Love bugs" are the result of a genetic experiment gone wrong at the University of Florida.

Explanation: How the sex-crazed March fly proliferated in the United States.

The “love bug,” a fly in the Bibionidae family (also known as the honeymoon fly, telephone bug, double-headed bug, united bug, and March fly), is a nuisance any Florida motorist is unhappily more than passingly familiar with. Though these bugs neither bite nor sting, at certain times of the year their sheer numbers transform these innocuous insects into airborne hordes seemingly determined to devil anyone fool enough to take to the road. The adults splatter on windshields, lights, grills, and radiators of motor vehicles, and their dried remains can be difficult to remove. Suicidal pairs of love bugs have been known to cause overheating of motors when large numbers of them are drawn into the cooling systems of liquid-cooled engines. Every May and September these sex-crazed critters become an annoyance bordering on intolerable as the air teems with mating pairs. But the “love bugs” haven’t always been part of the Floridian landscape, thus we’ve seen an abundance of “mad scientist” stories about how the state came to be infested with them. (Love bugs are not solely a Floridian plague; they range throughout the Gulf states and into Mexico and Central America, as well as up into Georgia and South Carolina. But they seem particularly enamored of Florida.) Truth is, Mother Nature is far more to be feared than any mad scientist and is far more capricious. In this case, she inspired some of her children to migrate to a new area, and in doing so prompted the creation of a number of rumors which attempt to explain why these critters came to take up residence in places where they weren’t found before:  Love Bugs are actually man-made. Scientists were genetically engineering females of a species of insect that would mate with the male mosquito, but be sterile and produce no offspring. Unfortunately, they accidentally also created a male Love Bug, and a pair somehow escaped into the wild. Since the bugs had no natural predators, their numbers quickly exploded into the millions. Back when I was a student at Florida State, I was told that love bugs were accidentally released from a biological experiment station at the University of Florida. Supposedly, the lovebug was “created” in a lab at UF by crossing a fly and a mosquito in an attempt to create an enemy for mosquito larva. It supposedly got loose and now populates the whole southern US. Love bugs are not the result of a genetic cloning experiment gone wrong, nor were they unwittingly loosed from a research facility charged with studying exotic insects. They also weren’t bio-engineered as a natural solution to the mosquito problem, as love bugs do not eat mosquitoes. These overly amorous critters are native to Central America; the best guess as to how they came to these United States places them as undiscovered stowaways who arrived by ship in Galveston or New Orleans around 1920. They migrated into Florida in 1947 from Louisiana, looked around, liked what they saw, and decided to stay. Their natural capacity for reproduction took care of the rest. Or, as an academic quoted by the Orlando Sentinel observed (with tongue firmly in cheek): Decades ago, with the mosquito population out of control, the University of Florida’s mad scientists decided to fight back. That’s how the red and black lovebugs were created — or at least that’s how an urban legend says it happened. Philip Koehler, an endowed professor in UF’s entomology department, wasn’t sure how the myth started but said it’s impossible. “If we’d created them, they would be orange and blue,” he said.


Canada faces 'critical week' in coronavirus crisis, death toll jumps.

Explanation: Canada faces “a critical week” in fighting the coronavirus, a senior official said on Thursday, as the death toll jumped and the most populous province said residents should brace for a stark scenario.

Deaths surged to 161 from 105 on Wednesday while positive cases rose to 11,131 from 9,017, according to provincial announcements compiled by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.  “This is a critical week in our fight against the coronavirus,” said Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. Canada’s public health agency is particularly worried by the spread of the coronavirus in seniors’ residences, which are turning into hotspots in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia - the three biggest provinces by population. It has also expressed concerns about remote, northern indigenous communities, where healthcare is scant. Canada’s military is in talks to offer help if necessary, an official at the ministry of indigenous services told reporters. The health agency predicted a surge in Ontario, which accounts for more than a third of Canada’s 38 million citizens. Ontario premier Doug Ford said he would release sobering internal projections on Friday. “I have to be up front with people, and I’m going to be, and people will see some really stark figures tomorrow,” he said. Click tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in a separate browser for GRAPHIC tracking the global spread of coronavirus. Toronto Mayor John Tory - unhappy that people are defying a shutdown order by gathering in public places - announced officials would mount “a blitz on our parks” to force people back home. “The time for puzzlement at this misbehavior is over,” he told reporters. In Quebec, Premier Francois Legault urged police “to be less tolerant” when dealing with those ignoring orders to stay at home. People can be fined up to C$6,000, he said. Legault, worried about shortages of medical supplies, said Quebec had enough ventilators for another week. Some medical personnel have raised concerns about a lack of personal protection equipment. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said authorities had received over a million masks on Wednesday. New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs told CBC his province would run out of testing kits in about a week if they ramped up efforts to see who had contracted the virus. Trudeau sidestepped requests to outline the projections Ottawa was using. “I think people can imagine a range of scenarios that shows everything from everyone gets suddenly better within the next few weeks to this situation just keeps getting worse,” he said.


An amendment inserted by lawmakers into the state budget "exempts scientific researchers from all state animal cruelty laws.

Explanation: Wisconsin Humane Society says state budget amendment exempts scientific researchers from state criminal law on animal cruelty

Animals, State Budget, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Humane Society,

When key state legislators approved a multifaceted amendment to cut the budget and make other high-profile changes to the University of Wisconsin System on June 3, 2011, little attention was paid to item number 27. Labeled "Liability Protections for Scientific Researchers," the amendment dealt with changes in the state statute regarding "crimes against animals." About a week later, the Wisconsin Humane Society urged its supporters to protest the move, which university researchers said was necessary to protect vital research from the chilling effect of possible lawsuits or criminal prosecutions urged by animal-rights activists. In a news release on June 13, 2011, the Humane Society said the state legislation would "exempt scientific researchers from all state animal cruelty laws." "Wisconsin law already exempts bona fide scientific researchers from the statutes prohibiting animal mistreatment … and poisoning," the group’s  executive director Anne Reed wrote. "The budget bill amendment is broader and would exempt researchers from the entirety of Chapter 951, the criminal laws relating to animal cruelty." That’s a provocative claim about an apparently major change in state law --  and one that was inserted without public hearing or discussion into a lengthy budget bill. That’s right up our alley. First, a bit of background about the legislation. It grew, in part, out of university concerns about legal liability for researchers in the wake of criminal investigations into the use of sheep and mice in experiments, said Eric Sandgren, director of the UW Research Animal Resources Center. For three decades, UW-Madison used sheep in U.S. Navy-funded experiments related to decompression sickness in divers, Sandgren said. The sheep are euthanized at the end of the experiments. In 2009, Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard found that UW-Madison researchers violated the crimes against animals law. He  declined to prosecute, saying it was not intentional or negligent. In 2010, the Alliance for Animals and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) went to court seeking criminal charges against UW officials in connection with 26 sheep that died as a result of decompression experiments, the Madison Capital Times reported. In that case, a Madison special prosecutor appointed by a judge in May 2011 determined university employees broke no laws, but he "scolded university officials for not having a better system in place for keeping track of state and federal laws," the Capital Times reported. All right, let’s examine the proposed changes. To back up her claim that the budget amendment would exempt researchers from the whole criminal statute, Reed pointed to the proposed amendment approved on June 3 by the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee. The committee did the preliminary work on the budget, which then went to the Assembly and Senate. The bill markup document creates a new section in Chapter 951, the criminal statute that deals with dognapping, decompression, instigation of fights between animals, nutrition for confined animals and other acts. Under the amendment, the statute would read: "This chapter does not apply to an animal that is being used for research or experimentation at an educational or research institution or to an animal that is being used for research or experimentation that is regulated under (federal laws)." The change, as proposed, affects state criminal prohibitions on animal cruelty written into the statutes decades ago. That sounds sweeping, and, indeed, it is accurate to say that the amendment would exempt university researchers from the state statute providing criminal penalties for animal cruelty, Sandgren said. Sandgren defends the proposal and says it will not lead to more abuse. He points to a federal law, the Animal Welfare Act, that is enforced by the United States Department of Agriculture. That law, another federal law, and UW’s own ethical standards, are enough to keep research within legal standards, Sandgren and other supporters of the change contend. One co-sponsor of the multifaceted budget amendment for the university system, Rep. Patricia Strachota (R-West Bend), said a coalition of bioscience researchers sought the liability protection. A Medical College of Wisconsin spokesman said the members of the statewide coalition addressing the issue are: BioForward, Covance, the Medical College of Wisconsin, UW Health, UW Madison, UW System, Wisconsin Alumni Association, and Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. The proposed change "removes the cloud of criminal prosecutions" for bona fide researchers, said Medical College spokesman Richard Katschke. Reed says that is one cause for concern, among several. She said the federal law was not as meaningful, because local district attorneys would be more inclined to listen to complaints than federal authorities. "That’s why we have state statutes," Reed said. Reed also pointed out a potential loophole in the amendment language. While the intent of the budget amendment appeared to be to exempt only bona fide research at educational/research institutions, we found the actual language in the bill markup does not make that distinction. Strachota said legislators were planning to clean up the language to make it clear that only public educational institutions would be exempt. One more issue before we take stock. Sandgren took issue with the wording of a Humane Society e-mail alert to its supporters that said the proposed change means researchers "can do anything without worrying about any legal protections for animals at all." That e-mail alert did not make it explicitly clear, Reed acknowledged, that the society was talking about state legal protections. But the news release published by the group, as well as its website, covered that point. How does it all stack up? The Wisconsin Humane Society says a proposed state statute change will exempt researchers from all the state’s criminal prohibitions against animal cruelty. There’s disagreement about the real-world impact of the change, but the exemption itself is clear. The disagreement is related to federal laws and ethical standards, which would not be affected -- and were not mentioned by the group.


Shots for food workers urged in 2 West Virginia counties.

Explanation: Health officials are urging hepatitis A vaccinations for restaurant and food service employees in two West Virginia counties.

Health, Hepatitis, West Virginia, Food services, Charleston, Public health

The Bureau for Public Health made the recommendation Wednesday for such employees in Kanawha and Putnam counties. Eight food establishments in Kanawha, Putnam and Cabell counties have been identified as having a worker confirmed with hepatitis A. The bureau says in a statement that in each of those instances, a history of drug use was identified in an employee. No customers have become sick and state health officer Dr. Rahul Gupta says the risk of hepatitis A transmission to the general public remains low. Symptoms of hepatitis A include fever, nausea and vomiting. The statement says three vaccination clinics for hepatitis A have been scheduled, including Friday at the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department.


Georgia shelter quarantines dog area for parvovirus.

Explanation: The dog area of a Georgia animal shelter is under quarantine after three puppies tested positive for the highly contagious canine parvovirus.

Georgia, Animals, Health, General News, Athens, Cats, Dogs

News outlets report Athens-Clarke County Animal Shelter announced Wednesday that the area will be quarantined until Sept. 16. The shelter says several seemingly healthy puppies arrived last week, but by Saturday, one of the puppies became seriously ill and the other two appeared ill. They say the puppies tested positive for parvo and were euthanized after their illness worsened. The shelter says the remaining dogs were vaccinated and are at low risk of infection. The cat area briefly closed in July after some kittens were infected by panleukopenia, which is deadly to unvaccinated felines. Workers euthanized 31 cats. A subsequent test showed negative results for one kitten.


Stephen Hawking's thesis and wheelchair sell for $1 million.

Explanation: A motorized wheelchair used by the late British physicist Stephen Hawking sold at auction on Thursday for almost 300,000 pounds ($391,740.00) while a dissertation raised nearly twice that at a sale to raise money for charity.

Famed for his work exploring the origins of the universe, Hawking died in March at the age of 76 after spending most of his life confined to a wheelchair with motor neurone disease. Some of his belongings including essays, medals, awards and a copy of his book a “Brief History of Time” signed with a thumbprint were sold online on Thursday alongside letters and manuscripts belonging to Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein. Hawking’s 117-page dissertation “Properties of expanding universes” from 1965 sold for 584,750 pounds, well ahead of the estimate of up to 150,000. Medals and awards sold for 296,750 pounds, compared with an estimate of 15,000 pounds, while the red motorized wheelchair sold for 296,750 pounds, also compared with an estimate of 15,000 pounds. Auction house Christies ran the nine-day online auction called “On the Shoulders of Giants” to raise money for the Stephen Hawking Foundation and the Motor Neurone Disease Association. It also offered fans of the physicist known for his electronic voice synthesizer a chance to buy some of his possessions. “Stephen Hawking was a huge personality worldwide. He had this amazing ability to connect with people,” Thomas Venning, head of the Books and Manuscripts department at auction house Christie’s London, told Reuters ahead of the event. ($1 = 0.7658 pounds)


Arkansas Colleges of Health Education celebrates 5 years.

Explanation: Happy Birthday to the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education.

Health education, Fort Smith, Health, Arkansas, Education

The organization celebrated five years since Kyle Parker was hired as president and CEO of the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine. It was also the beginning of what would grow from one college to the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education, which aims to promote a healthy community. In five years, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, residency, fellowship and master of science and biomedicine programs have been announced. The colleges plan to offer programs to some of the most-needed services in Arkansas and want to provide resources for students to do them effectively, the Southwest Times Record reported. The master of science and biomedicine, announced recently, is designed for students who wish to become physicians or enter other health care professions but are not yet ready for medical school. It will bridge the gap between students who either may not have a typical undergraduate academic background reflective of a medical career or may be resuming their education after time off. The area features completed housing developments along with in-progress work, such as Heritage Village and the Celebration Garden and Wellness Park, which will honor the college’s anatomical donors. It was announced that Parker gave $100,000 toward the garden and park in honor of his wife and mother. Two streets, Loretta Parker Lane and Renee Parker Way, will be named after the two. Parker also announced the campus’ third building will be devoted to research and visual arts. He hopes this building can pair excellence in learning through research while offering an environment where students can effectively cope with the stress that naturally comes with life and learning. “This is just the beginning of fulfilling the ACHE mission and the dream of changing health care as we know it,” said ACHE Board Chairman David Craig. The college also plans to begin an “Adopt a Doc” program, Parker said, as a way for the community to thank its students. He said residents can “adopt” a student and take them out for pizza or invite them to see the Arkansas foliage this fall. Parker wants to remind students they’re valued and want to stay in the area. Outside of the education being provided, ACHE’s faculty, staff and students strive to be more than consumers of Fort Smith resources and give back to the community that has welcomed the school. They’ve worked with students in the Fort Smith School District, regularly volunteer at numerous local nonprofits and integrated themselves into the community with the college’s “Walk with a Doc” program and outreach opportunities to collect goods for residents in need. Parker said these other activities are the most important to the college when interviewing prospective students. The college received more than 5,000 applications for its upcoming 150-person class. “What’s so important to us is what’s in these students’ hearts,” Parker said. “What we want to know is what’s sitting inside their heart. Who are you as a person? Do you truly care for somebody. Can we get you to serve in one of the most underserved areas in the United States?” Mayor George McGill presented a citation of appreciation from the city’s local representatives and spoke highly of the college and what it’s accomplished. “On behalf of the city of Fort Smith, I wish I could really tell you what it means to this city,” McGill said. “It’s incredible, and it’s the one thing I talk about very often — the impact this medical school and all its bold vision has meant to Fort Smith and all of the River Valley. We’re very blessed to have you here.” ARCOM was one of the first major developments at Chaffee Crossing, and Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority Marketing Director Lorie Robertson said its success is due in part to the medical school. “There’s no question that the development associated with the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education has not only contributed but spurred development in general in Chaffee Crossing. We couldn’t be prouder,” Robertson said. “This is a cornerstone for our development and just an amazing realization that continues to change, expand and grow into bigger and greater things for the Fort Smith Region.” Chaffee Crossing has more than $1.6 billion in capital investments, Robertson previously said. Multiple residential and smaller commercial areas have been built, the Fort Smith Public Schools Career and Technology campus will be on the outer edge of the area, and several international companies have plants located at Chaffee. The college will welcome its third class this summer, and as Parker told guests, “y’all ain’t seen nothing yet.” ___ Information from: Southwest Times Record, http://www.swtimes.com/


Recipe winners dine on brussels sprouts, smoothies at White House.

Explanation: White House state dinners are not normally known for centerpieces made of brussels sprouts, green smoothies and eating with your fingers.

But when your guests are 55 students who won a nationwide healthy recipe contest, it is a fitting feast to promote first lady Michelle Obama’s campaign to end childhood obesity. President Barack Obama, who dropped by as a surprise, told the youngsters to spread their healthy eating habits to their friends. “The truth is that parents, it turns out, don’t always have the most influence,” he said. “What really helps is when their friends at school are all like, ‘You’re having chips? I’m sorry, I’m having the Barack-amole,’” he said, referencing a topping on one of the winning recipes, a healthy taco dish. The winners were chosen from nearly 1,000 entries for recipes ranging from “Deliciousness over Rice” to “Secret Service Pizza Delight.”       After speaking to the group, Barack Obama glanced at a table where a girl had knocked something over. “That’s OK,” he told her. “When I’m at state dinners, I’m always spilling things.”  “Usually,” he added, “on my tie.”


Explanation: Incorrect. The US MMR vaccine package insert, under “adverse reactions”, says death from various and sometimes unknown causes has been reported after vaccination but a causal relationship hasn’t been found in healthy individuals. Death isn’t listed under adverse reactions on either MMR vaccine used in the UK.

Pancreatitis, Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2), anaphylaxis, arthritis, encephalitis, aseptic meningitis, pneumonia, deafness, retinitis and epididymitis are also listed as side effects. Death is listed as a side effect of the MMR vaccine. Measles is at the top of the list of the MMR vaccine’s adverse reactions. Atypical measles is listed as one of the “adverse reactions” of the MMR vaccine used in the US and one of the UK brands (it is not “top” of these lists). That’s because people vaccinated with a certain brand of measles jab in the 60s and 70s were still able to get “atypical measles” if they were exposed to a certain measles strain. The other UK brand lists “atypical measles” as a “possible side effect” as some people who were given that MMR vaccine got atypical measles if they also got the old measles jab. Claim 1 of 4


According to an unnamed critical care physician working in Italy, emergency rooms in the country were running at 200 percent capacity because of a novel coronavirus.

Explanation: Unsourced ‘Intensivist’ Thread Spreads on Twitter as COVID-19 Hits Italy

In March 2020, as more nations grappled with a novel coronavirus pandemic, social media users continued to promote unsourced chain-letter “messages” online as people searched for reliable and credible information.One of the latest instances of the trend was a Twitter thread purportedly from British anesthesiologist Jason Van Schoor, who posted a series of claims he attributed to a “a well respected friend and intensivist/A&E consultant who is currently in northern Italy.”One of the major claims in his thread — “Lumbardy is the most developed region in Italy” does track with previous reports on the disease’s spread through the country, where it has killed 827 people. The BBC described Lumbardy as part of “the rich northern part of the country that powers the economy.”But Van Schoor also claimed, second-hand, that hospitals are “overwhelmed by Covid-19, they are running 200% capacity.” That remark paints an even more dire picture than on-the-ground reporting:Finding more acute care beds is a “race against time,” Lombardy’s top health official, Giulio Gallera, said in a phone interview. “As of now the region’s health-care system is holding up well, but if the increase in the number of infected people in need of intensive care doesn’t slow down we could have issues.”More than 80% of the region’s 1,123 acute-care beds are dedicated to coronavirus, after many other patients have been moved elsewhere and 223 extra places have been opened to cope with the emergency. About half of those are occupied, Gallera said.It should be noted here that Van Schoor’s account is not a translation of another post that has been disseminated widely online, by Daniele Macchini, a doctor at the Humanitas Gavazzeni hospital in Bergamo. Macchini’s March 6 2020 post has been read and shared by thousands across social media platforms, and it was also republished by a local news outlet, L’Eco Di Bergamo.One key difference between the posts is that Macchini’s does not contain a list claiming “this is the pattern” for COVID-19 cases:A translation of Bergamo’s post also fails to provide any matches with this passage from Van Schoor’s thread:Everything about how to treat them is online but the only things that will make a difference are: do not be afraid of massively strict measures to keep people safe, if governments won’t do this at least keep your family safe, your loved ones with history of cancer or diabetes or any transplant will not be tubed if they need it even if they are young. By safe I mean YOU do not attend them and YOU decide who does and YOU teach them how to.We were able to verify that there is an anesthesiologist with that name practicing in England, and the account appears to be who it claims. However, without further details we were unable to know how much of the information he included in this thread was legitimate.We asked Van Schoor if he could provide more information, but he has not yet responded.


Jury clears J&J of liability in California talc cancer case.

Explanation: A California jury on Wednesday cleared Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) of liability in a case involving a woman who alleged that the company’s talc-based products, including its baby powder, contain asbestos and caused her cancer, the company said.

The jury in Humboldt County Superior Court in Eureka, California rejected claims by Carla Allen who said that her mesothelioma, a tissue cancer closely linked to asbestos exposure, was caused by the company’s talc products, including Johnson’s Baby Powder. J&J denies the allegations, saying decades of scientific testing and regulatory approvals have shown its talc to be safe and asbestos-free. Plaintiffs in the litigation allege that J&J knew of asbestos fibers in its cosmetic talc and concealed risks associated with the products. The New Brunswick, New Jersey-based company faces some 11,700 U.S. talc lawsuits, according to an October regulatory filing. More than 9,700 of those cases involve claims over ovarian cancer, recent filings in New Jersey federal court, where most of the cases are consolidated, showed. The remaining plaintiffs allege asbestos in J&J’s talc caused them to develop mesothelioma. J&J in a statement on Wednesday said it was pleased with the jury’s decision in the case of Allen. “While we deeply sympathize with anyone suffering from any form of cancer, the science and facts show that her disease was not caused by her use of our talcum-based products,” the company said. The California jury reached its decision following a roughly seven-week long jury trial, court records showed, but further details were not immediately available. Lawyers for Allen did not immediately respond to a request for comment. J&J has been fighting talc cancer lawsuits for several years, but the litigation shifted in recent months to include allegations of asbestos contamination. Plaintiffs now claim asbestos fibers in the products are causing both ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. J&J to date has been cleared of liability in three mesothelioma cases. It has lost two mesothelioma cases in New Jersey and California, with juries awarding a total of $142 million in damages. Both cases are under appeal. Four additional mesothelioma cases resulted in a mistrial because jurors could not reach a verdict or because the plaintiff died. In July, a Missouri jury hit J&J with a massive $4.69 billion verdict in the first trial alleging asbestos contamination has caused ovarian cancer in 22 women. That decision is also under appeal.


Mozambique to start cholera vaccinations next week after cyclone.

Explanation: Mozambique will start a cholera vaccination campaign next week in areas ravaged by Cyclone Idai, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday, after five confirmed cases were detected.

Thousands of people were trapped for more than a week in submerged villages without access to clean water after Cyclone Idai smashed into the Mozambican port city of Beira on March 14, causing catastrophic flooding and killing more than 700 people across three countries in southeast Africa. With tens of thousands of displaced people moved to makeshift camps, relief efforts have increasingly focused on containing outbreaks of waterborne and infectious diseases. David Wightwick, a senior member of the WHO’s response team in Beira, told reporters that seven clinics had been set up in Mozambique to treat cholera patients and that two more would be ready soon. “We have 900,000 doses of oral cholera vaccines which are coming in on Monday, and we will start a vaccination campaign as soon as possible next week,” Wightwick said. Cholera is endemic to Mozambique, which has had regular outbreaks over the past five years. About 2,000 people were infected in the last outbreak, which ended in February 2018, according to the WHO. But the scale of the damage to Beira’s water and sanitation infrastructure, coupled with its dense population, have raised fears that another epidemic would be difficult to put down. Wightwick could not confirm whether there had yet been any deaths from cholera in Mozambique. A Reuters reporter saw the body of a dead child being brought out of an emergency clinic in Beira on Wednesday. The child had suffered acute diarrhea, which can be a symptom of cholera. In nearby Malawi, which was badly hit by flooding and heavy rains in the leadup to Cyclone Idai, the government said arable and livestock farming had been badly affected and that irrigation infrastructure had been damaged. Agriculture ministry spokesman Hamilton Chimala said around 420,000 metric tonnes of maize had been lost, representing roughly 12 percent of the country’s forecast output of 3.3 million metric tonnes in the 2018/19 farming season. Impoverished Malawi is regularly hit by food shortages, so the damage to the country’s staple grain is a cause for concern. Zimbabwe’s Local Government Minister July Moyo said on Wednesday the government would spend another $18 million to deal with the aftermath of the cyclone. As of Wednesday, 713 people in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi had died in the tropical storm and in the heavy rains before it hit.


No vaping ban U-turn, says Indian official, as protests fizzle.

Explanation: India’s government has no plan to roll back a ban on electronic cigarettes, an official told Reuters on Saturday, as protests against the move by vapers in six cities drew scant support.

India banned the sale and import of e-cigarettes this month, warning of an “epidemic” of vaping among young people. The action has affected users nationwide and the plans of international companies including Juul Labs Inc and Philip Morris International, as well as triggering court challenges by local firms. Protesters convened on Saturday to call for vaping devices to be regulated rather than prohibited. But organizers Association of Vapers India said only about 400 people turned up across six cities, adding that some opponents of the ban feared being targeted by police. At one protest in the capital New Delhi, several people used vaping devices. Among them sat a child with a poster that read: “I don’t want my dad to be a smoker”. The government argues the ban is essential to protect people as vaping can lead to nicotine addiction and push users toward consuming tobacco. Vapers say the devices help them stay away from more harmful tobacco cigarettes. More than 900,000 people die each year due to tobacco-related illnesses in India, the government estimates. But the country has 106 million adult smokers, second only to China, making it a lucrative potential market for companies selling both tobacco and vaping products. An Indian health ministry official said the government was determined to stick by its ban, despite the protests and court challenges. “There is no question of a rollback or anything like that,” the official said. Two court challenges that could be pivotal for whether the ban can continue to be enforced are under way in the eastern city of Kolkata, including one by e-cigarette importer Plume Vapour. The company, in a court filing seen by Reuters, argues that the ban will allow cigarette companies to flourish while putting e-cigarette firms out of business. New Delhi protester Aryaman Chaudhary, 25, said he stocked up on vape refills ahead of the ban, but was worried he would eventually run out. “I just want this regulated, not banned ... Everybody has an addiction.”


Several emails circulating about the Obama administration’s proposed Universal Health Care bill.   One concern is that the passage of this bill will levy an additional capital gains tax on the sales of homes of 3.8%.

Explanation: Various emails about the proposed Health Care Bill

Many eRumors and opinions are still circulating about the Health Care Reform Bill or HR-3200 which was abandoned for a new bill 1990 page bill HR-3962 titled the  “Affordable Health Care for America Act.” On December 24, 2009 the Senate passed the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” by a yea-nay vote of 60-39. The House version of the 2409 page bill is HR-3590. On the afternoon of March 18, 2010 Congress announced that the House posted an additional package, HR-4872 – Reconciliation Act of 2010, that contains 153 pages of fixes to the Healthcare bill. On March 21, 2010, Congress passed the two bills. In November 2010 the Republican Party won majority control of Congress on the campaign promise that they would repeal Obamacare. The new GOP led Congress met on January 19, 2011 to debate the repeal of the Health Care Reform Law. They voted 245 to 189 in favor to repeal the bill. The next step for the bill is to the Senate, where Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, has vowed to block it. The text of HR-2 – Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act  can be found at this link: Click for HR-2 The current Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act HR-3590 and the Reconciliation Act of 2010HR-4872 can be viewed on the Thomas Library site:  Click for HR-3590  Click for HR-4872  On October 1, 2013 the Affordable Care Act roll out began with the opening of the long awaited sign up website at  HealthCare.gov. The roll out was shaky after a series of website crashes as people tried to investigate their health care options. A short time later letters from insurance companies began to be sent to nearly 5 million people living in the U.S. notifying them of policy terminations because of new regulations set down by the Affordable care act. When people called the insurance companies they were directed to purchase new policies. TruthOrFiction.Com has a special report. Click here for report. HR-3590 eRumors: Medical devices sold will now have a  2.3% Excise Tax According to the  Internal Revenue Service, “section 4191 of the Internal Revenue Code imposes an excise tax on the sale of certain medical devices by the manufacturer or importer of the device.”  This is a 2.3 % of the sale price of taxable medical devices and went into effect January 1, 2013. Some items are exempt from the tax, such as eyeglasses, contact lenses and hearing aids. According to the Internal Revenue Service, it is the manufacturer or importer of the taxable medical device who is responsible for paying the excise tax, not the consumer. Customers should not see any added taxes on their sales slips but the cost of the actual item to customers could increase as a result of this excise tax. Some versions of this rumor include a photo of a sales slip from a sporting goods chain and allege that the tax is included on sporting equipment. The tax is not applicable on anything other than the medical devices. Real estate sales will be taxed 3.8% Congressman Mark Kirk of Illinois released a statement on March 21, 2010  on HR-3590 saying that the health care bill will increase taxes “by imposing a new 3.8% tax on capital gains.” At first, it was believed that taxes and surcharges could be imposed on income over $250,000 for single tax filers and $500,000 for married couples filing together. That imposed tax is to help fund the $210 Billion needed to fund the new Health Care Bill. According to the National Board of Realtors, the new law will take effect January 1, 2013 and  “may impose a 3.8% tax on some (but not all) income from interest, dividends, rents (less expenses) and capital gains (less capital losses).”   It said that this “tax will fall only on individuals with an adjusted gross income (AGI) above $200,000 and couples filing a joint return with more than $250,000 AGI.” To help realtors and investors the National Association of Realtors released a brochure that explains the new tax called, The 3.8% Tax Real Estate Scenarios & Examples Effective January 1, 2013. Click here for a copy of the brochure. The actual tax increases may be generated by the HR-4872 Reconciliation Act according a  March 21, 2010 article by Life and Health News Insurance News. This is also confirmed in a  March 25, 2010 article by CNNMoney.com that said, “couples making $500,000 in wages will pay an additional $2,250. If they made $1 million, they would pay an additional $6,750. In addition, high-income households would also be subject to a new 3.8% Medicare tax on investment income starting in 2013.”  Aspirin Tax become effective June 1, 2013 Effective June 1, 2013, aspirin will be heavily taxed under Obamacare. The only explanation given was that they are white and they work. No other reason was given, but I thought you’d want to know about it. This is someone’s attempt at humor but all kidding aside Obamacare not affects consumer purchases of aspirin but it also affects all over the counter medications and how consumers should purchase them. According to a July 5, 2012 article by Fox News there is a medicine cabinet tax in Obamacare, “which since 2011 has barred the 13.5 million Americans with Health Savings Accounts from purchasing over-the-counter medicines with pre-tax funds.” This is not found in the text of HR-3590 but in the  Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (HR-4872). Under the old rules prior to Obamacare consumers could use funds in their HSA or other health insurance tax free savings accounts to purchase medication such as aspirin or allergy drugs. According to the  HSA Resources website funds from HSA may be used to pay for qualified medical expense, such as  ambulance costs, artificial limbs, birth control pills,contact lenses, lab fees,  and prescriptions. Employer healthcare insurance contributions on the 2011 W-2 form will be added to the employee’s gross income The amount entered for employer contributions to the health insurance plans on the W-2 form are for evidence that the employee has health insurance coverage. This amount will not be taxable nor added to the employee’s gross income. In an  April 5, 2010 article called “Health Care Reform: 13 Tax Changes on the Way”, Senior Tax Editor, Joan Pryde of the Washington D.C. based Kiplinger Letters wrote about a “requirement that businesses include the value of the health care benefits they provide to employees on W-2s, beginning with W-2s for 2011. The amount reported is not considered taxable income.”  “The Mark of the Beast” in the Healthcare Bill A new eRumor began circulating in early April 2010 that claims that the new healthcare reform bill includes requirements for every American to have microchips implanted in their bodies that would contain medical and other encoded personal information. The email message says it may be a form of the “Mark of the Beast” indicated in the Bible as one of the signs of the end of the world. It is not true. It refers to what is called in the health care legislation the “National Medical Device Registry.”  The registry does exist in the bill but has nothing to do with requiring implanted microchips in American citizens. It proposes a national database of medical devices that have already been put into people’s bodies such as artificial knees, artificial hips, heart stents, pacemakers, etc. The purpose of the registry is to track the effectiveness and performance of the devices. Whoever originated this eRumor took the wording from the bill about the medical device registry and added their own interpretation that it involved microchips and would apply to every person. Individuals and families can opt out of the health care system if they belong to a religious organization that has a health care sharing ministry Members of some religious organizations may claim a Religious Conscience Exemption if their sects meet the conditions by having a health care sharing ministry that is exempt from taxation under section 501(a). Members of the Church of Christ, Scientist (Christian Scientists),  might not object to medical care purchasing health insurance. The church’s official websites says that it teaches members that they “are always free to choose medical treatment, which many individuals feel is the most obvious solution to health difficulties.”  Members might be free to enroll in the health care plan or opt out of it. Amish do not believe an accepting assistance from the government but according to the frequently asked questions section on the Amish.net web site, members of the sect use local doctors, and if they have a medical condition that requires them to do so,  they will seek the help of medical specialists or go to hospitals. The Amish subscribe to health plans or purchase medical insurance and if they are sick, will treat the ailments at home first. Such individuals and families will not be subject to the 2.5% tax. This is outlined on pages 326-328 discuss religious conscience exemptions: ‘‘(2) RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS.— ‘‘(A) RELIGIOUS CONSCIENCE EXEMPTION.—Such term shall not include any individual for any month if such individual has in effect an exemption under section 1311(d)(4)(H) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which certifies that such individual is a member of a recognized religious sect or division thereof described in section 1402(g)(1) and an adherent of established tenets or teachings of such sect or division as described in such section. ‘‘(B) HEALTH CARE SHARING MINISTRY.— ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Such term shall not include any individual for any month if such individual is a member of a health care sharing ministry for the month. ‘‘(ii) HEALTH CARE SHARING MINISTRY.—The term ‘health care sharing ministry’ means an organization— ‘‘(I) which is described in section 501(c)(3) and is exempt from taxation under section 501(a), ‘‘(II) members of which share a common set of ethical or religious beliefs and share medical expenses among members in accordance with those beliefs and without regard to the State in which a member resides or is employed, ‘‘(III) members of which retain membership even after they develop a medical condition, ‘‘(IV) which (or a predecessor of which) has been in existence at all1 times since December 31, 1999, and medical expenses of its members have been shared continuously and without interruption since at least December 31, 1999, and ‘‘(V) which conducts an annual audit which is performed by an independent certified public accounting firm in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and which is made available to the public upon request. One of the most common errors concerning the Affordable Healthcare Act that is circulating on the Internet is when the messages reference page numbers to the older versions of the bill. Text and page numbers from HR-3200 is often found in messages, video and graphics that have gone viral on the World Wide Web or social network cites such as Facebook. Computer users should exercise discernment before passing them on. HR-3200 eRumors: There are many questions being raised about President Obama’s new proposed health care bill and we will try to answer them. The bill was introduced to Congress as the “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009” or  H.R. 3200 on July 14, 2009. The Bill was sponsored by Representative  John D. Dingell of the15th district of Michigan. According to the Thomas Library of Congress the bill was “referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.” As  of July 28, 2009, The Thomas Library reports, “Latest Major Action: 7/21/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.”     The status of this bill and text can be found at the Thomas Library by searching the bill number H.R. 3200. Click for Thomas Library. Some of the emails circulated about the proposed legislation may, at times, be quoting previous versions of the bill. Mandatory end of life counseling every five years to instruct patients how to determine ways to end suffering To be excluded by the Senate! On August 13, 2009 the Associated Press reported that, “Key senators are excluding a provision on end-of-life care from health overhaul legislation after language in a House bill caused a furor.”  Click for article Betsy McCaughey, a former New York Lt. Governor and conservative health activist, was interviewed on July 16, 2009 on the of former Senator and Presidential candidate Fred Thompson. In the interview she stated that page 425 of the health care bill said that everyone on Social Security & Medicare would have to undergo mandatory counseling every five years to determine ways to end their suffering. The counseling would be more frequent in the case of a terminal illness. McCaughhey’s comments dovetailed with several statements from critics of the health care legislation who claimed that the same portion of the bill could be used to promote euthanasia. House minority Leader John Boehner and Republican Policy Committee Chairman Thaddeus McCotter said that such concerns were valid. They are quoted by LifeNews.com as saying, that the measure “could create a slippery slope for a more permissive environment for euthanasia, mercy-killing, and physican-assisted suicide because it does not clearly exclude counseling about the supposed benefits of killing oneself.” The Vice President of AARP, John Rother, disagrees. He said the bill does not, in his view, create a problem of euthanasia. He said that under the bill, Medicare would be required to cover the consultations for the first time but does not mandate that people get end-of-life consultation. He said that any consultation would be with the patient, the doctor or nurse practitioner—not a government bureaucrat. Pages 424 to 434 in the proposed healthcare bill discusses Advance Care Planning and the mandatory consultation is to discuss end of life services such as hospice care and living wills. Click for Fred Thompson interview. Another eRumor originated by the American Family Association warns of Rationing and Euthanasia  Don Wildmon of the American Family Association (eRumor example #3) warned that Health Care Bill this could be the next next step towards euthanasia. Assisted suicide and euthanasia are not mentioned in the text of the bill and differ greatly from hospice care. Both private medical insurance policies and the proposed Universal Health Care plan have set limitations of coverage and deductibles could be be defined as the “rationing” of benefits. Another eRumor includes a long list of concerns from the organization Family Security Matters. (eRumor Example #2) Pg 22 of the HC Bill mandates the Government will audit books of all employers that self insure. –  A Matter of Interpretation! The text of the bill reads, “The Commissioner, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor Secretary of Labor, shall conduct a study of the large group insured and self-insured employer health care markets.”  There is no mention of  audits. Pg 30 Sec 123 of HC bill — a Government committee (good luck with that!) will decide what treatments/benefits a person may receive.  The text of the bill reads” IN GENERAL.—There is established a private-public advisory committee which shall be a panel of medical and other experts to be known as the Health Benefits Advisory Committee to recommend covered benefits and essential, enhanced, and premium plans.”  There is no mention of treatment procedures or policies. Pg 29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill — YOUR HEALTHCARE WILL BE RATIONED! (they call it allocated) –Disputed! Rationing could be defined as the controlled distribution of resources and goods or services. This section of the bill deal with cost sharing and co-payments and annual limitations,  The text of the bill says, “The cost-sharing incurred under the essential benefits package with respect to an individual (or family) for a year does not exceed the applicable level specified in subparagraph.”   It is then defined as $5,000 per individual and $10,000 per family each year. The setting of co-payments and coverage limitations is a standard procedure for all medical health plans. Pg 42 of HC Bill — The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your HC Benefits for you.  According to the text of the bill, the commissioner’s duties include the establishment and enforcement of “qualified health benefits plan standards”. The list of his duties also includes the “establishment and operation of a Health Insurance Exchange” and accountability. PG 50 Section 152 in HC bill — HC will be provided to ALL non US citizens, illegal or otherwise. – Disputed! There is no provision to check for citizenship prior to receiving health services even though there are the provisions:. Section 152 is a discrimination clause that basically said that all health services “covered by this Act shall be provided without regard to personal characteristics extraneous to the provision of high quality health care or related services.”   Citizenship is not mentioned. Section 246 on page 143 under the heading of  “NO FEDERAL PAYMENT FOR UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS” said, “Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States.”  Pg 58 HC Bill — Government will have real-time access to individual’s finances and a National ID Health Card will be issued! Under the heading of “STANDARDS FOR FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE TRANSACTIONS”, this section is for a “real-time (or near realtime) determination of an individual’s financial responsibility at the point of service and, to the extent possible, prior to service, including whether the individual is eligible for a specific service with a specific physician at a specific facility, which may include utilization of a machine-readable health plan beneficiary identification card”   Co-payments which need to be collected are part of the plan and it also appears that the new health plan is designed to work with insurance supplement programs. There is no mention in the bill that personal finance records would be collected. Pg 59 HC Bill lines 21-24 Government will have direct access to your bank accts for election funds transfer. –A Matter of Interpretation! This falls under the heading of “STANDARDS FOR FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE TRANSACTIONS” the bill says,”enable electronic funds transfers, in order to allow automated reconciliation with the related health care payment and remittance advice.”   The text of the bill is not clear if the electronic funds transfers means between the patient and the health care provider. PG 65 Sec 164 is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in Unions & community organizations (read: ACORN). Section 164 deals with “REINSURANCE PROGRAM FOR RETIREES” and says, “Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish a temporary reinsurance program (in this section referred to as the ‘‘reinsurance program’’) to provide reimbursement to assist participating employment-based plans with the cost of providing health benefits to retirees and to eligible spouses, surviving spouses and dependents of such retirees.”    Unions and community organizations (such as ACORN) do not appear to be singled out in the text of the bill. Also, non union private business that offer retirement plans and benefits for employees exist in the country. Pg 72 Lines 8-14 Government will create an HC Exchange to bring private HC plans under Government control. Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  PG 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill — Government mandates linguistic appropriate services. Example — Translators for illegal aliens.  The text of the bill read, “CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE SERVICES AND COMMUNICATIONS.—The entity shall provide for culturally and linguistically appropriate communication and health services.”   Translations Services will be provided for those who do not speak English. Section 246 on page 143 under the heading of  “NO FEDERAL PAYMENT FOR UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS” said, “Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States.”  This means no benefits provided to illegal aliens. Pg 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18 The Government will use groups, i.e. ACORN & Americorps, to sign up individuals for Government HC plan. Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  PG 85 Line 7 HC Bill — Specifics of Benefit Levels for Plans. AARP members — your Health care WILL be rationed. Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  PG 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill — Medicaid Eligible Individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. No choice. Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  pg 124 lines 24-25 HC No company can sue Government on price fixing. No “judicial review” against Government Monopoly. Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  pg 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill — Doctors/ AMA — The Government will tell YOU what you can earn. Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  Pg 145 Line 15-17 An Employer MUST auto enroll employees into public option plan. NO CHOICE, if he does not have employee insurance -plus he is taxed up to 8%. Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  Pg 126 Lines 22-25 Employers MUST pay for HC for part time employees AND their families. Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  Pg 170 Lines 1-3 HC Bill Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from individual taxes. (Americans will pay.)  Under the heading of PART VIII—HEALTH CARE RELATED TAXES  SUBPART A. TAX ON INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT ACCEPTABLE HEALTH CARE COVERAGE. and  ‘‘Subpart A—Tax on Individuals Without Acceptable Health Care Coverage.”   There will be a tax imposed  of 2.5% of adjusted income on individuals who do not medical health coverage that is deemed acceptable by the plan. A non resident alien can be defined as a foreigner living and working in the United States on a nonimmigrant visa. If their income is effectively connected with a trade or business in the United States,  non resident aliens are subject to same taxation as any US citizen, according to the US Internal Revenue Service. According text of the bill non resident aliens are not subject to the 2.5% of adjusted income tax. The text of the bill does not indicate that non resident aliens are eligible for benefits. Pg 195 HC Bill -officers & employees of HC Admin (the GOVERNMENT) will have access to ALL Americans’ finances and personal records. Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  PG 203 Line 14-15 HC — “The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as a tax” , Yes, it actually says that!! Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  Pg 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill Government will reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors, low income, poor affected. Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  Pg 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill — Doctors — doesn’t matter what specialty — will all be paid the same. Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  PG 253 Line 10-18 Government sets value of Doctor’s time, professional judgment, etc. Literally, value of humans. Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  PG 265 Sec 1131 Government mandates & controls productivity for private HC industries. Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  Pg 317 L 13-20 OMG!! PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. Government tells Doctors what/how much they can own. Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  Pg 317-318 lines 21-25,1-3 PROHIBITION on expansion — Government will mandate hospitals cannot expand. Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  Pg 354 Sec 1177 — Government will RESTRICT enrollment of Special needs people! Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  PG 425 Lines 4-12 Government mandates Advance Care Planning Consultations. Think Senior Citizens end of life prodding. Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  PG 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3 Government provides approved list of end of life resources, guiding you in how to die. Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  PG 427 Lines 15-24 Government mandates program for orders for end of life. The Government has a say in how your life ends. Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  PG 429 Lines 10-12 “advanced care consultation” may include an ORDER for end of life plans. AN ORDER from the Government to end a life! Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  Page 472 Lines 14-17 PAYMENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION. 1 monthly payment to a community-based organization. (Like ACORN?) Was under investigation at the time the bill was abandoned  Click of Family Security Matters article. The ‘‘America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009’’ bill is 1019 pages long and can be viewed with Adobe Reader at:  Click for text of HR-3200. Posted 07/15/10  Updated 11/26/13


Technology helps China brace for population growth.

Explanation: Chinese geneticist Du Yutao peers at an ultrasound monitor scanning the underbelly of a pregnant sow — one of China’s latest technological tools to feed its people better.

China's first cloned pig, stuffed and displayed, is seen in front of a researcher working at the Beijing Genomics institute in Shenzhen July 23, 2010. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu The 20-odd hogs at this farm in Guangdong province in southern China are no ordinary pigs, but rather surrogate sows carrying cloned piglets. With a population projected to grow to 1.44 billion by 2030 from 1.33 billion in 2009, according to World Bank figures, Beijing is hunting for cutting-edge technology to provide better quality food. Du’s colleagues are cloning pigs at a laboratory an hour’s drive from the farm. They remove DNA from skin cells taken from the ear of a prized boar and transfer them into pig egg cells cleared of their nuclei. The resulting embryos are surgically implanted into surrogate sows. “Now we import valuable boars from Denmark and the United States. They are costly to buy, transport and susceptible to a lot of disease during transportation,” said Du, head of cloning and genetic engineering at the Beijing Genomics Institute. “With this technology, we can import small numbers of pigs and mass produce them in China.”   And international experts believe China can take a leading role in promoting the eventual acceptance of cloned animals and even transgenic — or genetically modified (GM) — produce. Ingo Potrykus, the retired, Swiss-based co-inventor of vitamin A-packed “golden rice,” said China could fill a void in securing widespread use and recognition. “To revolutionize regulation ... it needs a lead country to do so, which is politically and economically independent of the GMO-hysteria of the West,” Potrykus, whose invention has proved essential for rice-dependent countries, wrote in an e-mail. “China would have this potential and China could benefit a lot because China has a lot of food security problems ahead.”   Potrykus knows a great deal about the difficulties of winning acceptance for GM and cloned products. His variety was withheld from the market for 10 years because of regulations surrounding transgenic food. At the institute’s laboratory, another geneticist, Zhang Gengyun, is working with colleagues on flasks containing rice saplings — another Chinese staple. They want to identify gene segments in rice that are behind high yields and better root systems, so that more rice may be produced using less land and water. “Now a lot of fertilizers are used and rice cannot totally absorb them. Extra fertilizers are dumped into our water system, which damage our environment,” Zhang said. China has few conventional tools. It needs to feed 22 percent of the world’s population but has only 7 percent of the world’s arable land. Its agriculture minister said in July that China faced a formidable task in meeting demand for grains such as rice, wheat and corn over the next 10 years. Its water resources are meager — amounting to 25 percent of the per capita world average. And a quarter of its water is so polluted it is unfit even for industrial use. China’s grain harvest stood at 530 million tons of grain in 2009 and it will need to increase annual supply by 4 million tons over the next 10 years. Beijing imported U.S. corn for the first time since 2006 and is the world’s top buyer of soybeans. “In China, rice is the most important crop and it uses 50 percent of the freshwater China has each year,” Zhang said. China’s per person consumption of meat is 70 kg (155 pounds) a year, of which 54 percent is pork. That will soar with rising incomes reflecting more affluent areas like Hong Kong, where per capita meat consumption is 120 kg a year, according to Rabobank. “The government wants to secure food supply. The demand is for fresh meat,” said Jean-yves Chow, senior industry analyst at Rabobank in Hong Kong. “It doesn’t want to rely on meat imports.”   The problem is not China’s alone. Leading economist Jeffrey Sachs published articles in Nature magazine in July calling for serious preparations to feed a global population that will grow to 9.1 billion in 2050 from 6.8 billion now. “Climate change and other environmental risks, combined with a still growing population expected to reach around 9 billion by 2050 all spell serious trouble,” Sachs, head of the Earth Institute at Columbia University in New York, wrote in an email. Genetic modification technology will help, he said, but its consequences on human health and the environment must be closely monitored. The United States is a world leader in producing GM crops and the Food and Drug Adiministration has already approved the sale of food from clones and their offspring, saying the products were indistinguishable from those of non-cloned animals. It is yet to rule on whether genetically engineered fish is safe to eat. But genetic modification of food and products from cloned animals meet with resistance in Europe. In China, Du’s department has set up a unit to commercialize cloning and she expects that meat from the offspring of cloned pigs will be on the Chinese market in “a few years.”   Her department is working with China Agricultural University on more muscular and less fatty transgenic pigs — genetically modified rather than cloned — by knocking out the MSTN gene that inhibits muscle growth. “We hope to get pigs with obvious traits of good muscles and faster growth ... a lot of lean meat and less fat,” she said. Zhang’s team hopes to identify the genes they want and transfer them into target rice species in three years using conventional breeding. That, he believes, will skirt whatever fears Chinese consumers may have. “That is not genetic modification. It is conventional breeding ... within 10 years, we can have environmentally friendly species that are water and fertilizer saving,” he said. China’s Agriculture Ministry declined comment on how stringent new regulations on cloned animals or transgenic products are likely to be. It has, however, suggested an open approach in certificates issued for experimental planting of transgenic rice in recent years, according to Chinese press reports. Du said China’s State Food and Drug Administration will need to approve products derived from cloned pigs and any transgenic produce before they are allowed on the market. While experts say meat from cloned animals is no different from naturally conceived animals, Du said more safety assessments were needed for transgenic products. “Transgenic animals have potential risks. It needs a long time to evaluate before they can get into market,” she said.


Ron Johnson said specifically that he hopes the first steps occur to privatize the" Veterans Administration.

Health Care, Public Health, Veterans, Wisconsin, Russ Feingold,

In an interview on a liberal talk show on Madison radio, Russ Feingold answered a question about the Veterans Administration -- hit by scandals nationally and in Wisconsin -- by contrasting himself and U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, the man who took his Senate seat in 2010. Mike Crute, co-host of the "The Devil’s Advocates," asked Feingold on Nov. 12, 2015: "Do you think we have a problem with the Veterans Administration, does it need major reform, or does it simply need more financial resource?" Feingold, a Democrat who was in the Senate for 18 years, began his reply by saying: "Well, this is an area of enormous difference between me and the incumbent senator." Then he made an attack on Johnson, saying of his Republican opponent in the 2016 Senate race: "Look, we have to show a genuine commitment to make sure that veterans, when they come home, are able to get a job and that they have timely and adequate health care. The answer is not to privatize the VA. And Ron Johnson said specifically that he hopes the first steps occur to privatize the VA." As we’ll see, Johnson has advocated for privatizing elements of the VA -- such as allowing veterans to get medical care outside the VA system. But he has not gone so far to call for replacing a public system with an entirely private one. VA scandals The Veterans Administration’s medical care of veterans, both nationally and in Wisconsin, has been under fire for more than a year and a half. In May 2014, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki resigned from President Barack Obama's cabinet. There had been intense scrutiny of the VA during the previous month, following allegations that 40 patients died while awaiting care at a Phoenix VA hospital where employees kept a secret waiting list to cover up delays. It turned out to be a system-wide problem in which VA employees lied about how quickly they saw patients to take advantage of a program that incentivized VA hospitals if they scheduled a primary care appointment within 14 days. In January 2015, the California-based Center for Investigative Reporting revealed that doctors at the VA medical center in Tomah, Wis., handed out so many narcotic painkillers that some veterans took to calling the place "Candy Land." That led to scrutiny from the VA and state regulators, as well as the arrests of three people on charges of illegal drug sales at the facility. Also in January 2015, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist Daniel Bice reported that Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin -- under fire for her office's inaction over alleged overmedication at Tomah -- abruptly ousted one of her top state staffers. And in March 2015, Bice reported that Johnson aides had sat on whistleblower tips about the facility. Johnson on the VA As for Johnson’s position on the VA, there’s no question he has pressed for turning to the private sector for some aspects of care. A couple of weeks after the VA secretary’s resignation, the Senate passed legislation aimed at easing scheduling problems at Veterans Affairs facilities by allowing the VA to contract with private medical facilities -- enabling veterans facing long waits to get quicker treatment. The bill also enabled the VA to use $500 million from its current budget to hire more medical staff. Johnson was one of only three senators to vote no, indicating he wanted to go further, in terms of private options. He said at the time that he preferred another bill, which he co-sponsored, that would have given veterans the ability to receive treatment outside the VA system -- not just from private facilities the VA might contract with. "I want to fix the problem and I think the best way to fix it is that we give veterans the ability to exit the system if they're not given quality care in a timely manner or if they're too far from a VA (facility)," Johnson said. The Feingold campaign cited that statement among others as evidence to back Feingold’s claim. These two statements were from March 2015 were the strongest: According to to VoteVets.org, which has produced material criticizing Johnson, Johnson said at a campaign event: "I’ll tell you from my standpoint, I believe the long-term solution on VA hospitals is, start moving it more toward a private system." In an interview with a Wausau, Wis., TV station, Johnson was asked if veterans should be treated in private health care. He said: "We're moving toward that model. The veterans' health care bill that we did pass, the Choice Act, starts a pilot program. And we need to assess that, we need to look at that very carefully. I don't want to throw everybody under the bus. I think the vast majority of people who work in the VA system are doing it because they really want to provide good, quality care. But, again, it's a bureaucratic, government-run system, and that's just a problem." Again, Johnson was advocating a move toward more privatization. But he left the door open to making changes that would stop short of turning to a completely private system. For example, in an October 2015 statement cited by Feingold’s campaign, Johnson said: "I really do think that is probably the long-term solution for the VA healthcare system is move more towards veterans’ choice. Accessing the private care system as opposed to building new centers that we’re not able to staff. There’s a better way of doing this. And I think it really is relying more on a private healthcare system." Our rating Feingold said "Johnson said specifically that he hopes the first steps occur to privatize the" Veterans Administration. Johnson has advocated for privatizing at least parts of the VA system, but not for moving to a completely private system. We rate Feingold’s claim . More on Feingold-Johnson National Republican Senatorial Commitee: Says Russ Feingold cast the "deciding vote" for the "largest tax increase" in history. Feingold: Says Johnson "opposes entirely a federal minimum wage," except perhaps for "guest workers." True. Johnson: Some 8.1 million of the estimated 11 million to 12 million people "in this country illegally are working."


The University of Louisville Hospital confirmed the deaths of 16 people from a rare strain of the "HR3211 virus.

Explanation: We searched in vain for evidence that an “HR3211 virus” exists (or that any other viruses with medical names beginning with “HR” exist). No legitimate media sources have reported that a viral epidemic killed 16 people in Louisville.

Junk News, news generator sites, prank news sites, react365

On 8 July 2018, social media users began sharing a report attributed to television station WLKY in Louisville, Kentucky, about a deadly viral outbreak that was supposedly ravaging the city: The university of louisville hospital has already confirmed 16 deaths within the past 8 hours from a rare strain of hr3211virus Dr hemiln head of internal medicine said this could very will be the biggest outbreak we have ever seen in the united states he warned if you have any symptoms headaches blurred vision bleaking from the ears or rectal area or ringing in your ears to go inside and stay there till medical help arrives again stay indoors do not come in contact with anyone it is known to be spread by airborne go to center for diseases control for further information and atay up to date on wlky for further details as we learn more about This deadly disiease Among the suspect features of that report were its horrendous grammar and misspellings, not to mention the fact that despite its prominent use of the WLKY logo, it was not published on WLKY‘s web site. Outbound links from the social media posts went instead to React365.com, a well-known prank web site that offers tools for users to create their own fake news articles. Within hours of the story’s dissemination, a post on the Louisville station’s Facebook page branded it a fake: PLEASE SHARE: We are aware of a false report from React365.com alleging a “deadly virus outbreak” in Louisville. This is a fake article that uses the WLKY logo and is NOT associated with our station. The website React365.com allows people to create fake articles to “prank your friends.” Please do not share the article to help prevent the spreading of false information. In lieu of removing the article, the prank site reacted to WLKY’s post by deleting the station’s call letters and logo from the page, otherwise leaving it intact.


As the United States government tried to negotiate a response to a novel coronavirus strain, cost issues temporarily stalled passing a bill approving roughly $8 billion in emergency funding.

Explanation: Was a Coronavirus Bill Stalled Because of Arguments Over How Much to Charge for Vaccines?

As negotiations in the United States government continued through March 3 2020 on a federal spending package to address the spread of the coronavirus strain known as COVID-19, Politico reported on negotiations stalling between Democratic and Republican leaders stalled because of a dispute over the cost of a prospective vaccine, as well as other services:Democrats are insisting the spending package include significant funding to purchase large amounts of coronavirus diagnostics, treatments and vaccine, when it becomes available, which would then be made available to the public free of cost, according to a senior Democratic aide.The Democratic aide said Republicans are trying to eliminate the “fair and reasonable price” federal procurement standard for the vaccines and treatments that will be developed and purchased with the emergency funds. “Fair and reasonable price” is a basic standard to prevent price gouging in federal contracts.Republicans, however, argue they are trying to fight Democratic efforts to create a new set of price controls and that they are not asking for changes to the underlying procurement standards.The bickering appeared to take place along partisan lines and were bolstered by equally political talking points. As the New York Daily News pointed out on Twitter on February 26 2020, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar had already hedged on the issue of affordability for a vaccine while testifying before the House Appropriations Committee. “We would want to ensure that we work to make it affordable, but we can’t control that price, because we need the private sector to invest,” Azar said, adding, “Price controls won’t get us there.”Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer has already said that he would call for a vaccine to be covered under Medicare plans. “Seniors who will need this vaccine the most should not have to worry or wonder where they stand once it’s available,” he said on his own Twitter account.But medical experts told Business Insider that a provision in the Affordable Care Act could provide a salve for people using it for their health insurance:Under the ACA, health insurers must cover federally-recommended vaccines at no cost for most people, according to John Cogan, a professor of health insurance law and financial regulation at the University of Connecticut.“Everyone under Obamacare would be covered under this vaccination without cost-sharing,” Cogan told Business Insider. That would extend to the health insurance people get through their employers, as well as to most health insurance programs like Medicaid for children and people with low incomes, he said.The law mandates that vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control are exempt from co-pays and deductibles applied by insurance companies. “There’s an important link between broader healthcare policies like the Affordable Care Act and responding to a potential public health emergency like this virus,” said Larry Levitt, the executive vice president for health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation.On March 4 2020, Congressional leaders announced that they had reached an agreement on a roughly $8 billion spending plan to fight the virus.


Pfizer pulls Lipitor ads with heart expert Jarvik.

Explanation: Pfizer Inc said on Monday it was voluntarily withdrawing advertising for its Lipitor cholesterol drug featuring Dr. Robert Jarvik, inventor of the Jarvik artificial heart, because its ads led to “misimpressions.”

The ads involving Jarvik had come under scrutiny, including from a U.S. House of Representative Committee as part of an investigation into celebrity endorsements of prescription medicines. Democratic lawmakers had voiced concern that Jarvik’s qualifications were misrepresented in widely seen television commercials touting the blockbuster drug. They said he seemed to be dispensing medical advice even though he is not a practicing physician. On his Web site, Jarvik describes himself as a medical scientist who has worked in the field of artificial hearts for 36 years and does not practice clinical medicine or treat individual patients. “The way in which we presented Dr. Jarvik in these ads has, unfortunately, led to misimpressions and distractions from our primary goal of encouraging patient and physician dialogue on the leading cause of death in the world — cardiovascular disease. We regret this,” Ian Read, Pfizer’s president of worldwide pharmaceutical operations, said in a statement. “Going forward, we commit to ensuring there is greater clarity in our advertising regarding the presentation of spokespeople,” Read said.


The web site Genpets.com sells mass-produced, bioengineered pets.

Explanation: Pets that are genetically engineered and manufactured to order may be a dream (or nightmare) of the future, but they aren't here quite yet.

Pets that are genetically engineered and manufactured to order may be a dream (or nightmare) of the future, but they aren’t here quite yet:  There is a website, www.genpets.com, that claims to have made genetically engineered “pets” that are part-human and part-animal and are “living, breathing” creatures. Although the web site Genpets.com puts on a good show of spoofing an outlet for the sale of “pre-packaged, bio-engineered pets,” no such product exists. One common giveaway: prospective buyers couldn’t actually order anything through the (since-removed) Genpets store, with the excuse given that “Bio-Genica is still developing its connections and relations with resellers while we get the various approvals needed to sell Genpets worldwide.”  Like similar items we’ve been asked about, Genpets are actually artworks — in this case plastic and latex sculptures (including circuitry and robotics) created in 2005 by then 24-year-old Canadian commercial artist Adam Brandejs. As the artist explained in conjunction with an exhibition of his work, the point of Genpets is to get the public thinking about the concept of bioengineering and how they feel about where that science might lead us:  I’m not against bioengineering, I’m simply hesitant towards where and how and by whom the technology will be used. That’s what this art sums up. I don’t ever want to be confused for as a crazy activist, nor do I want to appear as endorsing this technology. Bioengineering could lead to medical breakthroughs that save lives, but will it? This is more a critique of corporate ethics than of technological ethics. If you’re still caught up on whether they’re real or not, that’s ok, a lot of people are, but that’s not the point of the work. Slow down, stop, and think. Think about why it is that you probably, like most people seeing the work, find it highly disturbing on some level, and yet, still want to buy one. Why is it that you’re so inclined to buy things, no matter what? And what is it that makes this concept so disturbing, or not disturbing to you? Consider both sides of the issue, and consider how we treat animals in farms, and pet stores today. How does that relate? This sculpture is the physical representation of a question. Bioengineering, like any new technology promises a great deal of positive effects. We as a race however tend to put a great deal more faith into technology as a saviour than it necessarily has earned. Through Genpets I question the negative effect that bioengineering can have, for we all know that when it all comes down to it, profit is the bottom line. The question surrounding bioengineering is not in its positive or negative ramifications, or where it can take us; it is whether or not we are responsible enough to go there. When Genpets were exhibited in a Toronto storefront, they created a reaction much like the one now being prompted by the Genpets.com web site:  Genpets seems to create a reaction wherever they go. While in the store window of Iodine Toronto, the shop owner began sleeping in the store as many nights, people would bang at the windows furiously. Some in protest of the small Bio-genetically engineered creatures trapped in plastic, some wanting to wake them up or buy them. Hordes of teens wanting a bioengineered pet met confused, baffled, or even shocked looks from parents. For an upcoming generation, through our own marketing techniques, life and the idea of life are quickly becoming viewed as disposable commodities. Adam Brandejs’ other works include the animatronic flesh shoe and a prosthetic zipper.


New Drug for Severe Eczema Is Successful in 2 New Trials

Explanation: This story about the results of research for what would be the first biologic treatment of moderate-to-severe eczema (atopic dermatitis) in adults provides plenty of good news to patients. However, while the story accurately summarizes some of the important study results, it fails to alert readers to vital details about the trial design and funding. Not only is there no mention that the makers of the drug paid for the trials and hired writers to produce the article that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, the lone independent expert quoted actually receives consulting and speaking fees from one of the drug makers. Also, the story mentions three patients, but not one who had less than spectacular results. Including one of the many patients who did not see their eczema and itching completely disappear would have provided a more balanced view of the trial results. When a drug study is paid for and written by companies that are seeking FDA approval for a treatment, stories should pay special attention to conflicts of interest, study design, and the way the results are presented, in order to help readers sort out hard facts from sponsor spin. This story highlighted all the positive news, while glossing over information that might raise questions, including the lack of independent interpretation of the trial results.

The story reports that the company says the price has not been set. It also notes that “It is a biologic, the most expensive type of drug, and is injected every two weeks.” The story could have offered readers a more detailed picture by noting that a widely prescribed (and heavily advertised) biologic treatment for Crohn’s Disease, Humira, costs about $2,000 per dose or about $50,000 per year. Of course, the amount paid by patients varies widely depending on insurance coverage. The story reports that “most” patients said their itching disappeared within a few months and that nearly 40 percent saw “saw all or almost all of their rash disappear.” Readers need more specifics than that–is “most” 51% or 99% of patients, for example? And how did these results compare to the placebo group? Another problem is that none of the three patients highlighted in the story had less-than-spectacular results. Their stories would have been more emblematic of the bigger picture if at least one of those three had represented the 60 percent of patients–the majority, that is–who did not see their rashes almost disappear and the one in 10 patients who did not report such dramatic reductions in itching. There is also no mention that about one in 5 patients on the experimental drug had to receive “rescue” treatment because symptoms became “unacceptable.” The story does say that patients receiving dupilumab reported slightly more cases of conjunctivitis, and swelling around the injection site, than those receiving the placebo injections. The story would have been more complete if it had also noted that a few patients saw their eczema get worse and that many also reported upper respiratory infections, though the rates were similar to those receiving placebo injections. The story reports some key facts about the study design (comparison to placebo injections), number of patients (nearly 1,400 in two trials) and duration (16 weeks), and that researchers would like to see longer-term data. The story could have been clearer that this trial did not include children, even though children are far more likely than adults to suffer eczema. Also, it did not point out that some of the most dramatic statistics were from secondary endpoint results (including the improvement in itching), which should be viewed with more caution than the primary endpoint (a global assessment of the patient). The story also does not address criticism of the type of primary endpoint used in the trials. As this systematic review revealed, “global assessments are used frequently in studies of AD, but their complete lack of standardized definitions and implementation preclude any meaningful comparisons between studies, which in turn impedes data synthesis to inform clinical decision-making. Standardization is urgently required.” Close attention to study design is especially important when reporting on trials funded and managed by companies seeking approval of the products they are studying. The estimate of the prevalence of “uncontrolled, moderate-to-severe” eczema used in the story seems to be in line with conservative estimates. As noted above, the story would have been better if it had told readers that eczema is far more common in children than adults, and that preliminary studies involving children are just getting underway. This story fails to tell readers that every statistic and every expert quote is from sources funded by the companies, Sanofi and Regeneron, which are seeking approval to sell dupilumab. Not only were both trials funded by the companies, they largely controlled the writing of the New England Journal of Medicine article, to which the researchers “provided input” and “final approval” of material produced with support from “medical writers who were paid by the sponsors.” In a startling omission, readers are not told that the lone “independent” expert receives consulting and speaker fees from Regeneron. The story describes Dr. Mark Boguniewicz as “an atopic dermatitis expert at National Jewish Health and the University of Colorado School of Medicine who was not involved with the study.” The story should have reported that Boguniewicz received more than $37,000 from Regeneron for consulting, speaking and travel reimbursements last year, according to Open Payments, a federal web site that collects reports of industry funding of physicians. The story notes that many creams and lotions fail to provide relief to people with moderate to severe eczema. It also reports that many patients try off-label treatment with immunosuppressive drugs or steroids, which can have serious side effects. The story would have been stronger is it had pointed out that any patient who went to any other course of therapy would be taken out of the study, discouraging any patient from using another therapy if they are still symptomatic. The story reports that the companies are seeking FDA approval of dupilumab and that the agency has given the drug “breakthrough” status, which allows for expedited development and review. It would have been helpful if the story had acknowledged that this doesn’t necessarily mean “breakthrough” in the way many people understand the word. It is clear that this drug would be the first biologic treatment for moderate to severe eczema. It is clear that the story includes original reporting.


Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell once posted to his Instagram profile an artist's rendering of a hooded man cutting the throat of a police officer.

Explanation: On 21 August 2017, Crowell was one of 12 Browns players who knelt and prayed during the national anthem, rather than standing, before a preseason game against the New York Giants.

On 23 August 2017, the American Badass Facebook page posted a widely-shared message about Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell: This is Isaiah Crowell! He plays for the Cleveland Browns and this is the picture he posted on Instagram! As long as he is allowed to remain in the NFL I will not watch or attend another game! He is a piece of dog shit! The post was accompanied by a photograph of Crowell and a screenshot of an artist’s rendering of a hooded man cutting the throat of a police officer. We received several enquiries from readers wanting to know whether Crowell did, in fact, post this image to his Instagram account. He did, on 6 July 2016. He deleted the image after a few minutes and later apologized repeatedly, to the satisfaction of local police. There has been a certain amount of skepticism on social media about the story because the post is no longer on Crowell’s Instagram feed — but that’s because it was removed, not because it was never there. However, many took screenshots of the image, which Cromwell posted with the brief message: “They give polices [sic] all types of weapons and they continuously choose to kill us. #Weak.” On 11 July 2016, Crowell released the following apology via the Cleveland Browns and on his own Twitter account, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He explained that in the days leading up to the post, he had been emotional about the deaths of two black men: Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota. Crowell posted the image before five police officers were shot dead in Dallas, Texas, not afterwards. Last week was an emotional and difficult week as we saw extreme acts of violence against black men across our country as well as against police officers in Dallas. I posted an image to Instagram in the midst of that emotion that I shouldn’t have and immediately removed it. It was an extremely poor decision and I apologize for that mistake and for offending people. My values and beliefs do not match that image. I am outraged and upset by the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile along with so many others. I am also outraged and saddened by the attacks in Dallas and the deaths of the five honorable police officers (Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, Michael J. Smith, Brent Thompson and Patrick Zamarripa) who were providing protection while trying to keep peace. We have to be better as a society, it’s not about color, it’s about what’s right and wrong. I was very wrong in posting that image. Every single life matters, every death as a result of violence should be treated with equal outrage and penalty. As of 24 August 2017, the apology is no longer on Crowell’s Twitter account or on Cleveland Browns web site. We asked the club why the apology appears to have been removed, but did not receive a response in time for publication. According to the Plain Dealer, Crowell also posted a video apology to his Facebook account on 13 July 2016 — which has also since been removed. However, the video is available on YouTube, where the Baby Baby account uploaded it on 13 July 2016:  Crowell again cited his frustration and upset at police violence against black men, and again apologized for posting the image. …I knew I was wrong. I’m sorry, and I hope you will understand that is not who I am. I would never wish violence on anyone, especially a police officer. Crowell also pledged to donate his first game check of the season ($35,294, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer) to the Dallas Fallen Officer Foundation. We asked the Cleveland Browns why this apology video is no longer viewable on Isaiah Crowell’s Facebook page, but we did not receive a response in time for publication. The next day, Crowell personally apologized to Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams, who told the press that the running back had been “contrite” and “apologetic.” He wanted to personally apologize to myself and law enforcement here in northeast Ohio. A young man, in the heat of the moment, made a bad choice, made a bad decision and he’s apologizing for that. The Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association (CPPA) rejected Crowell’s first apology and threatened to refuse to provide security at home games unless Crowell made a “grand gesture” of contrition. However, after Crowell’s follow-up video message and pledged donation, the CPPA accepted his apology. CPPA President Stephen Loomis said the group “appreciated” the running back’s video statement and that he had “made things right.” I appreciate the apology and we accept it. People are allowed to make mistakes in life. Our problem was that first apology. It wasn’t sincere. But Isaiah stepped up to the plate to make a personal apology, and we definitely appreciate his donation to the Fallen Officers Foundation. I’d love to work with Isaiah in the future. How cool would it be if Isaiah and I attended community events together to really make a difference in the city? We are missing opportunities that we should be seizing as law enforcement and athletes in the city. I’m glad we didn’t have to go the route of boycotting Browns games. We would not have enjoyed that. We wanted to give Isaiah the opportunity to make things right, and he did. It’s not entirely clear why this episode has been given renewed attention more than a year later, but it could be related to the start of a new NFL season, as well as particular focus on the Cleveland Browns, amid an ongoing controversy over the national anthem.