JULY 1 AND 2, 2018


NEWS AND VIEWS


PORTLAND OREGON TODAY

THIS NAVY VETERAN WITH A WIFE AND THREE LITTLE GIRLS HAPPENS TO HAVE BEEN BLACK. ARE YOU SURPRISED? THERE HAS BEEN A CONFLICT WITH THE COMMUNITY OVER ARMING THE CAMPUS POLICE AT ALL, HOWEVER, WITH ONE WOMAN SAYING THAT IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THERE WAS A DEADLY SHOOTING. I’M SURE THIS WILL BE IN THE NEWS FOR AT LEAST THIS WEEK. THERE IS A REAL ISSUE AROUND POLICE OFFICERS BEING ARMED WITH DEADLY WEAPONS AT ALL. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE AVERAGE AMERICAN CAN LEGALLY GO OUT AND BUY AN AUTOMATIC RIFLE WHICH A MOB BOSS WOULD BE PROUD TO OWN.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/portland-state-university-protests-after-police-shoot-kill-jason-washington/
CBS NEWS July 2, 2018, 7:37 PM
Protesters demand action after Portland State University police shoot, kill Navy veteran

Cellphone video showed Jason Washington (in grey shirt) trying to break up a fight outside a Portland sports bar Friday. He was carrying a permitted weapon which fell from his holster. When he tried to pick it up, Portland State University Police officers shot and killed him. CBS NEWS

Dozens of protesters marched through the streets of Portland, Oregon, on Sunday, demanding action after Portland State University police shot and killed a Navy veteran. Cellphone video captured the early Friday incident when, witnesses say, Jason Washington was trying to break up a fight.

It appears Washington's gun fell from its holster before police shot him.

This isn't the first time tensions have risen at the university over armed campus safety officers.

Students have been strongly opposed since the policy began in 2015. One protester said she feared that it was only a matter of time before someone got killed.

CBS News correspondent David Begnaud reports the incident occurred Friday after a fight started to escalate outside a sports bar. According to witnesses, the 45-year-old Washington, who is seen in cellphone video carrying a gun on his right hip, tried to intervene, but fell during the scuffle.

Washington's gun apparently fell from its holster. Witnesses said campus police opened fire when he tried to pick it up.

Washington was a U.S. Navy veteran who worked for the post office. Police told reporters he had a concealed carry permit for his handgun.

portland-state-university-police-shooting-protester.jpg
A demonstration was held Sunday against Portland Statue [sic] University Police for the fatal shooting of a 45-year-old Navy veteran who tried to break up a fight outside sports bar. CBS NEWS

"He was a veteran who fought for our country," said Mohammed Tuffa, who says he was involved in the fight. He said police didn't need to use deadly force. "Pepper spray could have broken everybody out. Everybody would have been on the ground crying."

The two officers involved, Shawn McKenzie and James Dewey, have been placed on administrative leave.

On Sunday more than 100 protesters marched to Portland State University wearing black and carrying signs demanding justice in the campus police shooting of Washington.

portland-state-university-police-shooting-march.jpg
Protesters march in support of Jason Washington, who was shot and killed by Portland Statue University Police. CBS NEWS

Attending Sunday's vigil, Jo Ann Hardesty told CBS News, "Community members and staff and faculty were very, very concerned about arming the police."

Hardesty said many people here have been speaking out against arming campus security officers ever since it began three years ago. "We knew then that somebody would die, and here we are. I had to be here because we knew it would happen – we just didn't know when."

The university said this is the first officer-involved shooting for its campus police force.

They promise a full evaluation of their policies and procedures, as Portland's Police Department investigates the incident.

"CBS This Morning" reached out to the officers involved, but have not heard back.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



PORTLAND OREGON YESTERDAY

WHITE NATIONALISTS HAVE BEEN FOCUSING ON PORTLAND OREGON AS THE CAPITAL OF THEIR PROPOSED WHITE NATION. THERE WILL PROBABLY BE MORE OF THIS IN THE NEWS. ALSO, SHOULD JOEY GIBSON’S NAME COME UP AGAIN IN A POLITICAL CONNECTION, REMEMBER THAT YOU HEARD IT HERE. HOWEVER HE MAY PORTRAY HIMSELF, HE IS NO ORDINARY REPUBLICAN.

THE VIDEO

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2018/jul/01/far-right-marchers-clash-with-anti-fascists-in-portland-video
Portland
Far-right marchers clash with anti-fascists in Portland – video

A riot was declared in downtown Portland, Oregon on Saturday evening, as the city's worst protest violence of the Trump era erupted.

More than 150 supporters of the far-right Patriot Prayer group fought with scores of anti-fascist protesters. Nine people were arrested


THE STORY

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/01/riot-in-portland-as-far-right-marchers-clash-with-anti-facists
Portland
Jason Wilson @jason_a_w
Sun 1 Jul 2018 04.15 EDT

Riot in Portland as far-right marchers clash with anti-fascists
Police use pepper spray and non-lethal ammunition on rival protesters after rally

A riot was declared in downtown Portland, Oregon, on Saturday evening as the city exploded into its worst protest violence of the Trump era.

How a gun-carrying, far-right activist plots a run at the US Senate

More than 150 supporters of the far-right Patriot Prayer group fought pitched street battles with scores of anti-fascist protesters. In total, nine people were arrested.

The far-right march had started near Schrunk Plaza in the city centre, where the rightwing group had held a rally, led by the Patriot Prayer founder and Republican US Senate candidate Joey Gibson.

As soon as the group left the plaza, they clashed with anti-fascists who had been waiting across a heavily barricaded street nearby.

As the two groups came to blows, Department of Homeland Security officers fired non-lethal ammunition towards the counter-protest.

Later the groups met on another street nearby, where the worst of the violence took place.

Patriot Prayer supporters – many of whom wore the colours of a rightwing fraternity called Proud Boys – were seen hitting counter-protesters with flagpoles, trash can lids, and their fists.

Protesters of the rightwing group Patriot Prayer clash with protesters from anti-fascist groups in Portland, Oregon.
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Photograph: Social Media/Reuters

One Proud Boy was seen to floor an anti-fascist protester with a single punch. Later in the day he was seen being cuffed by police officers.

Counter-protesters, some clad in “black bloc” clothing and masks, released deafening fireworks, and punched back at Patriot Prayer supporters.

While anti-fascists used pepper spray, Patriot Prayer members had been unable to take theirs into a federal park. The melee lasted several minutes before Portland police revoked the permit for the march and cleared the street. The groups clashed again soon after and police used pepper spray to separate them and declared a riot at 6.15pm local time.

People in both groups suffered head and facial wounds in the fighting.

Patriot Prayer protesters made their way back to Schrunk Plaza and vented their rage in speeches.

Regular Patriot Prayer rally attendee Katherine Townsend told the group that Portland police had “set us up”, and accused them of “disarming us and herding us towards antifa”.

Townsend said: “It’s not Portland any more, it’s Portlantifa.” But she and other members of Patriot Prayer said they would come back to the city to assert their message of “freedom of speech”.

Gibson said they would “storm city hall” if necessary to get their message heard.

On Facebook, Gibson echoed Townsend’s remarks, writing that: “Portland police allowed criminals to charge our permitted march then declared our march a riot and revoked our permit.”

Unlike recent protests, many participants on the Patriot Prayer side had travelled from around the country, after Gibson issued a national call for assistance.

In a statement, Portland police’s deputy chief, Bob Day, said: “Portland police planned for today’s protest so that people could exercise their first amendment rights to speech and assembly.

“However, once projectiles, such as fireworks, eggs, rocks, bottles and construction equipment were thrown and people were injured, we ordered people to disperse.”

A spokesman for the groups organising the counter-protest, Rose City Antifa, said they were “not surprised by the level of violence, given Patriot Prayer’s rhetoric on social media in the lead-up to the rally”.

Topics
Portland
The far right


JOEY GIBSON, CAMPAIGN VIDEO
https://gibsonforfreedom.com/

JOEY GIBSON
U.S. SENATE
Term Limits
Protect the 2nd amendment
The Fair Tax
Balanced Budget
Build The Middle Class
SEIZE THE MOMENT.


https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/05/21/joey-gibsons-far-right-senate-candidacy-creates-dilemma-republicans
Joey Gibson's far-right Senate candidacy creates dilemma for Republicans
May 21, 2018
David Neiwert

'Free speech' provocateur has built a militia-flavored political career while attracting even more extreme elements, but state GOP officials remain mum about his prospects.

VIDEO -- Joey Gibson Vows Loyalty to 'Proud Boys' at Seattle Rally

Like a number of far-right political candidates around the country, Joey Gibson – founder of Patriot Prayer, the organization behind a string of “free speech” protests along the West Coast that have attracted radical white supremacists and antifascists, often in violent combat – presents a thorny problem for the Republican Party in Washington state.

The nature of the problem was on public display on May Day in Seattle earlier this month, when Gibson held one of his rallies amid annual left-wing parades and protests in the downtown area. Eventually, he talked about his campaign for the U.S. Senate as a Republican, announced earlier this year.

As usual, Gibson and his entourage were accompanied by a large phalanx of far-right “Proud Boys*,” who shared the stage with him most of the day, and to whom Gibson himself openly pledged his enduring loyalty.

“I will never turn my back on you. There’s so much pressure on me right now, it’s constant, people all the time. They’re like, ‘Disavow them, disavow them, distance yourself, distance yourself.’

“Here’s the thing, though: We cannot sell each other out! We cannot sell each other out simply because I want to win the campaign! Simply because I want to do something for myself. We gotta support one another. We gotta continue to hold each other up. Because I’ll tell you what – do you know how many people sold me out?”

He added: “How happy do you think they would be if I came out and I disavowed the Proud Boys? Huh? How happy would they be? Because that’s what they want. They want to divide us.”

Over the course of his relatively brief activist career, Gibson’s Patriot/militia movement-oriented organization has walked an ambiguous line in terms of the “free speech” it claimed to be defending from the violence of the extreme left. As a result, in addition to the masked black-bloc “antifa” opposition drawn to the events, a number of outright neo-Nazis, skinheads, white nationalists and other far-right extremists have come out and participated as well.

This reached its apotheosis in June 2017, when Gibson held a rally in downtown Portland less than a week after an alt-right-influenced man slashed two people to death on commuter train in the city.

In other states where far-right extremists have run as Republicans – such as Illinois and California – state GOP officials have taken steps to distance themselves from the would-be candidates. However, both those men were outright neo-Nazis, while Gibson’s affiliation with the Patriot/militia movement may not be seen as quite as problematic among Washington state Republicans; after all, the No. 3-ranking GOP member of the state House is Matthew Shea, who has a long history of close involvement with the Patriot movement.

Officially speaking, party officials are mum, unable to decide whether to denounce his campaign for the nomination or to embrace it. What they have done so far is simply to pay it no attention, apparently in hopes it would go away and simply lose at the polls during the state’s August 7 primary election.

For awhile, it appeared as if this position would be problematic, since Gibson was the first person to announce his plans to run as a Republican in late February, and remained the only announced GOP candidate for the next couple of months. The incumbent three-term senator, Democrat Maria Cantwell, also filed early, while a handful of third-party candidates announced their campaigns.

However, as last Friday's filing deadline approached, more candidates added their names to the Republican slate for the Senate seat. Finally, late Friday afternoon, former state party chairperson Susan Hutchison stepped up to the plate and announced that she was throwing her hat into the ring.

Though there are now officially 12 candidates filing as Republicans for the primary election, only a handful of them appear to be serious candidates. Some of those listed include Rocque “Rocky” De La Fuente, a San Diego entrepreneur and oft-failed political candidate who has filed to run for the Senate seats in California and Florida as well; and “GoodSpaceGuy,” the legal nom de plume of a Seattle man named Michael Nelson who perennially runs for offices around the state and promotes a space-exploration agenda. There are also several otherwise anonymous candidates who have no websites or online presence.

The serious candidates, besides Hutchison and Gibson, include Keith Swank of Puyallup, Dave Bryant of Bonney Lake, and Matthew D. Heines of Redmond. However, of those three, only Bryant (who emphasizes his background as a Navy veteran) appears to be an ordinary mainstream Republican. None of them has ever held any kind of elected office in the state.

Heines’ out-of-far-right-field platform, as elucidated at his website, includes establishing English as the official national language, as well as forbidding the U.S. government from borrowing money. Swank, meanwhile, also emphasizes his military and police-force service in his pitch, but describes himself as a “constitutional conservative” who emphasizes “border security” and “Second Amendment” issues, as well as promoting tax cuts and eliminating the debt simultaneously.

Swank, moreover, is strident in his rhetoric attacking liberals. “We need to understand that the left is not our friend,” he writes. “We can’t just debate issues and then go out to dinner with them and drink cocktails. The left is out to fundamentally change this country. They want to do away with our rights and responsibilities and control our destiny. We cannot allow this to happen.”

None of the candidates besides Hutchison — who previously ran for King County Executive in 2009, but lost by a wide margin — have the larger statewide name recognition that Gibson enjoys. However, the question that will be decided in the election is whether the recognition that Gibson has garnered, mostly through news coverage of his “free speech” events, is a net positive. There have not been any polls released in the race yet.

What’s worked well for Gibson so far is that his Patriot Prayer events, including an “open carry” event in Seattle on Sunday, have also turned out to be fundraising opportunities for his Senate campaign. Near the end of the May Day rally, he talked to the crowd and asked them to use an app that would help them easily donate to his campaign.

“I’m gonna need your money, the small amounts, because Maria Cantwell’s getting maxed out, a lot of the donations that she can get, because she works for the elitists,” he said.

However, Hutchison's announcement makes her the immediate favorite among the GOP competitors, given her deep connections within the party apparatus and her longtime connections to President Trump. It also sets up an interesting rivalry within the party itself.

“The alt-right vs. all-Trump primary the WA State Republicans have ahead of them will be fascinating to watch,” observed Democratic Party spokesperson Ansley Lacitis in a text message to the Seattle Times.



PROUD BOYS*

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavin_McInnes
Gavin McInnes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gavin Miles McInnes (/məˈkɪnɪs/; born 17 July 1970) is a Canadian writer, actor and comedian. He is the co-founder of Vice Media and Vice Magazine[1][2][3] and host of Get Off My Lawn on Conservative Review. He is a contributor to Taki's Magazine, a former contributor to The Rebel Media and was a frequent guest on television programs on Fox News and TheBlaze.[4]

McInnes was a leading figure in the hipster subculture while at Vice. After leaving the company in 2008 he became increasingly known for his far right-wing political views. He is the founder of Proud Boys, a far-right men's organization.[5][6][7][8] McInnes personally identifies as "new right".[9]


http://officialproudboys.com/proud-boys/whoaretheproudboys/
Proud Boys: Who Are They?
by Robert CulkinRobert Culkin
August 24, 2017, 7:15 am

The Proud Boys are a men’s organization founded in 2016 by Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes. McInnes has described the Proud Boys as a pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world; aka Western Chauvinists.

Proud Boys‘ values center on the following tenets:

Minimal Government
Maximum Freedom
Anti-Political Correctness
Anti-Drug War
Closed Borders
Anti-Racial Guilt
Anti-Racism
Pro-Free Speech (1st Amendment)
Pro-Gun Rights (2nd Amendment)
Glorifying the Entrepreneur
Venerating the Housewife
Reinstating a Spirit of Western Chauvinism

Though these are our central tenets, all that is required to become a Proud Boy is that a man declare he is “a Western chauvinist who refuses to apologize for creating the modern world.” We do not discriminate based upon race or sexual orientation/preference. We are not an “ism”, “ist”, or “phobic” that fits the Left’s narrative. We truly believe that the West Is The Best and welcome those who believe in the same tenets as us. We have an international reach, with members spanning the globe. If you have any questions or would like get in contact with your local chapter, feel free to contact us directly via our staff page. This, after all, the one and only Proud Boy Magazine. For Proud Boys, by Proud Boys. UHURU!

If you’re interested here are some additional articles and video clips to shed some more light on our movement. In fact, here are a few Gavin has written for this website.

We Are Not Alt-Right

Clarification on the 4th Degree

SEE THE SEPARATE BLOG FOR 7/1 CALLED “FA AND ANTIFA ...”



LOVING AND COURAGEOUS GOLDEN RETRIEVER FACES DOWN A RATTLESNAKE TO PROTECT HIS OWNER. JUDGING FROM THIS PHOTOGRAPH, HE MAY NOT MAKE IT. I HOPE HE DOES, THOUGH. I LIKE TO SEE THE GOOD GUYS WIN!

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/golden-retriever-bitten-by-rattlesnake-protecting-owner-during-hike-arizona/
By DANIELLE GARRAND CBS NEWS July 1, 2018, 9:55 PM
Golden retriever bitten by rattlesnake protecting owner while on hike

PHOTOGRAPH -- Todd's owner updated worried Facebook friends Sunday saying the pup was recovering after suffering a snake bite. FACEBOOK/PAULA GODWIN

Todd's owner updated worried Facebook friends Sunday saying the pup was recovering after suffering a snake bite. FACEBOOK/PAULA GODWIN

Dogs have done some incredible things for their owners, protecting them from thieves, house fires and much more. But, this golden retriever might be the most heroic pup yet.

Paula Godwin treated her golden retriever Todd to a hike Friday morning in Anthem, Arizona. It was a normal walk until Godwin almost stepped on a rattlesnake lurking on the trail, CBS affiliate KPHO-TV reported. Thankfully, Godwin had a guardian angel in Todd.

He leaped in between his owner and the snake that was about to strike. Todd ended up suffering a serious bite on his snout. Godwin rushed Todd to a local animal hospital where he was treated for the bite.

Godwin recounted the attack on Facebook, writing: "It was a beautiful morning but as we were walking down the hill I literally almost stepped on a mf rattlesnake. But my hero of a puppy Todd saved me. He jumped right in front of my leg were I surely would have got bit. This is what a hero looks like. Please say a little prayer for my sweet hero," she said.

Godwin provided an update to the pup's condition Sunday, saying her pet is healing from the attack.

She also thanked concerned followers, writing, "Your kindness and support is truly a blessing."

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



IS SPACE TRAVEL REALLY SAFE? WELL, ACCORDING TO THIS ARTICLE, IT SEEMS TO HAVE NO EFFECTS THAT DO NOT GO AWAY AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME, AND THOSE THAT WERE FOUND WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY LIFE-THREATENING. HOWEVER, A CHANGE IN HOW A GENE IS EXPRESSED IS NOT INSIGNIFICANT, IF THE RESULT IS IMPORTANT. IT’S LIKE THE QUESTION OF HOW MUCH ARSENIC CAN THE BODY TOLERATE WITHOUT CAUSING DEATH? A REALLY INTERESTING AND RELEVANT ARTICLE ON THE SUBJECT OF ARSENIC, DEATH AND THE PACE OF GOVERNMENT ACTION IS BELOW.

WHAT IS THE IMMEDIATE CAUSE OF THE TRIGGERING OF A GENE “AS SOON AS AN ASTRONAUT GETS INTO SPACE” – CHANGE IN GRAVITATION, PERHAPS? SEE THE ARTICLE BELOW ON TURNING GENES ON AND OFF. FOR INSTANCE, WILL THIS CAUSE MUTATIONS? WILL IT “TURN ON” A CANCER GENE?

SEE: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/death-by-slow-poisoning/article23930645.ece. -- “AN ESTIMATED 10 MILLION PEOPLE IN NINE DISTRICTS OF WEST BENGAL DRINK ARSENIC-LADEN GROUNDWATER. PRIYANKA PULLA FINDS THAT DESPITE ALARMS HAVING BEEN SOUNDED OVER DECADES, THE STATE GOVERNMENT HAS MOVED AT A GLACIAL PACE TO TACKLE THE CRISIS, WHILE PEOPLE STRUGGLE TO COPE WITH THE SYMPTOMS.”

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/fireworks-in-space-nasa-s-twins-study-explores-gene-expression
Oct. 24, 2017
Fireworks in Space: NASA’s Twins Study Explores Gene Expression

NASA’s Twins Study preliminary results have revealed that space travel causes an increase in methylation, the process of turning genes on and off, and additional knowledge in how that process works.

“Some of the most exciting things that we’ve seen from looking at gene expression in space is that we really see an explosion, like fireworks taking off, as soon as the human body gets into space,” Twins Study Principal Investigator Chris Mason, Ph.D., of Weill Cornell Medicine, said. “With this study, we’ve seen thousands and thousands of genes change how they are turned on and turned off. This happens as soon as an astronaut gets into space, and some of the activity persists temporarily upon return to Earth.”

When retired twin astronaut Scott Kelly returned to Earth in March 2016, the Twins Study research intensified with investigators collecting samples from him and his twin brother, retired astronaut Mark Kelly. The researchers began combining the data and reviewing the enormous amount of information looking for correlations.

“This study represents one of the most comprehensive views of human biology,” Mason said. “It really sets the bedrock for understanding molecular risks for space travel as well as ways to potentially protect and fix those genetic changes.”

Final results for the Twins Study are expected to be published in 2018.

###

NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) is dedicated to discovering the best methods and technologies to support safe, productive human space travel. HRP enables space exploration by reducing the risks to astronaut health and performance using ground research facilities, the International Space Station, and analog environments. This leads to the development and delivery of a program focused on: human health, performance, and habitability standards; countermeasures and risk mitigation solutions; and advanced habitability and medical support technologies. HRP supports innovative, scientific human research by funding more than 300 research grants to respected universities, hospitals and NASA centers to over 200 researchers in more than 30 states.


https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/howgeneswork/geneonoff
Can genes be turned on and off in cells?

Each cell expresses, or turns on, only a fraction of its genes. The rest of the genes are repressed, or turned off. The process of turning genes on and off is known as gene regulation. Gene regulation is an important part of normal development. Genes are turned on and off in different patterns during development to make a brain cell look and act different from a liver cell or a muscle cell, for example. Gene regulation also allows cells to react quickly to changes in their environments. Although we know that the regulation of genes is critical for life, this complex process is not yet fully understood.

Gene regulation can occur at any point during gene expression, but most commonly occurs at the level of transcription (when the information in a gene’s DNA is transferred to mRNA). Signals from the environment or from other cells activate proteins called transcription factors. These proteins bind to regulatory regions of a gene and increase or decrease the level of transcription. By controlling the level of transcription, this process can determine the amount of protein product that is made by a gene at any given time.

For more information about gene regulation:
The National Human Genome Research Institute provides a definition of gene regulation in their Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms.

The Genetic Science Learning Center at the University of Utah offers an explanation of gene expression as it relates to disease risk.

Additional information about gene expression is available from yourgenome.org, a service of the Wellcome Trust.

The Khan Academy has an educational unit on gene regulation, including videos about gene regulation in bacteria and eukaryotes.


Related Story: NASA's Human Research Program: https://www.nasa.gov/hrp “Some of the most exciting things that we’ve seen from looking at gene expression in space is that we really see an explosion, like fireworks taking off, as soon as the human body gets into space,” Twins Study Principal Investigator Chris Mason, Ph.D., of Weill Cornell Medicine, said. “With this study, we’ve seen thousands and thousands of genes change how they are turned on and turned off. This happens as soon as an astronaut gets into space, and some of the activity persists temporarily upon return to Earth.” - Christopher E. Mason, Ph. D. Associate Professor, Weill Cornell Medicine
Credits: NASA
Amy Blanchett
Laurie Abadie
NASA Human Research Strategic Communications
Last Updated: Oct. 24, 2017
Editor: Timothy Gushanas
Tags: Human Research Program, International Space Station (ISS), Journey to Mars, One-Year Crew



“SPACE GENES” MARCH 15, 2018

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/03/15/space-genes-nasa-confirms-space-travel-changes-dna-perhaps-long-time/427402002/
'Space genes': NASA confirms space travel changes DNA — even upon return to Earth
USA TODAY NETWORKSean Rossman, USA TODAY Published 11:11 a.m. ET March 15, 2018 | Updated 12:05 p.m. ET March 16, 2018

Thanks to a study on the Kelly twins, NASA confirms that space travel can change astronauts' genes, even after returning to Earth. USA TODAY

USA TODAY NETWORKSean Rossman, USA TODAY Published 11:11 a.m. ET March 15, 2018 | Updated 12:05 p.m. ET March 16, 2018

Thanks to a study on the Kelly twins, NASA confirms that space travel can change astronauts' genes, even after returning to Earth. USA TODAY

AFP 549580507 I SPP KAZ -
(Photo: Kirill Kudryavtsev, AFP/Getty Images)

The stresses of space travel can alter a person's genetic makeup, NASA says, and the changes can linger even after a return to Earth.

Call it the effects of "space genes," or DNA that doesn't return to normal after a sojourn in space. The January finding was included in a NASA announcement corroborating a number of 2017 preliminary findings on the effects of space travel on the human body.

Investigators found about 93% of astronaut Scott Kelly's genes returned to normal after spending one year at the International Space Station. But the other 7% remained changed, even after Kelly returned to earth, signaling space travel can have longer-term changes on a person's body.

But the Kelly brothers are still identical twins, NASA clarified Thursday evening.

"Scott's DNA did not fundamentally change," a NASA statement said. "What researchers did observe are changes in gene expression, which is how your body reacts to your environment. This likely is within the range for humans under stress, such as mountain climbing or SCUBA diving."

The agency emphasized the change in Scott Kelly, was "very minimal."

The findings are part of the Twins Study, which seeks to explore the physical and psychological effects of space travel. The experiment involved a number of tests on Scott Kelly and his brother Mark Kelly while Scott was in space and Mark was on Earth.

NASA found spaceflight affects gene expression through oxygen deprivation stress, increase inflammation and changes in nutrients. Those stresses contribute to the existence of hundreds of "space genes," Cornell University researcher Chris Mason explains. The genes, he said, remained disrupted after Scott Kelly's return.

Read more: First results on Scott Kelly after year in space reveal space travel changes DNA

The altered genes are related to Scott Kelly's immune system, DNA repair and bone formation networks, among other bodily functions.

Other than his DNA, the study found most of the biological changes Scott Kelly experienced in space returned to normal after just hours or days on Earth, although some took months.

NASA said the Twins Test helps examine space travel's risks to humans:

Among the other findings of the report include:

*Scott's telomeres on the ends of his chromosomes in his white blood cells lengthened while in space. Researchers said that could be attributed to increased exercise and his reduced calorie intake during flight. The telomeres shortened when he returned. Telomeres typically decrease in length as a person ages.

*Scott's cognitive abilities in speed and accuracy slowed just slightly after the mission, "possibly due to re-exposure and adjustment to Earth's gravity" and his busy schedule after returning to Earth.



THIS IS THE FIRST PICTURE OF MICHAEL COHEN THAT I’VE EVER SEEN WHICH TELLS ME WHO HE IS, AND THIS DOES. IN ADDITION, I AM FINDING MYSELF LIKING HIM. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND READING IT.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/michael-cohen-family-country-president-trump-loyalty/story?id=56304585
EXCLUSIVE: Michael Cohen says family and country, not President Trump, is his 'first loyalty'
By GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS Jul 2, 2018, 7:08 AM ET

WATCH Exclusive: President Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen speaks out

Michael Cohen -- President Donald Trump’s longtime personal attorney and a former executive vice president at the Trump Organization -- has always insisted he would remain loyal to the president.

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He was the fix-it guy, the pit bull so fiercely protective of his boss that he’d once described himself as "the guy who would take a bullet" for the president.

But in his first in-depth interview since the FBI raided his office and homes in April, Cohen strongly signaled his willingness to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller and federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York -- even if that puts President Trump in jeopardy.

“My wife, my daughter and my son have my first loyalty and always will,” Cohen told me. “I put family and country first.”

We spoke for 45 minutes Saturday evening at a Manhattan hotel, where Cohen has been staying for the past several months. And during that time, the question of whether Cohen might flip on the president has been the subject of intense speculation.

PHOTO: ABC News George Stephanopoulos discusses interviewing Michael Cohen on Good Morning America, July 2, 2018.ABC News
ABC News' George Stephanopoulos discusses interviewing Michael Cohen on "Good Morning America," July 2, 2018.
(MORE: Cohen legal team completes review of fed-seized files, says 12,000 are privileged)
(MORE: Michael Cohen resigns from RNC committee post)

Even the president weighed in, tweeting in April that “most people will flip if the government lets them out of trouble, even if it means lying or making up stories. Sorry, I don’t see Michael doing that.”

He described Cohen as a “fine person with a wonderful family.”

But Cohen did not praise the president during our conversation -- and pointedly disagreed with Trump’s criticism of the federal investigations.

When I asked Cohen directly what he would do if prosecutors forced him to choose between protecting the president and protecting his family, he said his family is “my first priority.”

Cohen added: “Once I understand what charges might be filed against me, if any at all, I will defer to my new counsel, Guy Petrillo, for guidance.”

But when I pointed out to Cohen that he wasn’t repeating past vows to “take a bullet” and “do anything” to protect the president, the longtime Trump loyalist left little doubt about where he stands now, saying simply: “To be crystal clear, my wife, my daughter and my son, and this country have my first loyalty.”

Cohen recently retained Petrillo, a highly regarded former federal prosecutor who once led the criminal division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan -- the very same office currently conducting the criminal investigation of Cohen.

PHOTO: President Donald Trump waits to greet King Abdullah II of Jordan and Rania Al-Abdullah, Queen of Jordan, not pictured, at the South Portico of the White House in Washington, June 25, 2018.Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Donald Trump waits to greet King Abdullah II of Jordan and Rania Al-Abdullah, Queen of Jordan, not pictured, at the South Portico of the White House in Washington, June 25, 2018.more +
Petrillo is expected to take over as Cohen’s lead counsel in the coming days. And Cohen makes clear that his decision about whether to cooperate will be based not on any previous loyalty to Trump -- but on Petrillo’s legal advice.

Once Petrillo fully assumes his role, a joint defense agreement Cohen shared with the president, which allowed their lawyers to share information and documents with each other, will come to an end, ABC News has learned.

At that point, the legal interests of the president of the United States and his longtime personal attorney could quickly become adversarial.

When I asked Cohen how he might respond if the president or his legal team come after him -- to try and discredit him and the work he did for Mr. Trump over the last decade -- he sat up straight. His voice gained strength.

“I will not be a punching bag as part of anyone’s defense strategy,” he said emphatically. “I am not a villain of this story, and I will not allow others to try to depict me that way.”

Prosecutors in New York’s Southern District are investigating Cohen for alleged violations of election law and possible financial crimes associated with his personal business dealings.

He has not been charged with any crime. But on the advice of his attorney, Cohen declined to address specific questions about matters currently under investigation.

ABC News George Stephanopoulos interviewing Michael Cohen, who was formerly an attorney for President Donald Trump.ABC News
ABC News' George Stephanopoulos interviewing Michael Cohen, who was formerly an attorney for President Donald Trump.more +
“I respect the prosecutors. I respect the process,” Cohen said. “I would not do or say anything that might be perceived as interfering with their professional review of the evidence and the facts.”

One subject the prosecutors are surely exploring: that $130,000 payment Cohen made to adult-film star Stephanie Clifford, aka Stormy Daniels, less than two weeks before the 2016 election, in exchange for her silence –- a possible violation of campaign finance law.

I asked Cohen if the president directed him to make that payment or promised to reimburse him. In the past, Cohen has said that he acted on his own initiative.

Not this time.

“I want to answer. One day I will answer,” he said. “But for now, I can’t comment further on advice of my counsel.”

On issue after issue, Cohen did, however, separate himself from President Trump -– starting with the president’s criticism of how the government has conducted its investigation.

PHOTO: ABC News George Stephanopoulos interviewing Michael Cohen, who was formerly an attorney for President Donald Trump.ABC News
ABC News' George Stephanopoulos interviewing Michael Cohen, who was formerly an attorney for President Donald Trump.more +
(MORE: Michael Cohen hires new lawyer who may help negotiate plea deal)
(MORE: Special counsel remains interested in Cohen, grand jury witness says)
After federal agents searched Cohen’s New York properties, Trump described the raid as a break-in, an “attack on our country, in a true sense. It’s an attack on what we all stand for.”

“I don’t agree with those who demonize or vilify the FBI. I respect the FBI as an institution, as well as their agents,” Cohen told me. “When they searched my hotel room and my home, it was obviously upsetting to me and my family. Nonetheless, the agents were respectful, courteous and professional. I thanked them for their service and as they left, we shook hands.”

Cohen also refused to criticize the Mueller investigation.

"I don’t like the term witch hunt,” he said, adding that he condemned Russia for interfering in the 2016 election.

“As an American, I repudiate Russia’s or any other foreign government’s attempt to interfere or meddle in our democratic process, and I would call on all Americans to do the same,” he said.

And in a direct rebuttal to President Trump, who sent out a tweet last week repeating Vladimir Putin’s claim that Russia did not interfere in our election, Cohen added this: “Simply accepting the denial of Mr. Putin is unsustainable.”

PHOTO: In this June 21, 2017, file photo, Special Counsel Robert Mueller departs after a closed-door meeting with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee about Russian meddling in the election at the Capitol in Washington.J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo

“I respect our nation’s intelligence agencies’... unanimous conclusions,” he said.

Cohen also repeated his previous denials of any personal involvement with Russian attempts to interfere in our election, declaring that he never went to Prague, as alleged in the Steele dossier, and never colluded with the Russians in any way.

Although he has not been interviewed yet by Mueller’s team, he says he has provided documents and added that he would fully cooperate with them, just as he says he has with the Senate and House committees investigating the matter.

“I appeared under oath before the House Select Intelligence Committee for over six hours and to the Senate Select Intelligence Committee for over eight hours,” he says.

Cohen believes Mueller will not find any evidence that he had any illegal or improper dealings with the Russians.

PHOTO: ABC News George Stephanopoulos interviewing Michael Cohen, who was formerly an attorney for President Donald Trump.ABC News

But Cohen did criticize those members of the Trump campaign who participated in that now infamous Trump Tower meeting in June of 2016 with several Russians after being promised dirt on Hillary Clinton.

“I believe it was a mistake by those from the Trump campaign who did participate,” he said. "It was simply an example of poor judgment.”

When I asked Cohen if President Trump knew about that meeting before it happened, he declined to answer.

“I can’t comment under advice of my counsel due to the ongoing investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York,” Cohen said.

After months of silence, Cohen seemed relieved to be telling more of his story. He visibly relaxed over the course of the interview after telling me -- with some understatement -- that the last year has been “difficult, upsetting and unpleasant.”

RELATED:
ABC News George Stephanopoulos interviewing Michael Cohen, who was formerly an attorney for President Donald Trump.ABC News
(MORE: FBI has obtained encrypted messages from Michael Cohen’s phones: Prosecutors)
(MORE: Ex-Trump lawyer Cohen likely to cooperate as his attorneys leave case: Sources)

When I asked if he had any regrets about how he handled any of the matters under investigation, he said “as an attorney and as an employee, I tried to make good faith judgments in the past. I also acknowledge that I am not perfect. I would prefer not to be in this situation at all, obviously.”

This interview, he hopes, will be a first step towards his ultimate goal: “Resolution.”

“I want to regain my name and my reputation and my life back," he said.

Jim Hill, Eliana Larramendia and the ABC News specialized units contributed to this report.



WELL, BERNIE SANDERS MAY NOT WIN THE PRESIDENCY, BUT YOU CAN’T SAY HE ISN’T LOVED. HE IS NOW LIKE THE WORD “KLEENEX.” THOSE WHO ARE OF MY AGE RANGE, WILL ALWAYS CALL THEIR “FACIAL TISSUES” KLEENEX. EVEN WITH AN EFFORT I CAN BARELY SAY “FACIAL TISSUES.” IT TAKES TOO LONG, AND IT IS NEVER THE FIRST WORD THAT COMES TO MY MIND. SO, HOORAY FOR PROGRESSIVE POLITICS, AND “POWER TO THE PEOPLE!” I WILL WATCH ANDRES MANUEL LOPEZ OBRADOR WITH GREAT INTEREST.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/07/01/mexicos-bernie-sanders-wins-huge-historic-landslide-mandate-reshape-nation
Published on
Sunday, July 01, 2018
byCommon Dreams
Mexico's 'Bernie Sanders' Wins in a Huge Historic Landslide With Mandate to Reshape the Nation
AMLO is definitely the Bernie Sanders of Mexico.
byCommon Dreams staff

PHOTOGRAPH -- MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - JULY 01: Presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador arrives to cast his vote during the Mexico 2018 Presidential Election on July 1, 2018 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Pedro Mera/Getty Images)

Progressive anti-Trump candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador has been elected president of Mexico on Sunday in an apparent landslide victory.

Exit polls gave AMLO, as his supporters call him, a huge lead over his two closest competitors, and both of them conceded the race shortly after polls closed on Sunday night. Official results were due to be announced later on Sunday night with AMLO supporters expected to flood Mexico City’s main plaza, the Zócalo, to celebrate his anticipated victory.

The New York Times reports:

"Mr. López Obrador’s win puts a leftist leader at the helm of Latin America’s second largest economy for the first time in decades, a prospect that has filled millions of Mexicans with hope — and the nation’s elites with trepidation.

"The outcome represents a clear rejection of the status quo in the nation, which for the last quarter century has been defined by a centrist vision and an embrace of globalization that many Mexicans feel has not served them."

Journalist Gwynne Dyer, writing on Common Dreams Sunday:

"It will also annoy Washington greatly. López Obrador is promising that all 50 Mexican consulates in the United States will help to defend migrants caught up in the American legal system. "Trump and his advisers speak of the Mexicans the way Hitler and the Nazis referred to the Jews, just before undertaking the infamous persecution and the abominable extermination,” López Obrador wrote just after the Great Distractor’s election." It’s quite likely that within a year the US intelligence services will be tasked with the job of finding ways to bring him down.

John Feffer writing on Common Dreams Friday wrote:

"AMLO is definitely the Bernie Sanders of Mexico. He was the mayor of a city, like Sanders, though Mexico City is quite a bit bigger than Burlington, Vermont. He governed in the same pragmatic way that Bernie did, often partnering with the business community. As Jon Lee Anderson writes in The New Yorker, AMLO “succeeded in creating a pension fund for elderly residents, expanding highways to ease congestion, and devising a public-private scheme, with the telecommunications magnate Carlos Slim, to restore the historic downtown.” The latter is reminiscent of Sanders’s deals to revive Burlington’s waterfront."

The Guardian reported Sunday night:

Leading members of Latin America’s left voiced hope Amlo’s election might revive the region’s rapidly ebbing ‘pink tide’. “It will signal the return of progressive winds to Latin America!” Gleisi Hoffmann, the president of Brazil’s embattled Worker’s party, predicted.

Brazil’s impeached former president Dilma Rousseff said an AMLO win would “not just be a victory for Mexico but for all of Latin America”.

Argentina’s former president, Cristina Kirchner, tweeted: “Andrés Manuel López Obrador represents hope, not just for Mexico but for the entire region.”

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License
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https://acslaw.org/acsblog/donald-trump-the-great-distractor
Donald Trump: The Great Distractor
October 25, 2017
by Reuben Guttman, Founding member, Guttman,Buschner & Brooks PLLC

*This piece was originally posted on Huffington Post.

There is a scene in the movie Private Parts – the life and career of Howard Stern – where NBC officials, committed to dumping the shock jock, check out the latest ratings and learn, to their dismay, that the DJ’s popularity has rocketed. Pouring through the data, they find that the “number one reason” people tune into Stern is because they are waiting to hear what he will say next.

For all the time that Donald Trump spent on the Stern show, this may be the one lesson he learned. From North Korea’s “rocket man” to “crooked Hillary,” and a dash of Ryan and McConnell bashing, people tune in to this President to hear what he will say or tweet next. For their part, the members of the news media seem to fixate on Trumpian commotion.

Call him the great distractor. While the world focuses on Trump and wonders what he will do or say next, his minions are busy dismantling government. It is as if the Trumpeteers are robbing the rule of law while Trump is distracting the security guards.

Consider Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Last month – before the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal broke – the Secretary appeared before an audience at George Mason University and spoke about Title IX enforcement.

Promulgated by Congress 45 years ago, Title IX ensures that “[n]o person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” Title IX is part of a myriad of civil rights laws enforced by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. These laws also proscribe discrimination based on race, color, national origin, disability, and age.

For her part, DeVos spoke out against campus sexual misconduct, noting that she is “grateful to those who endeavored to end sexual misconduct on campuses.” It was – at one level – a seemingly uneventful speech. Yet, on another level, it was a speech replete with dog-whistle-like messaging communicating an intent to dismantle regulation proscribing sexual harassment and discrimination at our nation’s colleges.

Referring to an unidentified school official, DeVos said she was told that the Department’s “Office for Civil Rights has ‘terrified’ schools.” Citing another unnamed school official, DeVos noted that “[o]ne university leader was rightly appalled when he was asked by an Office for Civil Rights official: ‘Why do you care about the rights of the accused?’” Referring to required processes to investigate and address sexual harassment, DeVos said, “It’s no wonder so many call these proceedings ‘kangaroo courts.’” She complained that “[t]his failed system has generated ‘hundreds upon hundreds of cases’ at the Office for Civil Rights while generating “dozens upon dozens of lawsuits” filed “by students punished for sexual misconduct.” And – like her boss who freely opines on matters squarely within the orbit of an independent judicial process – she spoke of a football player who had been dismissed from school – in her mind wrongfully – because he had been determined to have engaged in sexual harassment. “There are men and women, boys and girls, who are survivors, and there are men and women, boys and girls who are wrongfully accused,” said DeVos.

And DeVos said this: “Punishing speech protected by the First Amendment trivializes actual harassment. It teaches students the wrong lesson about the importance of free speech in our democracy.”

No Madam Secretary; you are wrong! Our nation has long regulated speech when it hinders equal opportunity in employment, housing, public accommodation, and, yes, education. And at least in the employment context, our half-century-old civil rights laws view the legality of the speech from the vantage point of the listener and not the speaker. And no Madam Secretary, it is not for you to determine how much a woman will take before it is called harassment.

The Secretary of Education has now telegraphed her intention to dismantle Title IX compliance enforcement. If this were the only regulatory scheme that Trump’s minions were trashing, it would be tragic but perhaps manageable. Unfortunately, there are regulatory wrecking balls at all government agencies. And, of course, trade agreements and nuclear non-proliferation agreements are not safe from demise.

At some point the Trump presidency will end. We will than begin the process of picking through the rubble of a dismantled regulatory system that once fostered equal opportunity from education to the workplace and housing, protected workers on the job from hazard, and safeguarded our natural resources from contaminants. The measure of our task will of course depend on how much damage we can prevent, and prevention means not being distracted by the side show of the great distractor Donald Trump.

Tags: Civil rights, Labor Law, Racial justice, Women's rights, Constitutional Interpretation and Change, Economic, Workplace and Environmental Regulation, Equality and Liberty, Betsy DeVos, Guest Post, Reuben Guttman, Title IX