, manufacturing

THE CITY

MCD merger: No clarity on staff status, functioning yet, say officials

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.

Key Points to Ponder:

Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2022-Key Highlights

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi Trifurcation in 2012

North Delhi Municipal Corporation, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation and the East Delhi Municipal Corporation-Know their role and functions

Unification or merger of the three Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCDs)-Opportunities, Issues and Challenges

What is the difference between Municipal corporation, Municipality, Notified area committee, Cantonment board, Township and Special purpose Agency?

Know in Detail-74th amendment act (Municipalities) and Articles 243-P to 243-ZG.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Explained: What the BJP hopes to gain by merging Delhis three MCD

Explained: What will change with the reunification of the MCDs in Delhi?

GOVT & POLITICS

Commitments on territorial integrity must be met: EAM

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting Indias Interest

Key Points to Ponder:

Ukraine-Russia War and its impact on BRICS?

India maintained its balancing act on Ukraine and Highlighted certain key points as it attended the BRICS meeting recently. what were they?

Evolution of BRICS from Russia-China (RC) to Russia-India-China (RIC) to Brazil- Russia-India-China (BRIC) to Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS)

What is Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS)?

BRICS Development Bank-Key Features

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) Economy-Key Features

RIC (Russia-India-China) out of BRICS-Significance and Stature in World Politics?

Why BRICS Matters?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS)

Why BRICS Still Matters

EXPRESS NETWORK

Rlys, IIT-Madras to develop Hyperloop

Link:

UPSC CSE Key May 20, 2022: What you need to read today - The Indian Express

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US frustrated over problematic NATO ally Turkey – The Hill

Posted: at 7:01 pm

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan is frustrating the U.S. and its allies by opposing the bid by Sweden and Finland to join NATO.

The position is complicating the message of unity the Biden administration wants to send to Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

The bids by Sweden and Finland to join the military alliance are historic and a big defeat for Russia, which does not want them added to the group. The fact that their decision to do so is the result of the Russian war is a point that has been highlighted by U.S. officials.

But the diplomatic victory over Moscow is clouded by Erdoans opposition over charges that the Nordic countries harbor Kurdish terrorist groups.

NATO members must unanimously agree to accept the members.

There are whispers that Ankara is looking for something such as U.S. fighter jets to give its blessing.

Erdoan will talk with Finnish officials on Saturday and has kept the door open to a shift, telling reporters that we will continue all these discussions for the sake of not interrupting diplomacy.

Turkey is widely seen as a necessary but problematic partner.

Erdoan for years has rankled Washington over his pursuit of Russian weapons systems, military adventures in Syria, domestic political oppression and violence against U.S. federal security and American protesters in the capital.

Yet the administration and lawmakers concede Turkey provides a key bulwark of security for NATO in the Black Sea and has provided arms to Ukraine that have proven decisive in the fight against Russian forces.

And while the U.S. is frustrated Erdoans government has resisted joining sanctions against Russia, they relent that Ankara is a unique venue to host any peace talks that may come between Kyiv and Moscow.

Turkey is an important NATO partner. We have very important military installations in Turkey, its in our interest to have a good relationship with Turkey, Sen. Ben Cardin (Md.), the No. 2 Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told The Hill.

Theyve been a good partner in regards to Ukraine. So I want to make sure that we act as a responsible partner, by making it clear that we dont want them to have a relationship with Russia, which could be contrary to our security needs within NATO.

The administration has been tight-lipped about what it could offer Turkey to get its acceptance for Finland and Sweden.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday that the U.S. is prepared to be supportive in any way, but described the disagreement as one largely between Turkey, Finland and Sweden.

He and other officials have expressed confidence that the alliance will uniformly agree on allowing the Nordic countries to become members.

Sullivan also said there were no plans for President Biden andErdoanto speak but noted that Biden would be happy to do it if asked.

Biden hosted the leaders of Finland and Sweden at the White House on Thursday as a sign of robust U.S. support for their joining the alliance. During a Rose Garden event, Finnish Prime Minister Sauli Niinist directly appealed to Turkey.

As NATO allies, we will commit to Turkeys security just as Turkey will commit to our security, Niinist said. We take terrorism seriously. We condemn terrorism in all its forms and we are actively engaged in combating it. We are open to discussing all the concerns Turkey may have concerning our membership in an open and constructive manner.

Rose Gottemoeller, a former deputy secretary general of NATO, said she expects Finland and Swedens applications will ultimately be successful, but predicted it will be a very hard bargain with Turkey.

It is a serious matter because this was always at the top of the list of issues when I was deputy secretary general, Gottemoeller said. They were using this issue constantly as leverage.

Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, questioned whether Turkey could sustain opposition to Finland and Swedens membership.

If youre a member of a group, and 29 want to do it and you dont, thats a heavy lift, he said. He also described the U.S. and Turkish relationship as having pluses and minuses.

Not all lawmakers are so diplomatic. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, warned against giving in to Turkeys behavior.

In general, I dont think Turkey should be rewarded. Turkey hasnt agreed to put any European or American sanctions on Russia, I mean the list is long, I dont understand how we keep rewarding authoritarian figures, he said.

Menendez has warned that the administration should not entertain Turkish requests to buy more F-16 fighter jets.

Im not a supporter of sending F-16s to Turkey. Theyre still in violation of CAATSA sanctions, Mendendez said, referring to Turkeys ownership of the Russian S400 missile defense system that violates federal law.

The State Department is proposing to sell Turkey upgrades and munitions for its existing F-16s, a strong signal of closer cooperation between Washington and Ankara.

Lawmakers are muted over whether they will support the proposal.

I think its important for us to keep Turkey as a strong NATO ally, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), also a Foreign Relations Committee member, told The Hill when asked if she supported the F-16 upgrades.

Some Democrats are looking to provide strict oversight of any military equipment sales to Ankara, in particular responding to concerns from Greece that Turkey is carrying out provocative military flights over Greek islands.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned in a speech Tuesday to a joint session of Congress against weapons sales to Turkey, without naming Ankara specifically.

The last thing that NATO needs, at a time when our focus is on helping Ukraine defeat Russias aggression, is another source of instability on NATOs southeastern flank, Mitsotakis said.

And I ask you to take this into account when you make defense procurement decisions concerning the eastern Mediterranean.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told The Hill that Mitsotakis was completely right and that lawmakers may use the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act to address concerns over Turkeys actions in the eastern Mediterranean but did not get into specifics.

Theres just not an easy answer to it The [U.S. and Turkish military-to-military] relationship is still pretty strong, but its at the diplomatic and senior-elected level where things are really rocky right now,Kaine said.

Theyre being really problematic right now.

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UK and allies discuss arming Moldova with Nato standard weapons – The Guardian

Posted: at 7:01 pm

Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, has disclosed that the UK has begun discussions with its international allies about sending modern weaponry to Moldova to protect it from Russia.

She said that she wants to see the country, which is to the south-west of Ukraine, equipped to Nato standard.

Moldova is not currently a Nato member and there are concerns that it could be a future target for Vladimir Putin after the Ukraine conflict.

In an interview with the Telegraph, Truss said: I would want to see Moldova equipped to Nato standard. This is a discussion were having with our allies.

Putin has been absolutely clear about his ambitions to create a greater Russia and just because his attempts to take Kyiv werent successful it doesnt mean hes abandoned those ambitions.

The UK, US, France and Germany have held talks about whether to sign a form of security guarantee for Ukraine to continue providing weaponry and support in the long term.

Truss added: What were working on at the moment is a joint commission with Ukraine and Poland on upgrading Ukrainian defences to Nato standard. So we will scope out what that looks like, what the Ukrainians need. The question then is how do you maintain that over time?

How do we ensure that Ukraine is permanently able to defend itself and how do we guarantee that happens? Thats what we are working on at the moment.

And that also applies to other vulnerable states such as Moldova. Because again, the threat is broader from Russia, we also need to make sure that they are equipped to Nato standards.

Last month Moldovas deputy prime minister warned that the country was facing a very dangerous new moment and said forces were seeking to stoke tensions after a series of explosions in the break-away region of Transnistria.

Nicu Popescu said his government had seen a dangerous deterioration of the situation after grenade attacks on the ministry of security in the region. The attacks represented a very dangerous new moment in the history of our region, he said, adding that Moldovas institutions had been put on high alert in response.

Fears are growing that Moldova and Transnistria could be drawn into the Ukraine conflict. The predominantly Russian-speaking region in eastern Moldova has been controlled by pro-Russia separatists since 1992 after a short war when Moscow intervened on the side of the rebels.

Speaking before the attacks, a senior Russian commander said gaining control over southern Ukraine would help Russia link up with Transnistria, which shares a 453km (280-mile) border with Ukraine.

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UK and allies discuss arming Moldova with Nato standard weapons - The Guardian

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Type 2 diabetes and genetics: What is the link? – Medical News Today

Posted: at 7:00 pm

Recently published research in Nature Genetics featured the most diverse genetic study on type 2 diabetes.

While scientists are aware of certain factors that may increase a persons risk of developing type 2 diabetes, one major question is what role genetics plays.

Researchers from the US and England collaborated to analyze the DNA profiles of thousands of people of varying ancestries. In doing so, they not only identified new genes that contribute to type 2 diabetes, but they also became a step closer to developing a genetic risk score for the disease.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when a persons body does not make enough or use insulin effectively, making it difficult for the body to regulate blood sugar levels. It can be life threatening if someones blood sugar levels get too high or low.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that around 37 million Americans have diabetes, and around 90-95% of these people have type 2 diabetes.

According to the American Diabetes Association, a person with type 2 diabetes may experience some of the following symptoms:

If a person suspects they have type 2 diabetes, they can consult with their physician, who can order a blood test to check for the disease.

There is not a cure for type 2 diabetes, but people with the disease can manage their blood sugar levels by taking medications and avoiding foods that spike blood sugar levels.

While there is a lot of research on type 2 diabetes, much of it has primarily targeted people of European ancestry.

Risk scores derived from one ancestry often do not transfer well to others, explained Professor Nathan Tucker in an interview with Medical News Today. Inclusion of diverse ancestries helps us understand the mechanisms of the risk, improving the probability of successful therapeutic development.

Prof. Tucker is an assistant professor and genetics core manager at Masonic Medical Research Institute in Utica, NY.

The authors also noted that genetic risk scores provide unreliable prediction when deployed in other population groups.

The researchers accessed data from other studies to create the Diabetes Meta-Analysis of Trans-Ethnic association studies (DIAMANTE) Consortium. They analyzed the genetic makeup of 180,834 individuals with type 2 diabetes and compared it to 1,159,055 people without diabetes.

The scientists placed people in 1 of 5 groups: European ancestry (51.1%); East Asian ancestry (28.4%); South Asian ancestry (8.3%); African ancestry (6.6%); and Hispanic ancestry (5.6%).

By comparing the DNA of the people with type 2 diabetes to those without, the researchers were able to identify more than 200 loci that were genetically significant in terms of developing the disease.

According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, a locus (or loci in the plural form) is a physical site or location within a genome (such as a gene or another DNA segment of interest.).

This study identifies 237 genomic regions that are associated with altered risk of type 2 diabetes, with nearly 100 evidence-based targets that are prioritized for the next stages of therapeutic development, Prof. Tucker explained.

The researchers also identified genes that may contribute to developing type 2 diabetes.

We have now identified 117 genes that are likely to cause type 2 diabetes, 40 of which have not been reported before. That is why we feel this constitutes a major step forward in understanding the biology of this disease, says Professor Anubha Mahajan.

Dr. Mahajan is a human genetics researcher and professor at the University of Oxford in England.

The sheer magnitude and diversity of this study create enormous potential for being able to one day identify a persons genetic risk for type 2 diabetes.

Inclusion of diverse ancestries helps us understand the mechanisms of the risk, improving the probability of successful therapeutic development, Prof. Tucker commented.

Dr. Brian Fertig, the Founder and President of the Diabetes and Osteoporosis Center in Piscataway, NJ, also spoke with MNT regarding the study.

The findings of this study are not surprising because diagnostic and therapeutic stratifications are too often overly simplified as one size fits all, Dr. Fertig said.

Dr. Fertig also thought the study emphasized the importance of diversity and inclusion in research.

This data underscores the need for a precision, personalized and dynamic scale of medicine, as its rare to see two diabetics with the same clinical and biochemical profile, Dr. Fertig commented. Every individual is unique and as such should have individualized treatment plans.

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Type 2 diabetes and genetics: What is the link? - Medical News Today

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Identification of candidate genes associated with bacterial and viral infections in wild boars hunted in Tuscany (Italy) | Scientific Reports -…

Posted: at 7:00 pm

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Can a Hangover Improve Your Mental Health? These People Think So – VICE UK

Posted: at 7:00 pm

You may have heard of the concept of a good hangover. In 2019, for instance, VICE writer Tom Usher tweeted that hangovers are actually quite nice if you're in the right environment. This caused outrage among some and agreement among others, but, as it turns out, the relief of a hangover can sometimes go deeper than being really in bed watching Takeshi's Castle with a Solero or tucking into a tub of Chinese takeaway at 11AM.

Enter: r/hangovereffect, a subreddit which showed up in 2018. The about section reads: A community that feels relief from hangovers and are looking for answers as to why. Most of us are diagnosed with ADHD and exhibit depression, anxiety and fatigue but feel complete remission from all symptoms when hungover from alcohol. If you feel the same way, join us and let's find a cure.

As of today, the subreddit has around 7,700 members who claim that hangovers have been beneficial for their mental health. The posts range from the inspiring to the academic, with people sharing anecdotes and theories about what they call the hangover effect. Often, users are very specific, with posts relating to the pharmacological attributes of alcohol and its effects on the brain. Others are more revelatory. Anyone else noticed not only feeling great but also looking great? wrote one user recently.

One such member is Dylan, 32, from Asheville in North Carolina. Dylan started getting an inkling that he had a peculiar reaction to alcohol in his early twenties. My friends would wake up feeling sick, but Id just feel two steps down from satori [a Japanese Buddhist term for awakening]. Everything was alright it eased my depression, my anxiety, he says.

Alex, 30, lives in New York City. He says he has depression, anxiety and undiagnosed ADHD. His experiences sound similar to Dylans, with a heavy night of drinking making way for a newfound sense of self. I was calm, empathetic, emotional, not anxious, he says.

For Anna, 38, from Toronto, hangovers would make her much happier and more content. The next day my depression would go away. I would feel like a completely different person, she says. For someone who had been on various antidepressants for years, to little effect, being hungover felt like a total relief.

All three are wary of using this particular hack day-to-day and none are frequent drinkers. Drinking every single day would come with its own set of problems, says Alex.

Anna used to drink regularly while working at bars, before stopping completely. It became a bit of a habit for combating anxiety, she says. These days, she drinks socially maybe once a week.

Across the subreddit more generally, there are stories of tactically inducing a hangover without being totally destroyed. One member claims that drinking 200ml of vodka (four double measures) just before bed allows them to feel hungover, but also clear in the head the next day. Alex says that while he doesnt really drink alcohol at home, if I had something important on tomorrow, occasionally Id prompt a social engagement to happen tonight.

Many members also try out different supplements and various experiments in the hope they might find ways to replicate the hangover effect without getting wasted. It's not clear what will work yet, it seems like everyone's got different theories, says Anna, who only discovered the subreddit last week. Shes decided to start experimenting with creatine and glycine two supplements often used by bodybuilders. Some users have claimed these supplements help lift brain fog and help them feel better.

Alex claims that high doses of vitamin C helped a little bit. But then that kind of dissipated.

Dylan, meanwhile, has a whole fucking long list of things hes tried over the years, with varying success. Hes even gone as far to track down some Memantine online a medication usually used to treat Alzheimers disease. Hes been taking the medication, unprescribed, for over a year.

My life has been incredibly improved. I have no complaints. Every day my PTSD, depression and anxiety are getting better, he says. He believes the Memantine works because it inhibits NMDA receptors essentially, it decreases abnormal activity in the brain. Through what he calls extensive self-research, Dylan believes that those who experience the hangover effect might have hyperactive NMDA receptors, which is why the medication helps.Memantine is like a diet ketamine, almost, in that you can function on it, he says.

The amount of casual theorising and DIY experimenting away from medical supervision and regulation is concerning for obvious reasons. One rule of the subreddit is that all theories about the hangover effect must be backed up by scientific sources where possible, and that people should try to write in a critical and scientific way. However, this can be tricky when you consider that most of the members are presumably not scientists, nor medical experts. For many, though, this subreddit has become a last resort. You cant exactly go to your GP and say, I feel better when Im hungover!

Melissa Herman, Ph.D, is an Assistant Professor at the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies. While she agrees that unregulated experiments should be avoided, she says that there could be some truth to the hangover effect, for some people. Its an area that clearly needs further research.

My guess is that the positive symptom relief that they're feeling is because the alcohol is acting on different circuits that are dysregulated in their specific condition, she explains. By circuits, Herman is referring to the groups of neurons inside our brains. Without getting too scientific, neurons are what send messagesto our nervous systems, and one persons messaging system might be quite different to the nexts.

Targeting those circuits is a huge field in neuroscience right now, and there are clinical trials underway, looking at human genetics. So I think there will be positive movement in this area. If not immediately, then one day.

That said, Herman warns against using alcohol to achieve the hangover effect and expresses concern about people cherry picking and that not looking holistically means the brain could be harmed in other ways by some of these experiments.

Alcohol is a really potent pharmacological compound and it affects many parts of the brain, she adds. In other words, sure, alcohol might make some people less anxious the next day. But it can also cause brain cells to die and brain tissue to shrink. In fact, its associated with 2.8 million deaths each year worldwide and is also more generally known for causing anxiety the morning after hence the term hanxiety. One study found around 22.6 percent of participants reported anxiety during a hangover.

Still, for a lot of people, the hangover effect is clearly a very real and confusing conundrum. Hopefully, in the near future, the thousands of people in this subreddit wont have to choose between being hungover or miserable and anxious. Until then, *clinks glasses*.

@_rhysthomas_

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Two versions of history collide as Finland and Sweden seek to join NATO – NPR

Posted: at 6:58 pm

Joe Biden listens to remarks by Finland's President Sauli Niinisto and Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson at the White House this week. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

Joe Biden listens to remarks by Finland's President Sauli Niinisto and Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson at the White House this week.

Finland and Sweden have long kept a careful balance and neutral position between the West and Russia.

But that changed after Moscow invaded Ukraine.

On Thursday, the leaders of those two Nordic nations were at the White House, where President Biden threw his full support behind their application to join the NATO military alliance.

"Let me be clear: New members joining NATO is not a threat to any nation. It never has been. NATO's purpose is to defend against aggression. That's its purpose, to defend," President Biden said.

But that is not the way that Moscow sees it. President Vladimir Putin has long accused NATO of aggressive expansion in Europe.

Mary Elise Sarotte is a historian who has documented how NATO has grown over the years, and wrote a book called, Not One Inch: America, Russia and the Making of Post-Cold War Stalemate.

Sarotte joined All Things Considered to break down key moments and misconceptions in NATO's growth in the past decades.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg displays documents as Sweden and Finland applied for membership in Brussels, Belgium, Wednesday May 18, 2022. JOHANNA GERON/AP hide caption

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg displays documents as Sweden and Finland applied for membership in Brussels, Belgium, Wednesday May 18, 2022.

On Vladimir Putin's claim that NATO broke a promise about not expanding eastward

The Berlin Wall had come down unexpectedly on November 9, 1989, which was a remarkable, unexpected event. And as the Berlin Wall crumbled, so too did the Cold War order. So the question was, "What next?" It was clear that Germans wanted to unify. In early speculative discussions about that, the American Secretary of State James Baker said to Mikhail Gorbachev roughly the following: "How about you let your half of Germany go and we agree that NATO moves not one inch eastward?" Gorbachev couldn't actually get that pledge formalized or agreed. In September 1990, he made a different deal: He agreed to allow Germany to unify in exchange for financial incentives. But Putin only refers to the earlier speculative conversation, not to the treaty that his country signed and ratified at the end.

On the growth of NATO's footprint since 1990

There have been multiple rounds of expansion since 1990. Technically, the first post-Cold War expansion is into eastern Germany. That was an important precedent, because when you fast forward into the 1990s, the central and eastern European states want to join. That's a second controversy, because when that starts happening, Moscow, under the leadership of Boris Yeltsin, pushes back and says, "Hey, the treaty from 1990 was only about east Germany.''

This is one of the few points that both sides can agree on in this whole controversy, that the treaty of 1990 was only about east Germany. For the Russians, that meant you could only extend to east Germany. For the West, that meant the treaty was only about east Germany, and said nothing about central, or eastern Europe, and had no impact whatsoever.

Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic are invited and do become members in 1999. Putin was in charge by that time and he disliked that intensely, because it meant in his view that NATO was expanding into the former Soviet Union and near to his hometown, which is now called Saint Petersburg. So NATO has gone through multiple rounds of enlargement and now there's going to be another one with Sweden and with Finland.

On the 1997 agreement between Russia and NATO to address their tensions, and Putin's interpretation of it

There was a time that Mikhail Gorbachev said, "How about we merge the Warsaw Pact and NATO?" And then Boris Yeltsin also talked to President Bill Clinton about the idea of Russia joining NATO. In fact, Yeltsin even said at one point that the real problem will be China, because then China will have a NATO border.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on May 16, 2022. ALEXANDER NEMENOV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on May 16, 2022.

In the May 1997 agreement, the West signed something called the NATO-Russia Founding Act, and Putin is instrumentalizing this history as well. He is drawing on a claim that Boris Yeltsin made afterwards which was wrong. But it was a public claim Boris Yeltsin made that the May 1997 agreement gave Russia a veto over NATO enlargement. It did not. Yeltsin said this publicly to appease his domestic opponents at the time. But that's another piece of history that Putin can instrumentalize. In short, Putin cherry picks history. But Putin is not interested in historical accuracy. He's interested in creating emotional support for the brutalities he's inflicting on Ukraine.

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Today in History: Today is Saturday, May 21, the 141st day of 2022. – wausaupilotandreview.com

Posted: at 6:58 pm

By The Associated Press

Todays Highlight in History:

On May 21, 1881, Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross.

On this date:

In 1471, King Henry VI of England died in the Tower of London at age 49.

In 1542, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto died while searching for gold along the Mississippi River.

In 1924, in a case that drew much notoriety, 14-year-old Bobby Franks was murdered in a thrill killing carried out by University of Chicago students Nathan Leopold Jr. and Richard Loeb (Bobbys cousin).

In 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh landed his Spirit of St. Louis monoplane near Paris, completing the first solo airplane flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 33 1/2 hours.

In 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean as she landed in Northern Ireland, about 15 hours after leaving Newfoundland.

In 1941, a German U-boat sank the American merchant steamship SS Robin Moor in the South Atlantic after the ships passengers and crew were allowed to board lifeboats.

In 1955, Chuck Berry recorded his first single, Maybellene, for Chess Records in Chicago.

In 1972, Michelangelos Pieta, on display at the Vatican, was damaged by a hammer-wielding man who shouted he was Jesus Christ.

In 1979, former San Francisco City Supervisor Dan White was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the slayings of Mayor George Moscone (mahs-KOH-nee) and openly gay Supervisor Harvey Milk; outrage over the verdict sparked rioting. (White was sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison; he ended up serving five years and took his own life in 1985.)

In 1980, Star Wars Episode V Empire Strikes Back, produced by George Lucas opens in cinemas in UK and North America.

In 1991, former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated during national elections by a suicide bomber.

In 2000, death claimed actor Sir John Gielgud at age 96 and author Dame Barbara Cartland at age 98.

In 2020, President Donald Trump visited a Ford Motor Co. plant outside Detroit that had been repurposed to manufacture ventilators; he did not publicly wear a face mask but said he had worn one while out of public view. A Michigan judge sided with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in a challenge by Republican lawmakers to her authority to order sweeping restrictions during the coronavirus outbreak.

Ten years ago: President Barack Obama and other world leaders meeting in Chicago locked in place an Afghanistan exit path that would keep their troops fighting there for two more years. Former Rutgers University student Dharun Ravi (dah-ROON RAH-vee), who used a webcam to spy on his gay roommate, Tyler Clementi, who then committed suicide, was sentenced to 30 days in jail (he served 20). A Yemeni man detonated a bomb during a rehearsal for a military parade, killing 96 fellow soldiers; al-Qaidas branch in Yemen claimed responsibility.

Five years ago: President Donald Trump, visiting Riyadh, implored Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries to extinguish Islamic extremism emanating from the region. North Korea fired a solid-fuel ballistic missile, saying the test was hailed as perfect by leader Kim Jong Un. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus received its final standing ovation as it performed its last show at the Nassau County Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, ending a 146-year run.

One year ago: Thousands of Palestinians rallied after a cease-fire took effect in the latest Gaza war; the 11 days of fighting left more than 250 people dead, the vast majority Palestinians, and brought widespread destruction to the Gaza Strip. President Joe Biden said there had been no shift in his commitment to Israels security, but that a two-state solution that includes a state for Palestinians remained the only answer to that conflict. Authorities said the two Bureau of Prisons workers who were supposed to be guarding Jeffrey Epstein the night he killed himself in a New York jail had admitted that they falsified records, but that they would be spared prison time under a deal with federal prosecutors; the workers were accused of sleeping and browsing the internet instead of monitoring Epstein.

Todays Birthdays: R&B singer Ron Isley (The Isley Brothers) is 81. Musician Bill Champlin is 75. Singer Leo Sayer is 74. Actor Carol Potter is 74. Former Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., is 71. Actor Mr. T is 70. Music producer Stan Lynch is 67. Actor Judge Reinhold is 65. Actor-director Nick Cassavetes is 63. Actor Lisa Edelstein is 56. Actor Fairuza Balk is 48.

Rock singer-musician Mikel Jollett (Airborne Toxic Event) is 48. Rapper Havoc (Mobb Deep) is 48. Rock musician Tony LoGerfo (Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real) is 39. Actor Sunkrish Bala is 38. Actor David Ajala is 36. Actor Ashlie Brillault is 35. Country singer Cody Johnson is 35. Actor Scott Leavenworth is 32. Actor Sarah Ramos is 31.

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Today in History: Today is Saturday, May 21, the 141st day of 2022. - wausaupilotandreview.com

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