September 9, 2015


News Clips For The Day


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kentucky-clerk-kim-davis-deputy-marriage-licenses-same-sex-couples/

Deputy Ky. clerk says he won't follow boss' defiance
CBS/AP
September 9, 2015

Play VIDEO Kentucky county clerk released from jail
Photograph -- Kim Davis hugs her attorney Mathew Staver after walking out of jail in Grayson, Kentucky, Sept. 8, 2015. REUTERS/CHRIS TILLEY
Play VIDEO -- Mike Huckabee on Kim Davis: "I'm willing to go to jail in her place"



MOREHEAD, Ky. -- A deputy county clerk in Kentucky said Wednesday that even if his boss tells him to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, he will tell her he can't obey her and will instead follow a judge's order.

Brian Mason works for Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, who was jailed for five days over her refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Davis was released Tuesday. A federal judge warned her not to interfere with licensing; deputy clerks have been issuing them in her absence. But Davis' lawyers have said she can't violate her conscience, and she's repeatedly cited her beliefs about homosexuality as an apostolic Christian. The attorneys wouldn't say exactly what she'll do when she returns to work Friday or Monday.

Mason said Wednesday that licenses would be granted to anyone seeking them. He told reporters that if Davis tells him to stop, he will tell her no. Mason said he would have to follow the judge's order to issue licenses.

Davis walked out of the Carter County Detention Center's front door Tuesday, arm-in-arm with her lawyer and with Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee as thousands of supporters cheered and waved white crosses backed by a 150-voice church choir. Some in the crowd sang "Amazing Grace" and "God Bless America."

Davis will take a couple of days off from work to spend with her family and will return to work Friday or Monday, according to an emailed statement from Charla Bansley, a spokeswoman for Liberty Counsel, the Christian law firm representing Davis. The statement did not say whether Davis would allow her office to grant licenses.

At 8 a.m. Wednesday, her office - at the Rowan County Courthouse in Morehead - opened as scheduled.

In lifting the contempt order against Davis, U.S. District Judge David Bunning said he was satisfied that her deputies were fulfilling their obligation to grant licenses to same-sex couples in her absence. But Bunning's order was clear: If Davis interferes with the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples upon her return, she could go right back to jail.

"I just want to give God the glory. His people have rallied, and you are a strong people," the clerk told the crowd after stepping outside, her arms raised like a victorious boxer, to the blaring "Rocky"-sequel theme song "Eye of the Tiger."

Davis did not speak during a brief appearance in front of the news media seconds after her release, however, except to smile and nod when a reporter asked if her decision had been worth it since it landed her in jail.

"Kim cannot and will not violate her conscience," said Mat Staver, founder of the Liberty Counsel, the Christian law firm representing Davis.

Asked by CBS News correspondent Jericka Duncan what Davis will do if a same-sex couple asks her to issue a marriage license, Staver said, "I think we're back to square one. That's why nothing has been resolved."

The attorney said it was possible she could go back to jail.

Staver said the licenses issued to same-sex couples by Davis' employees last week were not valid since they were not given under Davis' authority. But the Kentucky attorney general's office said it believes otherwise.

How Davis will act could become clear as early as Wednesday morning. At least one of the four couples that sued her have not yet received a marriage license. Five of Davis' six deputy clerks - all except her son, Nathan - agreed to issue licenses to gay couples with Davis behind bars. In lifting the contempt order, Bunning asked for updates on the clerks' compliance every two weeks.

On Wednesday, deputy clerk Mason said 10 marriage licenses had been issued since Friday, in Davis' absence: eight Friday and two Tuesday - and seven of those went to same-sex couples.

Scott Bauries, a law professor at the University of Kentucky, said that if Davis returns to work and orders her deputies not to issue licenses, she would push them into a thorny legal conundrum of their own: They would have to choose whether to defy a federal judge or defy their boss. Bauries suspects that any deputy who chooses not to issue licenses could be held in contempt.

Supreme Court says "I Do"

Davis, 49, has refused to resign her $80,000-a-year job. As an elected official, she can lose her post only if she is defeated for re-election or is impeached by the state General Assembly. Katherine Franke, a professor at Columbia Law School, said the state legislature should find the political will to boot Davis from office since she has ignored her oath of office in favor of her religious conviction.

"The claim she's making is a clear loser. It's a political claim, it's not a legal claim," Franke said. "That's why she lost on the district level and the circuit level and she will continue to lose. She's fighting for justice on the level of religious law. But we don't live in a theocracy."

It is unlikely the Kentucky state legislature would impeach Davis. The Republican president of the state Senate spoke at a rally at the state Capitol and filed an amicus brief asking Bunning not to hold Davis in contempt of court for defying his order. Several lawmakers have already filed legislation for the 2016 session that would exempt county clerks from having to issue marriage licenses.

Davis was locked up Thursday for the boldest act of resistance by a public official yet to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that effectively legalized same-sex marriage across the nation. Citing "God's authority" and her belief that same-sex marriage is a sin, Davis stopped issuing all marriage licenses.

Two gay couples and two heterosexual ones sued her. Bunning ordered Davis to issue the licenses, and the Supreme Court backed him. But she still refused and was held in contempt of court and hauled off to jail in handcuffs, igniting protests from religious conservatives. They rallied for days at her office, at the jail and outside the judge's home.

Dan Canon, an attorney for the couples who sued, said they will ask the judge to again hold Davis in contempt if she returns to work and blocks her deputies from dispensing licenses.

"We are hoping she is going to comply with it. We'll have to see," Canon said. "But if experience is a teacher, Ms. Davis just doesn't believe that court orders apply to her."




“Davis walked out of the Carter County Detention Center's front door Tuesday, arm-in-arm with her lawyer and with Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee as thousands of supporters cheered and waved white crosses backed by a 150-voice church choir. Some in the crowd sang "Amazing Grace" and "God Bless America." Davis will take a couple of days off from work to spend with her family and will return to work Friday or Monday, according to an emailed statement from Charla Bansley, a spokeswoman for Liberty Counsel, the Christian law firm representing Davis. The statement did not say whether Davis would allow her office to grant licenses. …. A deputy county clerk in Kentucky said Wednesday that even if his boss tells him to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, he will tell her he can't obey her and will instead follow a judge's order. Brian Mason works for Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, who was jailed for five days over her refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. …. Several lawmakers have already filed legislation for the 2016 session that would exempt county clerks from having to issue marriage licenses. …. "We are hoping she is going to comply with it. We'll have to see," Canon said. "But if experience is a teacher, Ms. Davis just doesn't believe that court orders apply to her." …. Katherine Franke, a professor at Columbia Law School, said the state legislature should find the political will to boot Davis from office since she has ignored her oath of office in favor of her religious conviction.”

"The claim she's making is a clear loser. It's a political claim, it's not a legal claim," Franke said. "That's why she lost on the district level and the circuit level and she will continue to lose. She's fighting for justice on the level of religious law. But we don't live in a theocracy." I didn’t especially want to see Davis remain in jail, but I do think she should be impeached. She and others like her are, to me, actively trying to challenge the legislature and the courts with an aim of creating a theocracy. It’s part of our religious tradition in this country for personal convictions to be allowed, but it is a very dangerous thing for them to be elevated above a logically based set of secular laws which maintain fairness over uniformity. Some of the things I see going on at the instigation of the Tea Party are simply ignorant in my eyes, but this is a very important legal issue, and not merely annoying or humorous. It is dangerous.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/uniformed-men-accost-refugees-leave-them-adrift-at-sea/

Uniformed men accost refugees, leave them adrift at sea
CBS NEWS
September 8, 2015

Photograph -- headline-material-holly-williamsframe488.jpg -- Mohammed Jan, 3, hangs on to his mother aboard a crowded boat of Syrian refugees headed for Greece CBS NEWS
Photograph -- headline-material-holly-williamsframe2703.jpg
A vessel from Greece approaches a boat of refugees near the Greek coastline CBS NEWS




ISTANBUL -- Just off the Turkish coast Tuesday morning, 40 Syrians were crammed on a rubber dinghy, desperate to reach Europe.

On board was Tanya Ibrahim, a high school art teacher from Aleppo, her 3-year-old son, Mohammed Jan, and her husband Abdeqaden, who filmed their dangerous journey. CBS News correspondent Holly Williams and her team first met them in Turkey before they set out.

They fled Syria two years ago, after their home was bombed, but they told Williams there was no regular work for Syrians in Turkey, so they borrowed $2,000 to pay a smuggler.

"We can't live in Syria, and we can't live here," Tanya told CBS News. "For the sake of our son we need to leave."

The family gave Williams and her team permission to follow them as they tried to reach Greece. They had good luck to start, with fairly calm waters, though their boat was overcrowded.

About five miles from the Greek coastline, however, an unmarked speedboat arrived from Greek waters. Abdeqaden said five men dressed in black pointed guns at them. He quickly hid his camera.

Then the men disabled the motor -- cutting the fuel supply, according to those aboard -- leaving terrified men, women and children adrift in the open sea. CBS News saw the men do the same thing to five other boats.

It's unclear if the men were affiliated with Greece's Hellenic Coast Guard. When CBS News contacted the coast guard, they didn't admit that their men were responsible, but wouldn't deny it either.

In a statement sent to CBS News, a spokesman acknowledged it was the Greek coast guard that initially located the crammed boats, but suggested the Turkish coast guard was notified and took over the incident. The Greek coast guard would not confirm or deny any specific interaction between its personnel and the migrants in the boats, saying in the statement that officials could not "be more specific at this time."

The Hellenic Coast Guard said it routinely investigated reports of such incidents, but was waiting to see the full details in CBS News' report to evaluate the information available, and would "investigate, if there's a basis for investigation."

The statement from the coast guard called the act of disabling a migrant boat and leaving it adrift at sea "categorically reprehensible," and said it was not "consistent with the mission of the Hellenic Coast Guard, or the morality, the professionalism and the humanity of its members."

CBS News has been told of several similar incidents, however, in which the Greek coast guard allegedly sabotaged refugees' boats to prevent them from reaching Europe, endangering refugees' lives in doing so.

Eventually, the Turkish Coast Guard came to the rescue and, with help from the boat carrying the CBS News team, towed the migrants to safety. Tanya and her family didn't make it to Greece Tuesday, but they're still alive, and they told Williams they'll try again -- as many times as it takes -- to reach Europe.




“Then the men disabled the motor -- cutting the fuel supply, according to those aboard -- leaving terrified men, women and children adrift in the open sea. CBS News saw the men do the same thing to five other boats. It's unclear if the men were affiliated with Greece's Hellenic Coast Guard. When CBS News contacted the coast guard, they didn't admit that their men were responsible, but wouldn't deny it either. In a statement sent to CBS News, a spokesman acknowledged it was the Greek coast guard that initially located the crammed boats, but suggested the Turkish coast guard was notified and took over the incident. The Greek coast guard would not confirm or deny any specific interaction between its personnel and the migrants in the boats, saying in the statement that officials could not "be more specific at this time." …. but was waiting to see the full details in CBS News' report to evaluate the information available, and would "investigate, if there's a basis for investigation." The statement from the coast guard called the act of disabling a migrant boat and leaving it adrift at sea "categorically reprehensible," and said it was not "consistent with the mission of the Hellenic Coast Guard, or the morality, the professionalism and the humanity of its members."

I am sorry for Greece in its present economic crisis, and I realize they are right on a migration route for people leaving the Middle East, but these several similar incidents that have been reported don’t sound like Greece is innocent, especially since they tried to blame Turkey for damaging the boats. It was, according to CBS, Turkish men who rescued the people and Hellenic Coast Guardsmen who have been seen in the past cutting the fuel lines of other boats. They have an international problem with the Islamic immigrants, but so do others across Europe, and Germany, France and the UK are within this last week dealing with the problem in a more honest and generous way. I do hate cruelty – I think leaving people stranded at sea with no help is cruel – and I really hate sneaky, dishonest cruel people. I hope they stop this abuse of their fellow humans and communicate with the rest of Europe on how to cope with it.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/psychedelic-drugs-as-treatment-for-anxiety-addiction/

Psychedelic drugs as treatment for anxiety, addiction
By ALAN MOZES HEALTHDAY
September 9, 2015

Photograph -- AP PHOTO/ROBERT F. BUKATY


In a carefully controlled setting, psychedelic drugs such as LSD or "magic mushrooms" may benefit patients with hard-to-treat anxiety, addiction or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), new research suggests.

The finding comes from a review of small-scale and preliminary studies conducted recently in the United States, Canada and Europe, all of which await follow-up.

These preliminary results show that "in the right context, these drugs can help people a lot, especially people who have disorders that we generally treat poorly, such as end-of-life distress, PTSD, and addiction issues involving tobacco or alcohol," said study co-author Matthew Johnson. Johnson is an associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

The research Johnson and his colleagues point to includes a 2008 study that found that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy resulted in lower anxiety and improved mood, without negative side effects. Psilocybin is the hallucinogenic compound in "magic mushrooms."

And a Swiss study published last year looked at LSD's effect on terminally ill patients who were battling anxiety. Two months after two LSD-enhanced psychotherapy sessions, the patients experienced "significant" reductions in some forms of anxiety, a benefit that endured one year out, without long-lasting side effects.

Despite these findings, Johnson cautioned, "people should not go out on their own to treat themselves with these drugs. These drugs need to be researched according to a strict regulatory process, the same as you would develop any drug."

The notion that "street drugs" might successfully treat serious mental illness flies in the face of the widely held perception that psychedelics are dangerous. It also represents a dramatic turnaround from earlier research -- much of it conducted in the counter-culture heyday of the 1960s -- that was largely discredited by the medical community.

Besides LSD and psilocybin, the drugs examined in the new review included mescaline; DMT, the common name for the hallucinogenic drug dimethyltryptamine; and the mood-elevating drug MDMA, or methylenedioxy-methamphetamine, also known as Ecstasy or Molly.

This fresh look at psychedelics should be viewed as an attempt to "further our understanding of how the brain works," suggested Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein, president of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation in New York City. Borenstein wasn't involved in the research.

"We certainly have to be careful," he said. "Some of these drugs clearly have the potential for misuse and addiction. But there may be aspects that perhaps have a potential benefit, particularly if we could find a way to isolate their helpful mechanisms of action."

For example, this might mean finding a way to separate and deploy a drug's therapeutic antidepressant effect, without the negative impact of, say, dislocation or hallucination, he said.

"To my mind, if working with these agents can lead to new approaches to treat serious conditions, that is all to the good," Borenstein added. "While we currently have some effective methods of treatment for a number of these conditions, we are always looking for improvement."

The findings are published in the Sept. 8 issue of CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).


Other studies mentioned in the review include one that found that psilocybin helped 12 out of 15 smokers kick their tobacco habit by the six-month post-treatment mark.

In another, more than 80 percent of PTSD patients who underwent two-sessions of psychotherapy coupled with MDMA experienced a more than 30 percent drop in the severity of their symptoms, compared with 25 percent of those who didn't take MDMA. The benefits held up for nearly three-quarters of the patients three and half years out.

And researchers studying alcoholism in New Mexico found that coupling "motivational enhancement therapy" with magic mushrooms halved heavy drinking without any significant or long-lasting side effects.

"The biological and psychological evidence seems to show that these drugs can have a unique effect on altering the patient's subjective experience in a very powerful and meaningful way," said Johnson. He added the drugs "can help people who are in a very difficult place psychologically break out and get unstuck."

However, he added, "these are experiences that happen in a psycho-therapeutic context, which is critical to increasing the chances for a life-changing positive experience without any long-term harmful effects."




“In a carefully controlled setting, psychedelic drugs such as LSD or "magic mushrooms" may benefit patients with hard-to-treat anxiety, addiction or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), new research suggests. The finding comes from a review of small-scale and preliminary studies conducted recently in the United States, Canada and Europe, all of which await follow-up. These preliminary results show that "in the right context, these drugs can help people a lot, especially people who have disorders that we generally treat poorly, such as end-of-life distress, PTSD, and addiction issues involving tobacco or alcohol …" The research Johnson and his colleagues point to includes a 2008 study that found that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy resulted in lower anxiety and improved mood, without negative side effects. Psilocybin is the hallucinogenic compound in "magic mushrooms." …. The notion that "street drugs" might successfully treat serious mental illness flies in the face of the widely held perception that psychedelics are dangerous. It also represents a dramatic turnaround from earlier research -- much of it conducted in the counter-culture heyday of the 1960s -- that was largely discredited by the medical community. Besides LSD and psilocybin, the drugs examined in the new review included mescaline; DMT, the common name for the hallucinogenic drug dimethyltryptamine; and the mood-elevating drug MDMA, or methylenedioxy-methamphetamine, also known as Ecstasy or Molly. ….

“…the patients experienced "significant" reductions in some forms of anxiety, a benefit that endured one year out, without long-lasting side effects…” I think that claim is one that very few mental health drugs can make. Perhaps the dose that was given in this study makes a difference. Though several of them are retained in the bodily tissues for a number of weeks, a year is very long time, I would think. I wonder if it would be possible to treat a patient intensively with both the drug and psychotherapy for a significant but shot period of time, and then wait until another year or so to repeat the treatment. Of course without knowing what the mechanism for the curative effect is, it's safety and effectiveness couldn’t be proven. Personally, I would prefer to take a thoroughly tested and established drug than any hallucinogenic chemical. I don’t want to start seeing little green men.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/australian-sheep-found-in-the-wild-yields-89-pounds-of-fleece/

Lost Aussie sheep found in the wild, yields 89 pounds of fleece
AP September 3, 2015

Photograph -- An Australian sheep, named Chris by his rescuers, is pictured before being shorn of over 40 kilograms (88.2 lbs) of wool on September 3, 2015, after being found near Australia's capital city Canberra. REUTERS/RSPCA/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS



CANBERRA, Australia -- A lost, overgrown sheep found in Australian scrubland was shorn for perhaps the first time on Thursday, yielding 89 pounds of wool - the equivalent of 30 sweaters - and shedding almost half his body weight.

Tammy Ven Dange, chief executive of the Canberra RSPCA, which rescued the merino ram dubbed Chris, said she hoped to register the 89 pound, 3 ounce fleece with the Guinness World Records. An official of the London-based organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The most wool sheared from a sheep in a single shearing is 63 pounds, 11 ounces taken from a wild New Zealand merino dubbed Big Ben in January last year, the Guinness World Records website said.

"He's looking really good, he looks like a new man," Ven Dange said, as the now 97-pound sheep recovered at the Canberra animal refuge. "For one thing, he's only half the weight he used to be."

Champion shearer Ian Elkins said the sheep appeared to be in good condition after being separated from his huge fleece under anesthetic.

"I don't reckon he's been shorn before and I reckon he'd be 5 or 6 years old," Elkins said.

Chris was found near Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary outside Canberra by bushwalkers who feared he would not survive the approaching southern summer. He was found several miles from the nearest sheep farm. A bushwalker named him Chris after the sheep in the "Father Ted" television comedy series.

Scrappy animals beating incredible odds

Chris was rescued by the RSPCA on Wednesday and taken to Canberra, where he was shorn under anesthetic because he was stressed by human company and because of the potential pain from the heavy fleece tearing skin as it fell away.

Ven Dange said he had suffered skin burns from urine trapped in his fleece and could have died within weeks if left in the wild.

"When we first brought him in yesterday, he was really shy, he was shaking, he would move his head away from people and he could barely get up and walk," she said.

"The drugs might be wearing off right now, but he's actually coming to you and actually wants a pat. He's certainly moving a heck of a lot better," she added.

She said Chris would be found a new home after vets gave him the all-clear.

Elkins said the fleece was too long to be sold commercially. He hoped it would end up in a museum.

"I wouldn't say it's high quality, but you wouldn't expect it to be running around in the bush that long unshorn," he said.

Australian merinos are bred for wool and are shorn annually, with fleeces averaging about 11 pounds.




“A lost, overgrown sheep found in Australian scrubland was shorn for perhaps the first time on Thursday, yielding 89 pounds of wool - the equivalent of 30 sweaters - and shedding almost half his body weight. Tammy Ven Dange, chief executive of the Canberra RSPCA, which rescued the merino ram dubbed Chris, said she hoped to register the 89 pound, 3 ounce fleece with the Guinness World Records. An official of the London-based organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The most wool sheared from a sheep in a single shearing is 63 pounds, 11 ounces taken from a wild New Zealand merino dubbed Big Ben in January last year, the Guinness World Records website said. …. Champion shearer Ian Elkins said the sheep appeared to be in good condition after being separated from his huge fleece under anesthetic. "I don't reckon he's been shorn before and I reckon he'd be 5 or 6 years old," Elkins said. …. Ven Dange said he had suffered skin burns from urine trapped in his fleece and could have died within weeks if left in the wild. "When we first brought him in yesterday, he was really shy, he was shaking, he would move his head away from people and he could barely get up and walk," she said. "The drugs might be wearing off right now, but he's actually coming to you and actually wants a pat. He's certainly moving a heck of a lot better," she added. …. Elkins said the fleece was too long to be sold commercially. He hoped it would end up in a museum. "I wouldn't say it's high quality, but you wouldn't expect it to be running around in the bush that long unshorn," he said. Australian merinos are bred for wool and are shorn annually, with fleeces averaging about 11 pounds.”

I’ve seen videos of tame sheep being sheared and though they are used to being around humans, they bleat and struggle energetically. They clearly don’t like the process, but then when their extra 11 or so pounds are removed they run around like a young animal. I also note with interest that this sheep had probably never been around humans before, but responded to the human touch by coming up to them and asking in sheep style for a pat. Mammals respond to the human touch I think, though it takes a while to gain their confidence. There was an interesting book about Australia, the Aboriginal people and the dingoes. It said that though the humans do not feed dingoes, they do pet them. I’d be afraid to touch one for fear it would take one of my fingers off. Maybe they’re not as aggressive as most members of the canine family are. I do love to look at sheep. There is a petting zoo in the Washington, DC area where I went several times, so I have actually petted a sheep, and some little pygmy goats also. And once a friend of my sister’s who was a veterinarian brought over a baby lion from her petting zoo. It seemed to enjoy being touched and chose to suck on my finger. It was really young.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/uk-drone-strike-kills-3-isis-fighters-including-two-britons/

U.K. admits to assassinating two Britons in Syria
CBS/AP September 7, 2015

Photograph -- British Prime Minister, David Cameron leaves 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, September 7, 2015. REUTERS/PETER NICHOLLS
Play VIDEO -- Pentagon reacts to ISIS "hit list" of U.S. military personnel
Play VIDEO -- ISIS destroys yet another ancient ruin


LONDON -- Prime Minister David Cameron revealed Monday that British forces had used a drone strike over Syria in August to kill three Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters, including two Britons.

He told Parliament that the attack was legally justified because the militants were plotting lethal attacks against Britain and the fighters could not be eliminated any other way.

"There was a terrorist directing murder on our streets and no other means to stop them," Cameron said, adding that the decision to launch the attack hadn't been taken lightly.

The prime minister said the deadly Royal Air Force strike was permissible because of Britain's intrinsic right to self-defense and had been approved by the attorney general.

The Aug. 21 attack on a car in the Syrian city of Raqqa, an ISIS stronghold, represents an escalation for Britain, which had not participated in military actions in Syria. Cameron said the threat made action mandatory.

Under questioning by Labour Party interim leader Harriet Harmon, the prime minister said the attack marked the first instance in modern times that a British asset has been used to conduct a strike in a country where Britain was not involved in a war.

Fighting ISIS

Cameron said that after "meticulous planning" British nationals Reyaad Khan and Ruhul Amin were killed along with another ISIS militant who was not identified.

Khan was from Cardiff, Wales, and had taken part in an ISIS recruiting video.

He said Britain took action after determining that Khan and another Briton identified as Junaid Hussain were "British nationals based in Syria who were involved in actively recruiting ISIL (IS) sympathizers and seeking to orchestrate specific and barbaric attacks against the West, including directing a number of planned terrorist attacks right here in Britain, such as plots to attack high profile public commemorations, including those taking place this summer."

He said it was their intention to murder British citizens. There was no information indicating that Hussain, the other British national cited by the prime minister as planning attacks, had been injured or killed.

The prime minister said the threat from ISIS fighters was more acute than ever before and that the drone attack was the only "feasible means" of dealing with the danger in this case.

No civilians were killed in the strike, which was carried out independent of coalition military activity taking place in the region, he said.

Parliament was not consulted in advance. Cameron said the government reserves the right to take future action without prior approval when there is a "critical" British interest at stake or when a "humanitarian catastrophe" is imminent and can be averted.

Last month, U.S. officials said they were confident that Junaid Hussein, a Briton who was behind last spring's publication of the "hit list" of American servicemen targeted by ISIS, was killed in a drone strike in Syria, sources told CBS News national security correspondent David Martin.

Hussein, also known as Abu Hussain al-Britani, was number three on the Pentagon's list of most wanted ISIS targets, CBS News' Khaled Wassef reported.




“Prime Minister David Cameron revealed Monday that British forces had used a drone strike over Syria in August to kill three Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters, including two Britons. He told Parliament that the attack was legally justified because the militants were plotting lethal attacks against Britain and the fighters could not be eliminated any other way. …. The prime minister said the deadly Royal Air Force strike was permissible because of Britain's intrinsic right to self-defense and had been approved by the attorney general. The Aug. 21 attack on a car in the Syrian city of Raqqa, an ISIS stronghold, represents an escalation for Britain, which had not participated in military actions in Syria. Cameron said the threat made action mandatory. …. Khan was from Cardiff, Wales, and had taken part in an ISIS recruiting video. He said Britain took action after determining that Khan and another Briton identified as Junaid Hussain were "British nationals based in Syria who were involved in actively recruiting ISIL (IS) sympathizers and seeking to orchestrate specific and barbaric attacks against the West, including directing a number of planned terrorist attacks right here in Britain …. No civilians were killed in the strike, which was carried out independent of coalition military activity taking place in the region, he said. Parliament was not consulted in advance. Cameron said the government reserves the right to take future action without prior approval when there is a "critical" British interest at stake or when a "humanitarian catastrophe" is imminent and can be averted.”

I have been of two minds about drone strikes because in some instances there have been civilian deaths, but I have more confidence now in the operators (often nowhere near the strike zone) and the accuracy of the machinery itself. Drones are now being used to deliver packages in the US. Some of them are equipped with cameras and could, COULD, be used to spy on American citizens in our bedrooms or going about our daily business. I have to trust that the government which collected millions of telephone/text conversations is not interested in doing the same with those drones. They are cute little machines, and I would like to own one to play with in the back yard, but it’s above my price range for something that I just don’t really need. As a method of permanently taking out A#1 Bad Boys like Reyaad Khan and Ruhul Amin, who are so full of hate that they will use their knowledge of British cities to inform attackers in their strikes, it is both effective and fair. Those ISIS fighters are soldiers, not civilians, and killing them is an act of war rather than murder.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/social-security-and-cognition-a-surprising-link/

Social Security and cognition: A surprising link
By AIMEE PICCHI MONEYWATCH
September 7, 2015

Play VIDEO -- Memory slips may be early sign of dementia
Play VIDEO -- Social Security: How to get the biggest check


Social Security may be one of the country's most popular -- and successful -- federal programs, but its benefits may go beyond simply keeping senior citizens out of poverty.

That's a finding in a new study from researchers at the University of Iowa. It showed that higher Social Security benefits paid to senior citizens are linked with improvements in cognitive function. Basically, the bigger the benefit, the better that person weathers the cognitive impairment that can come with age.

Wealth often goes hand-in-hand with better health outcomes because poverty makes it tougher to get quality health care or even live in healthier communities. That sparked the question of how Social Security might be associated with cognitive function, given that the program provides the bulk of household income for many older Americans, noted Padmaja Ayyagari, assistant professor at University of Iowa's Department of Health Management and Policy.

So, Ayyagari and her fellow researcher, assistant professor of economics David Frisvold, looked at how changes to Social Security in the 1970s affected Americans as they aged.

"We went into it thinking we just don't know enough about this topic, and this is one of the first studies to look into this effect," she said about the report, which was published by National Bureau of Economic Research. "The effects are definitely meaningful."

How meaningful? A $1,000 permanent annual increase in Social Security income led to a 2.2 percent improvement in working memory and a 1.4 percent boost to overall cognition, the researchers found.

While Social Security payments are linked to lifetime income, which can depend on education, race and gender, the researchers had the benefit of studying what's known as the Social Security "notch," a glitch that meant seniors born before 1917 received higher payments than those born later. In essence, those born before 1917 received a windfall that wasn't tied to education, greater earnings or other factors that are typically linked to higher Social Security payments.

It's unclear what causes Alzheimer's or dementia, although researchers now believe that factors including education and childhood environment may play roles. All those factors are encountered long before a senior retires, however. By studying Social Security payments through the lens of the notch, Ayyagari said they were able to study a "natural experiment" that could shed light on how the impact of higher income later in life might play a role in cognition.

"Our study suggests that there is a causal relationship," she said, while also noting, "It still could be the case that higher Social Security benefits lead to a better access to care."

Considering the costs of caring for Americans with Alzheimer's and other cognitive problems, the research has far-reaching implications. If Social Security benefits are reduced for the next generations due to the current financial stresses on the program, could it hurt their cognitive abilities as they age and lead to huge burdens on America's health care system, for instance?

"We do find that higher benefits are associated with better cognition, so that implies if benefits are reduced and that results in a reduction of cognitive ability, that's associated with higher spending," she noted. "It could have implications for programs like Medicare and Medicaid."

Policy changes in the 1970s helped the researchers study the impact of higher Social Security payments, which weren't indexed to inflation until 1972. But a flaw in the formula used to index payments after that led to a windfall for workers born after 1910. Basically, those workers' benefits increased at a faster rate than inflation.

Congress corrected the error in 1977 by reducing benefits for those born after 1917, but it used a five-year transition period to gradually lower benefits. Workers born after 1922 were subject to a new formula created in 1977.

The end result was that different cohorts with similar work histories ended up with very different Social Security payments. (A 1988 Social Security Administration publication about the notch noted that "all people born during the years 1910 through 1916 receive an unintended bonus in their monthly Social Security checks -- in effect, a windfall." Americans born after that "are resentful," it added.)

The researchers then considered how aging Americans performed in a longitudinal survey of people born before 1924, which asked respondents to perform simple tests such as subtraction and word recall.

Using those results, the researchers looked at Social Security income for different groups of seniors. The paper reports that the average annual payment for those born from 1915 to 1917 was about $1,200 higher than for other seniors, including those who were younger.

"Individuals affected by the Social Security notch have better cognitive function across all measures, even though these respondents are older," the paper notes. Aside from more income, those Americans also scored higher on the cognitive tests, they found.

So, should individuals take the research to heart when deciding what age to file for Social Security, which can make a difference in benefit levels? Ayyagari said the research is more applicable to how policy decisions affect large populations. For policymakers, she said the question is: "If you're thinking about changes to these programs, then how do we know how these programs affect the health and well being of adults?"




“That's a finding in a new study from researchers at the University of Iowa. It showed that higher Social Security benefits paid to senior citizens are linked with improvements in cognitive function. Basically, the bigger the benefit, the better that person weathers the cognitive impairment that can come with age. …. "We went into it thinking we just don't know enough about this topic, and this is one of the first studies to look into this effect," she said about the report, which was published by National Bureau of Economic Research. "The effects are definitely meaningful." …. A $1,000 permanent annual increase in Social Security income led to a 2.2 percent improvement in working memory and a 1.4 percent boost to overall cognition, the researchers found. While Social Security payments are linked to lifetime income, which can depend on education, race and gender, the researchers had the benefit of studying what's known as the Social Security "notch," a glitch that meant seniors born before 1917 received higher payments than those born later. …. "Our study suggests that there is a causal relationship," she said, while also noting, "It still could be the case that higher Social Security benefits lead to a better access to care." Considering the costs of caring for Americans with Alzheimer's and other cognitive problems, the research has far-reaching implications. If Social Security benefits are reduced for the next generations due to the current financial stresses on the program, could it hurt their cognitive abilities as they age and lead to huge burdens on America's health care system, for instance? …. that's associated with higher spending," she noted. "It could have implications for programs like Medicare and Medicaid." Policy changes in the 1970s helped the researchers study the impact of higher Social Security payments, which weren't indexed to inflation until 1972. …. The end result was that different cohorts with similar work histories ended up with very different Social Security payments. (A 1988 Social Security Administration publication about the notch noted that "all people born during the years 1910 through 1916 receive an unintended bonus in their monthly Social Security checks -- in effect, a windfall." Americans born after that "are resentful," it added.) …. Using those results, the researchers looked at Social Security income for different groups of seniors. The paper reports that the average annual payment for those born from 1915 to 1917 was about $1,200 higher than for other seniors, including those who were younger. "Individuals affected by the Social Security notch have better cognitive function across all measures, even though these respondents are older," the paper notes. …. So, should individuals take the research to heart when deciding what age to file for Social Security, which can make a difference in benefit levels? Ayyagari said the research is more applicable to how policy decisions affect large populations.”

"It could have implications for programs like Medicare and Medicaid." This reminds me of the song that goes “We’re in the same boat, brother, and when you shake on end you rock the other.” Tea Partiers and a several decades of Republicans before them have been trying to cut and eviscerate our social safety nets to “save money” and the result may be more deleterious than I had ever suspected before. I personally tend to think that all stresses have a residual effect on our health overall. More money, as the lady said, usually means better care. It also means more and better food, less fear of financial insecurity, more intellectual stimulation in general, more companionship if the senior citizen wants to have friends and family around, more daily exercise, more intellectual stimulation in general, more companionship if the senior citizen wants to have friends and family around, etc. I think many old people just give up and stop trying. In other words they have chronic depression. That can affect memory. Of course I know that with Alzheimer’s the brain starts to degenerate and become coated with something called “plaques and tangles,“ which interfere with the transmission of thoughts. See this great article: http://www.alz.org/braintour/plaques_tangles.asp.

It states that “Beta-amyloid comes from a larger protein found in the fatty membrane surrounding nerve cells. Beta-amyloid is chemically "sticky" and gradually builds up into plaques. The most damaging form of beta-amyloid may be groups of a few pieces rather than the plaques themselves. The small clumps may block cell-to-cell signaling at synapses. They may also activate immune system cells that trigger inflammation and devour disabled cells.” This amounts to destruction of the structure of brain cells and nerves, and somehow I don’t understand how it could have much to do with wealth unless POOR DIET, constant worry over finances, possibly greater usage of alcohol and street drugs, and lack of exercise may change the bodily chemistry. Something causes a protein called “tau” to start forming in the brain, and because it is sticky, it causes these “plaques and tangles.” The article is too long to put in here, but I do suggest you read it. It isn’t written in technical jargon and isn’t hard to understand. If the overall conditions of our lives do induce disease, maybe it is also true that an old man or woman who loses his or her spouse could degenerate as a result and die. Then maybe we could say that he died from “a broken heart.”





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/zimbabwe-seems-to-cool-on-extraditing-cecils-hunter/

Zimbabwe seems cool on extraditing Cecil's hunter
AP September 7, 2015

Photograph -- A photo of American dentist Walter James Palmer (accused of killing the beloved lion Cecil) posing with another animal he had hunted. CBS NEWS
18 PHOTOS -- Cecil the lion killed in Africa
Play VIDEO -- Advocates say ethical hunts can help save endangered species



HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwean authorities seem to have cooled off on pursuing the case against Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer, amid fears that extraditing the American bow hunter for killing Cecil the lion could hurt Zimbabwe's hunting business.

It has been a month since Environment, Water and Climate Minister Oppah Muchinguri announced that the police would process paperwork to extradite Palmer for participating in a hunt that authorities here said was illegal. On Monday there were no new developments in the matters, police spokeswoman Charity Charamba told The Associated Press.

"I still have nothing on that case," she said.

The National Prosecuting Authority, which is responsible for processing extradition requests, said Palmer was not on its files because the police had yet to process a docket for Palmer, a dentist from suburban Minneapolis.

In an interview with AP on Sunday in Minneapolis, Palmer said he believes he acted legally and that he was stunned to find out his hunting party had killed a treasured animal in July. Cecil was a fixture in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park and had been fitted with a GPS collar as part of Oxford University lion research.

Passage: Cecil the Lion ("Sunday Morning")
Lion hunter's guide: Hunt went "wrong from the beginning" ("CBS This Morning")
American accused of killing African lion convicted in '06 bear hunt
Safari Club takes action against hunter after Cecil the lion killing

Pursuing Palmer without a concrete case could rattle potential big-paying customers from the United States, said a Zimbabwean government official and safari operators.

Theo Bronkhorst, a Zimbabwean professional hunter who helped Palmer, has been charged with "failure to prevent an illegal hunt." Honest Ndlovu, whose property is near Hwange park, faces a charge of allowing the lion hunt to occur on his farm without proper authority. The hunters allegedly lured Cecil out of Hwange with an animal carcass.

Palmer's hosts should have ensured the hunt was legal, said Emmanuel Fundira, chairman of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe.

"These are the people expected to know the rules and advise clients accordingly," he said. "Clients may end up thinking twice before coming to Zimbabwe if such cases are not handled carefully. Authorities have to be sure there is a case before pushing for the extradition of these hunters."

Hunting supports about 800,000 rural Zimbabwean families, said Fundira.

Extraditing Palmer would "be bad for business," a senior official in the ministry of environment, water and climate told AP.

"American hunters spend big. They are a huge market for us," he said, refusing to be named because the killing of Cecil is before the courts. "We still want them here. Zimbabwe sends delegations every year to lure those hunters to bring their money here. They will stop coming if the risk of arrest is high."

Thousands petition White House to extradite Cecil's killer
Hunters in court over Cecil the lion's death ("CBS This Morning")
Zimbabwe trying to get U.S. trophy hunter extradited ("CBS This Morning")

Rural communities surrounding national parks also cash in from the hunting business. In 1989, the Zimbabwean government, with the aid of the U.S government, set up the Communal Areas Management for Indigenous Resources, known as Campfire, to plow some of the money from hunting into surrounding rural communities.

Campfire says most hunting clients are from the U.S, Germany and Spain.

"Foreign sport hunters will pay large sums to hunt Africa's trophy animals, far more than other tourists will pay to view them. A single hunter can spend more than $40,000 on a trophy hunting trip," says Campfire, on its website. "At least half of that revenue goes to the local communities for rural development and environmental conservation."




"It has been a month since Environment, Water and Climate Minister Oppah Muchinguri announced that the police would process paperwork to extradite Palmer for participating in a hunt that authorities here said was illegal. On Monday there were no new developments in the matters, police spokeswoman Charity Charamba told The Associated Press. "I still have nothing on that case," she said. …. The National Prosecuting Authority, which is responsible for processing extradition requests, said Palmer was not on its files because the police had yet to process a docket for Palmer, a dentist from suburban Minneapolis. Foreign sport hunters will pay large sums to hunt Africa's trophy animals, far more than other tourists will pay to view them. A single hunter can spend more than $40,000 on a trophy hunting trip," says Campfire, on its website. "At least half of that revenue goes to the local communities for rural development and environmental conservation. …. Hunting supports about 800,000 rural Zimbabwean families, said Fundira. Extraditing Palmer would "be bad for business," a senior official in the ministry of environment, water and climate told AP. "American hunters spend big. They are a huge market for us," he said, refusing to be named because the killing of Cecil is before the courts. "We still want them here. Zimbabwe sends delegations every year to lure those hunters to bring their money here. They will stop coming if the risk of arrest is high."

Just yesterday I was praising Zimbabwe for trying to extradite this man, and now we have this disappointing story. Apparently greed trumps righteous anger. The income that feeds 800,000 Zimbabweans, however, can’t be ignored. I just wish there weren’t so many people who want kill a beautiful animal rather than observe it. I’ve been unhappy about that human characteristic as long as I can remember. Nothing pleases me more than interactions with living things, and the interaction I want most is to communicate with it. That and the soft fur are the reasons I prefer mammals. Few if any reptiles have any noticeable amount of intelligence. That fascination with animals is why so many of my taped TV shows came from the cable channels Animal Planet or Discovery.