Public Policy
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from public policy organizations whose goal it is to influence the debate Washington.
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Scripps Research Institute: Exosomes May Hold the Answer to Treating, Diagnosing Developmental Brain Disorders
LA JOLLA, California, July 19 -- The Scripps Research Institute issued the following news release:
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- New discovery suggests cellular cargo transporters play a profound role in creating brain cells and circuits
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Like overpacked suitcases unloaded from the underbelly of a jet, molecular satchels called exosomes are continuously deployed from all cells in the body--each one brimming with an assortment of contents that another cell may unpack and use. By sending off these biological parcels, cells communicate with each other via shared proteins and genetic material.
Once simply thought
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LA JOLLA, California, July 19 -- The Scripps Research Institute issued the following news release:
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- New discovery suggests cellular cargo transporters play a profound role in creating brain cells and circuits
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Like overpacked suitcases unloaded from the underbelly of a jet, molecular satchels called exosomes are continuously deployed from all cells in the body--each one brimming with an assortment of contents that another cell may unpack and use. By sending off these biological parcels, cells communicate with each other via shared proteins and genetic material.
Once simply thoughtto be microscopic sacks of cellular "garbage," exosomes are now understood to hold immense importance for our health. An outflowing of research in recent years has even shown they can transport molecules that are linked to the spread of cancer and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's. Yet, until recently, their role in brain development remained a mystery.
In new research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Hollis Cline, PhD, and her colleagues at Scripps Research begin to close that knowledge gap by showing that exosomes are not only integral to the development of neurons and neural circuits, but they can restore health to brain cells affected by developmental disease.
"During different stages of brain development, signaling between cells is absolutely essential," says Cline, co-chair of the Department of Neuroscience at Scripps Research and director of the Dorris Neuroscience Center. "We found that exosomes are one of the ways cells communicate these signals."
Our bodies use spherical containers called "vesicles" to traffic different materials within and among cells. Exosomes are a type of vesicle tasked specifically with transporting various biological cargo--lipids, proteins, RNA--from one cell to another. Cline's research determined that proteins, in particular, were responsible for the cell-to-cell signaling capabilities of exosomes.
Her research team examined exosomes from healthy human neurons and those from a disease model of Rett syndrome, a genetically-driven developmental brain disorder that causes autism-like symptoms.
Pranav Sharma, PhD, a neuroscientist in Cline's lab, designed experiments to clearly identify and compare exosome bioactivity from healthy neurons and diseased neurons. Through multiple cellular and functional assays, they found that the Rett-affected exosomes didn't contain any harmful proteins, but also didn't have essential signaling proteins found in healthy exosomes. "They did not have bad stuff, but lacked the good stuff," Sharma says.
As part of the experiment, the team used CRISPR gene editing technology to correct the mutation that causes Rett syndrome, and then examined whether the signaling functions of the neural exosomes were restored as a result. "Fixing the mutation reversed the deficits," Sharma says.
They also tested whether adding healthy exosomes to a culture-dish model of Rett syndrome would provide a therapeutic effect. It did.
"That was perhaps our most exciting finding: that exosomes from healthy cells can indeed rescue neurodevelopmental deficiencies in cells with Rett syndrome," Cline said. "We see this as very promising because of the many neurodevelopmental disorders in need of a treatment. These are disorders for which we already have a deep understanding of the underlying gene deficiencies but are still lacking a therapy to address the disease itself."
Sharma says the study relied on human neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from Rett patients. For this aspect of the experiment, the team drew on the expertise of Alysson Muotri, PhD, a neuroscience and stem cell specialist at University of California, San Diego. To obtain the rich and quantifiable proteomic data needed to characterize the exosomes, the team collaborated with several others from Scripps Research, including mass spectrometry pioneer John Yates III, PhD, and scientist Daniel McClatchy, PhD, in the Yates lab.
"The brain is a very complicated organ, and neurons are more complex than normal cells," Sharma says. "We didn't want to get lost in the complexity, so we decided on a reductionist approach to test what these vesicles are capable of and what they contain."
They also injected healthy exosomes into a mouse hippocampus--a brain region involved in learning and memory--and observed increased neuron proliferation. This in vivo facet of the study proved that the exosome bioactivity seen in cell cultures carried over to an animal model.
Armed with their remarkable findings, Cline and her team now intend to dig deeper into their results and explore a slew of new questions related to exosome bioactivity and potential clinical applications: Could exosomes be measured in a blood test to detect disease or treatment efficacy? Do these findings also apply to autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and other neurodevelopmental diseases, such as Fragile X? Could exosome-based therapies one day help patients with brain disorders?
"This research has huge relevance for many diseases related to brain development," Cline says. "It's very interesting biology that has a lot of scientists excited about the possibilities."
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Authors of the study, "Exosomes regulate neurogenesis and circuit assembly," include Pranav Sharmaa, Pinar Mescic, Cassiano Carromeuc, Daniel McClatchye, Lucio Schiapparellia, John R. Yates III, Alysson R. Muotric and Hollis T. Cline.
This work was supported by National Institutes of Health, Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, International Rett Syndrome Foundation, Hahn Family Foundation, California Institute of Regenerative Medicine and the Helen Dorris Foundation.
National Consumers League Heralds House Passage of Raise the Wage
WASHINGTON, July 19 -- The National Consumers League issued the following news release:
The National Consumers League (NCL), celebrating its 120th Anniversary of fighting for minimum wage workers, and author of the first minimum wage bills in America, praised the actions of the US House of Representatives in the passage July 18, 2019 Raise the Wage Act of 2019 (H.R. 582) by a 231 to 199 vote.
"I just know that Florence Kelley is smiling upon us today," said Sally Greenberg, NCL's Executive Director. Kelley, NCL's pioneering champion for the League's first 33 years, wrote the nation's first of
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WASHINGTON, July 19 -- The National Consumers League issued the following news release:
The National Consumers League (NCL), celebrating its 120th Anniversary of fighting for minimum wage workers, and author of the first minimum wage bills in America, praised the actions of the US House of Representatives in the passage July 18, 2019 Raise the Wage Act of 2019 (H.R. 582) by a 231 to 199 vote.
"I just know that Florence Kelley is smiling upon us today," said Sally Greenberg, NCL's Executive Director. Kelley, NCL's pioneering champion for the League's first 33 years, wrote the nation's first ofthese bills in the early decades of the 20th Century. "She had many setbacks along the way," said Greenberg, "including when DC's minimum wage law was found unconstitutional in 1918 by the Supreme Court."
But she persisted, and today the minimum wage is recognized as both constitutional and necessary to protect the lowest-paid workers in America. NCL advocates for the $15 an hour minimum wage in today's legislation and supports a long overdue increase to a wage that is fair, livable, and conducive to a dignified quality of life.
The bill would raise the minimum wage--stuck at $7.25 for nearly 10 years--to $15 an hour by 2025, helping lift millions out of poverty. In addition, Raise the Wage will decrease the wage gap between minimum and median wage workers, as after 2025, the wage will continue to increase indexed to the median wage. Raise the Wage will also ensure fair wages for people with disabilities, who currently could make mere pennies an hour. The current exemptions for disabled employees is "legalized discrimination," NCL believes. Raise the Wage has the added potential to decrease unemployment and reduce poverty, as shown by the University of California at Berkeley research examining the results of raising the minimum wage in the city of Berkeley.
Democratic Members reminded their colleagues that Congress set the minimum wage since 1938 when it was enacted in the Fair Labor Standards Act. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) called the Republican claim of federal interference "hogwash."
NCL congratulates and thanks the House Members who supported this landmark overdue legislation. "We salute Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for her towering leadership," said Greenberg. "She noted that the bill 'grows our economy and creates economy, increases families' purchasing power and drives economic growth that lifts up all communities.' Affording people a livable minimum wage benefits local economies, since workers will have higher earnings to spend at local businesses."
NCL was founded in 1899 on the principles of promoting a fair marketplace for workers and consumers. More than a century--120 years--later, NCL continues to work to ensure progressive reforms take place in communities and workplaces across the country. NCL is also proud of its history of championing state minimum wage laws. Our founder, Florence Kelley, led a campaign that saw 14 states pass some of the first minimum wage laws. Following those victories, NCL worked to pass the 1938 federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which established federal minimum wage. Since then, we have advocated - and will continue to advocate - for increased federal minimum wages.
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About the National Consumers League
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America's pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit http://www.nclnet.org.
Fight for the Future Launches Interactive Facial Recognition Map as Part of Nationwide Campaign for Local and State Level Bans
BOSTON, Massachusetts, July 19 -- Fight for the Future, an advocacy group for digital rights, issued the following news release:
Fight for the Future just launched a first-of-its-kind interactive map that tracks where in the U.S. facial recognition technology is being used and where it is being resisted, and a tool-kit for local activists who want to help kickstart a ban in their city or state.
This is a major new phase of our BanFacialRecognition.com campaign: a nationwide push to kickstart more local- and state-level efforts to ban facial recognition surveillance.
The map includes known locations
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BOSTON, Massachusetts, July 19 -- Fight for the Future, an advocacy group for digital rights, issued the following news release:
Fight for the Future just launched a first-of-its-kind interactive map that tracks where in the U.S. facial recognition technology is being used and where it is being resisted, and a tool-kit for local activists who want to help kickstart a ban in their city or state.
This is a major new phase of our BanFacialRecognition.com campaign: a nationwide push to kickstart more local- and state-level efforts to ban facial recognition surveillance.
The map includes known locationswhere:
* Scans of driver's license photos and mug shots by law enforcement are reported to be taking place
* Facial recognition has begun to invade stores, stadiums, and airports
* Amazon Ring has formed surveillance partnerships with local police (first time this list has been published)
* Pioneering city bans on facial recognition have been or may soon be passed
* Statewide moratoriums on facial recognition are being considered
* Surveillance ordinances that govern procurement processes have been passed
* US senators and representatives have formally issued oversight letters expressing concern over unethical uses of surveillance technology
It's nearly impossible to create an exhaustive list given the secrecy surrounding the use of facial recognition surveillance, but we've compiled a robust list of use cases that have been publicly reported. We'll be crowdsourcing this information and updating the map as new information surfaces.
Evan Greer (she/her), Digital Rights Campaign Director at Fight for the Future, sees these local actions--which enjoy overwhelming popular support--as part of a growing movement. The campaign calling for a ban on facial recognition echoes academics who have studied facial recognition technology and likens it to the proliferation of nuclear or biological weapons. "Imagine if we could go back in time and prevent governments around the world from ever building nuclear or biological weapons. That's the moment in history we're in right now with facial recognition."
We are on the verge of an unprecedented increase in state and private spying that will be built in plain sight. People are alarmed, and this map and the toolkit arms people everywhere with the resources to both fight back and learn from how others are doing it. It's going to take all of us to rid this country of this most dangerous technology.
"We're seeing growing momentum across the country of people pushing back against this dangerous technology, and we wanted to provide a useful resource to put all this information together." said Evan Greer (she/her), a campaign director at Fight for the Future. San Francisco,Somerville, MA, and Oakland, CA, recently became the first cities in the country to ban the technology. Berkeley is also considering a ban, and bills to halt current use of the tech are before the Massachusetts and Michigan legislatures. In Congress, there is growing bipartisan agreement to address the issue, but it could easily stall under pressure from law enforcement and big tech.
This is a bipartisan issue. At a congressional hearing in June, Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Republican Jim Jordan agreed that the technology poses a clear threat. Arguing that the technology will turn George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984 into a disturbing reality, Jordan said, "Doesn't matter what side of the political spectrum you're on, this should concern us all."
The Washington Post reported last week that the FBI and ICE have secretly accessed millions of American's driver's license photos as part of a nationwide facial recognition dragnet, turning DMV databases "into the bedrock of an unprecedented surveillance infrastructure."
Last month, Axon, one of the largest suppliers of police body cameras in America, announced it would not equip its products with facial recognition, saying it could not "ethically justify" doing so. Prior to the company's decision, several studies uncovered extensive inaccuracies in the technology and embedded biases against women and people of color.
Concerned Veterans for America Thanks Lawmakers for Standing Against Endless War
ARLINGTON, Virginia, July 19 -- Concerned Veterans for America issued the following news release:
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- Veterans group praises lawmakers for important vote ensuring proper Congressional input before any offensive military force against Iran.
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In a new digital ad campaign launched Friday, Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) is urging Americans to thank select lawmakers for their recent votes to reassert Congress's constitutional role in matters of war and peace.
The digital ads commend lawmakers for standing with the American people in favor of a new foreign policy and for their leadership
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ARLINGTON, Virginia, July 19 -- Concerned Veterans for America issued the following news release:
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- Veterans group praises lawmakers for important vote ensuring proper Congressional input before any offensive military force against Iran.
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In a new digital ad campaign launched Friday, Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) is urging Americans to thank select lawmakers for their recent votes to reassert Congress's constitutional role in matters of war and peace.
The digital ads commend lawmakers for standing with the American people in favor of a new foreign policy and for their leadershipand principled stand on amendments to the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would require congressional authorization for any use of offensive military force against Iran. The digital ads will be supplemented by grassroots efforts by CVA's field staff and activists as well as continued advocacy efforts.
CVA Executive Director, Nate Anderson, had this to say about the effort:
"After almost two decades of fighting, Americans are tired of unending, ill-advised wars. We applaud the principled stances of those members who listened the American people over the din of those in Washington pushing for more war. We want them to know CVA's grassroots army values their leadership, and that we stand ready and will continue to support those who stand with us to rethink foreign policy and put an end to endless wars."
The ads will run in the lawmakers' districts/states and inform constituents that their lawmaker is leading on this issue. Citizens have the opportunity to encourage their lawmaker and ask for their continued commitment in rethinking foreign policy and putting an end to endless wars.
The members selected for this effort--27 Representatives and 4 Senators--were chosen for their willingness to challenge the status quo and work across the aisle to support these bipartisan amendments to advance a better foreign policy for all Americans. The members targeted by the ad campaign are:
HOUSE
Biggs (AZ-5), Buck (CO-4), Burchett (TN-2), Burgess (TX-26), Cline (VA-6), Cloud (TX-27), Cole (OK-4), Comer (KY-1), Davidson (OH-8), Fitzpatrick (PA-1), Gaetz (FL-1), Gonzalez (OH-16), Gosar (AZ-4), Griffith (VA-9), Hice (GA-10), Hollingsworth (IN-9), Jordan (OH-4), Massie (KY-4), Meadows (NC-11), Mooney (WV-2), Francis Rooney (FL-19), Reed (NY-23), Roy (TX-21), Schweikert (AZ-6), Upton (MI-6), Williams (TX-25), Yoho (FL-3)
SENATE
Moran (KS), Paul (KY), Lee (UT), Collins (ME)
The passage of the amendment signaled the continued reassertion of Congress' role in how the U.S. approaches foreign engagements and is a crucial step in adopting the more restrained approach that so many hope to see. Through this campaign CVA also hopes to highlight the importance of maintaining this progress going forward, as well as public support for a new foreign policy.
BACKGROUND:
Americans are definitely taking note as some in Washington beat the drum for action in Iran, and joint CVA/VoteVets polling shows solid majorities of voters oppose the U.S. conducting an attack on Iran.
Further CVA polling has shown that veterans and military families in particular are largely opposed to more military engagement around the world, and a plurality think the US should be less engaged.
And a recent Pew Research Center survey of veterans gave some insight into sentiments of our entanglements in Afghanistan and Iraq, nearly two decades following our invasion, showing majorities of U.S. military veterans say those wars were not worth fighting. A parallel survey of American adults finds that the public shares those sentiments.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Expands Global Youth Conference Program
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, July 19 -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints issued the following news release:
Plans have been announced to expand a youth conference program for Latter-day Saint youth around the world. The international For the Strength of Youth (FSY) program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been operating outside the United States for more than a decade under the direction of area presidencies and area leaders.
In 2020, young men and young women in selected stakes in the United States and Canada will have an opportunity to experience the FSY program,
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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, July 19 -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints issued the following news release:
Plans have been announced to expand a youth conference program for Latter-day Saint youth around the world. The international For the Strength of Youth (FSY) program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been operating outside the United States for more than a decade under the direction of area presidencies and area leaders.
In 2020, young men and young women in selected stakes in the United States and Canada will have an opportunity to experience the FSY program,designed to help strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ. (For a list of selected stakes, see the notice "For the Strength of Youth Conferences in the United States and Canada," July 19, 2019.) Congregations selected to participate in the expanded program next year are being asked to not schedule any other youth conference or trek experiences.
The Church will sponsor FSY conferences in all stakes in the U.S. and Canada every other year. The FSY conferences will include more than 200 sessions each year, starting in 2021 and 2022. Young, single adults will have an opportunity to volunteer as FSY counselors.
Beginning the year they turn 14, Latter-day Saint youth are eligible to participate in the five-day youth conferences until they graduate from high school.
The expansion is part of the Church's new worldwide initiative for children and youth that will replace existing activity programs beginning in January 2020. Youth participating in the FSY program will experience activities, devotionals, and classes designed to provide opportunities to grow spiritually, socially, physically, and intellectually.
The FSY conferences are based on the traditional Especially For Youth (EFY) model that has been operated by Church-owned Brigham Young University for more than 40 years.
BYU will offer administrative support and training for local congregations participating in the expanded program. EFY's Special Edition and Express sessions will not be affected. Area Church leaders outside the U.S. and Canada will continue to schedule and hold FSY conferences as they have in the past.
Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will provide additional details about the FSY program during a Face to Face broadcast scheduled for November 17.
Center for Biological Diversity: Lawsuit Launched to Protect Imperiled Dunes Sagebrush Lizard in Texas, New Mexico
WASHINGTON, July 19 -- The Center for Biological Diversity issued the following news release:
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- Lizard Severely Threatened by Oil, Gas Drilling, Frac Sand Mining
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Conservation groups filed a notice today of their intent to sue the Trump administration for failing to protect the severely imperiled dunes sagebrush lizard under the Endangered Species Act.
The groups petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the species as threatened or endangered in May 2018. The petition also requested that the Fish and Wildlife Service designate critical habitat for the lizards because
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WASHINGTON, July 19 -- The Center for Biological Diversity issued the following news release:
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- Lizard Severely Threatened by Oil, Gas Drilling, Frac Sand Mining
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Conservation groups filed a notice today of their intent to sue the Trump administration for failing to protect the severely imperiled dunes sagebrush lizard under the Endangered Species Act.
The groups petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the species as threatened or endangered in May 2018. The petition also requested that the Fish and Wildlife Service designate critical habitat for the lizards becausethousands of acres where they live are at risk from oil and gas drilling and sand-mining projects in Texas and New Mexico.
"The dunes sagebrush lizard has long been in need of Endangered Species Act protection and new threats from frac sand mining are only compounding the problem," said Jason Rylander, senior counsel at Defenders of Wildlife. "Listing the dunes sagebrush lizard is a key first step toward conserving this species."
Under the law, the Service is required to evaluate the petition and issue a 90-day finding indicating whether listing may be warranted. If the initial finding is positive, the Service must decide whether it intends to list the species within 12 months. The Service has now missed both deadlines, and the lizard remains without federal protection.
"These imperiled lizards have declined terribly because of documented interference and shenanigans by Susan Combs while she was a Texas official," said Chris Nagano, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. "Now Combs is helping run the Interior Department and pushing wildlife around the country toward extinction."
The lizard has been a candidate for listing since 1982, but it wasn't until 2010 that the Fish and Wildlife Service finally proposed listing it as endangered. The Service then declined to list the species in 2012 after approving a hastily designed Texas Conservation Plan developed by then Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Susan Combs.
But that plan was so ineffective in conserving lizard habitat that the current Comptroller Glenn Hegar in December 2018 formally rescinded it. The now-defunct Texas Conservation Plan also did not address the growing threat of frac sand mining. Although a new conservation plan is reportedly in development, the Service has yet to approve it and it is not at all clear that the plan will be adequate to protect the species.
The Service now has 60 days to respond in order to avoid litigation.
[Category: Science]
ACLU of New Mexico Wins Lawsuit Against Albuquerque's Unconstitutional Panhandling Ordinance
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, July 19 -- The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico issued the following news release:
Yesterday, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Robert Brack ruled that an anti-panhandling ordinance passed by the Albuquerque City Council in 2017 violates First Amendment Free Speech protections. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico and Goodwin Procter LLP filed a lawsuit against the ordinance in January 2018, alleging that the law--cloaked in the language of public safety--had the intent and effect of suppressing lawful speech and criminalizing panhandling
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ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, July 19 -- The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico issued the following news release:
Yesterday, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Robert Brack ruled that an anti-panhandling ordinance passed by the Albuquerque City Council in 2017 violates First Amendment Free Speech protections. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico and Goodwin Procter LLP filed a lawsuit against the ordinance in January 2018, alleging that the law--cloaked in the language of public safety--had the intent and effect of suppressing lawful speech and criminalizing panhandlingon public property.
"This is a significant victory, not just for free speech, but basic fairness and human compassion," said ACLU of New Mexico Legal Director Leon Howard. "These types of unconstitutional laws not only erode the right to express oneself in public places, but endlessly cycle those on the margins of society in and out of the criminal justice system. If we wish to see less poverty on our streets, our society needs to do the hard work of addressing the systemic and underlying drivers of poverty--not just make it illegal to be poor in public."
In his decision, Judge Brack writes:
"In sum, pedestrian safety is a concern and a valid government interest in Albuquerque. Pedestrians who choose to stand, seek donations, or hand out leaflets in any area where increased physical proximity to vehicles benefits their expressive activity may be taking on more risk than individuals who choose to do so from the sidewalk. Still, prohibiting all access to these spaces on the ground that Albuquerque struggles with troublingly high rates of pedestrian-vehicle conflicts, without presenting any evidence beyond anecdotal and personal speculation that the ban would actually reduce the number of such conflicts in the City and that less sweeping restrictions would not suffice, runs afoul of the First Amendment."
In the lawsuit, the ACLU of New Mexico represented plaintiffs Rhonda Brewer, who derives an important source of income from soliciting donations in places prohibited by the ordinance; Mary O'Grady and David McCoy, who regularly provide donations to those in need in areas affected by the ordinance; and Mariss Elyse Sanchez, who displayed political signs and distributed political literature to vehicles at stop lights, activities prohibited by the ordinance.
Attorneys representing the plaintiffs in this case include ACLU-NM Staff Attorney Maria Martinez Sanchez, ACLU-NM Legal Director Leon Howard, and cooperating attorneys Kevin P. Martin, Jaime A. Santos, Gerard J. Cedrone, Christopher Herbert , and Martin C. Topol of Goodwin Procter LLP.
[Category: Union]
