VIDEO: Police Officer Faces Felony Charges After Handcuffed Suspect Kicked In Face

Aadhityan A
-
0
VIDEO: Police Officer Faces Felony Charges After Handcuffed Suspect Kicked In Face

By Joseph Golder

An Indianapolis police officer is facing termination and felony charges of battery and official misconduct in connection with bodycam video allegedly showing him kicking the face of a handcuffed suspect who is on the ground.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Chief Randal Taylor said during a press briefing on Oct. 12 that he learned of the Sept. 24 incident last week and immediately began an internal investigation. He recommended the termination of Sgt. Eric Huxley, a 14-year veteran of the department. Huxley was suspended without pay.

“These charges stem from a use of force incident involving Sergeant Huxley on Sept. 24, 2021. Sergeant Huxley was assisting another IMPD officer with an arrest on Monument Circle,” police said in a video briefing on YouTube.

Bodycam video of the incident shows a man identified as Jermaine Vaughn leaning in to officers and repeatedly telling them, “Nobody cares what you do anymore, you understand that?”

Vaughn admitted that he had been “talking/yelling to no one in particular when an IMPD officer approached him,” a probable cause affidavit filed with Marion County Superior Court says.

Officer Matthew Shores said in the affidavit: “Upon arriving I observed an adult male identified as Jermaine Vaughn who was being loud and disorderly. Sgt. [Christopher] Kibbey stated he could initially hear Jermaine Vaughn screaming all the way from the south spoke of the monument. Sgt. Kibbey ordered Jermaine Vaughn multiple times to quiet down. Jermaine Vaughn refused to quiet down and I placed him under arrest.”

The video shows Vaughn, who is handcuffed, being wrestled to the ground by one of the officers. The feet of an officer are seen in the video, and then Vaughn is kicked in the face. The officer can be heard saying, “You’re done.”

Vaughn is then heard saying: “There you go, police brutality.”

An officer subdues Jermaine Vaughn, as seen in police bodycam video in the Sept. 24 incident in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Indianapolis Metropolitan Police/Zenger)

In the court document, Shores said: “While attempting to conduct an inventory of Jermaine Vaughn’s property, I began removing [his] belt. As I was doing so, Jermaine Vaughn became agitated and began pushing into me. I ordered Jermaine Vaughn to back up and pushed him back away from me; this occurred three times.

“Jermaine Vaughn continued to attempt to close the distance between him and I. I grabbed [him] by both sides of his hood top and attempted to maintain distance between us. I then used my right leg and attempted a leg sweep. Jermaine Vaughn went to his knees and I was able to place him on his back. … . I was the able to roll Jermaine Vaughn to his stomach and applied a wrist lock to Jermaine Vaughn’s right wrist. Jermaine Vaughn became compliant and I was able to complete my inventory.”

Vaughn stated “that when the officer attempted a leg sweep, he avoided the sweep and voluntarily went down to his knees. Vaughn stated that while he was handcuffed and lying on his back one of the officers kicked him in his face. Vaughn complained of a laceration, pain, swelling, and/or bleeding about his mouth/lip,” the affidavit says.

Assistant Police Chief Chris Bailey said on Oct. 12: “Today, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Police Chief Randal Taylor recommended the termination of IMPD Sergeant Eric Huxley following an internal IMPD investigation.

“The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office has filed charges against Sgt. Eric Huxley to include: Official Misconduct (Level 6 Felony); Battery with Moderate Bodily Injury (Level 6 Felony).”

Chief Taylor, said: “Today’s body-worn cameras recording depicting the actions of an IMPD Sergeant are likely to shock and anger you, like it did to me. To the citizen involved in this incident, my thoughts and prayers go out to you. That interaction does not represent IMPD and the work our officers do each day to keep our community safe.”

A police statement also said the investigation is not yet complete,” and that two other officers allegedly involved in the incident had been put on administrative duty pending the conclusion of the internal investigation.

Sergeant Huxley has reportedly worked for the police department for 14 years while Kibbey has worked for the Department for 21 years and Shores is a police department veteran of 23 years, police said.

“Accountability and transparency will continue to be a top priority for the department,” Taylor said. “My hope is that my actions today will show that we will hold people responsible for their actions, and that goes for my officers as well.”

The statement also said that “Sgt. Huxley, as with anyone charged with a crime, is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.”

Edited by Judith Isacoff and Kristen Butler



The post VIDEO: Police Officer Faces Felony Charges After Handcuffed Suspect Kicked In Face appeared first on Zenger News.

VIDEO: Ain’t They Cheet? Tiny Cheetah Cubs Snuggle Up To Mom

Aadhityan A
-
0
VIDEO: Ain’t They Cheet? Tiny Cheetah Cubs Snuggle Up To Mom

By Joseph Golder

A mother cheetah gave birth to five cubs at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C.

Footage shows the newborn cubs being born — and shortly after birth. The video was shared online by the Conservation Biology Institute on Oct. 12. It said: “The Cheetah Cub Cam is back! First-time mother Rosalie birthed 5 cubs this morning at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI). They appear to be strong, active, vocal and nursing well.”

The zoo explained that “since 2007, 16 litters of cheetah cubs have been born at SCBI. Ten-year-old Nick, who was the first cheetah born at SCBI, sired this litter.”

In the wild, the species live up to 14 years; in captivity they can live up to 20, weighting 77 to 137 pounds, according to National Geographic.

The zoo said: “Animal care staff will leave Rosalie to bond with and care for her cubs without interference, so it may be some time before they can determine the cubs’ sexes. Keepers will perform a health check on the cubs when Rosalie is comfortable leaving them for an extended period of time.”

The Smithsonian National Zoo also posted a statement on its website welcoming the new cubs.

Adrienne Crosier, cheetah reproductive biologist at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and head of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Cheetah Species Survival Plan, said: “Seeing Rosalie successfully care for this litter — her first — with confidence is very rewarding.

“Being able to witness the first moments of a cheetah’s life is incredibly special. As webcam viewers watch our cheetah family grow, play and explore their surroundings, we hope the experience brings them joy and helps them feel a deeper connection to this vulnerable species,” she said.

The cheetah cubs were born Oct. 12. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute is part of a program to sustain the endangered species. (Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute/Zenger)

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute is a member of the Cheetah Breeding Center Coalition, a group of 10 breeding centers for cheetahs across the U.S. that aims to “create and maintain a sustainable North American cheetah population under human care.”

Cheetahs usually live in rather small, isolated groups, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. However, due to human interference, which includes poaching and the destruction of the cheetahs’ habitats and natural prey, only 7,000 to 7,500 are still left in the wild, the zoo said.

The cheetah is considered the fastest animal; it can reach speeds of 60 or even 70 miles in seconds, which is faster than a racehorse.

Cheetahs are listed as a vulnerable species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Endangered Species.

Edited by Fern Siegel and Kristen Butler



The post VIDEO: Ain’t They Cheet? Tiny Cheetah Cubs Snuggle Up To Mom appeared first on Zenger News.

Dangerous Trek For Haitian Migrants Seeking Asylum In Mexico

Aadhityan A
-
0
Dangerous Trek For Haitian Migrants Seeking Asylum In Mexico

By Julio Guzmán

MEXICO CITY — A massive number of Haitian nationals attempted to migrate to the United States, eager for a better life, in the last weeks. But for more than 15,000, the dream was crushed.

The vast majority were deported.

They risked their lives on a dangerous journey through the Americas, especially when crossing the Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama, an area filled with rainforests, mangrove swamps and mountain ranges — as well as criminals.

However, not all migrants make it to the U.S. border.

Many Haitians embrace “the Mexican dream” from their journey’s inception. Others have to change their plans and seek asylum in Mexico instead of continuing north. Recently, hundreds have packed the office of Mexico’s Commission for Refugee Aid in Mexico City, hoping for work permits, as they regard Mexico as a place of opportunities.

Prunier Washington has been in Mexico since June. He was living in Tapachula — on the border of the Mexican state of Chiapas and Guatemala. But in mid-September, he moved to Mexico City hoping to fix his immigration status, which has been undefined for several months. His journey began in Brazil, where he lived for a while.

“Most people believe we want to go to the United States, but many of us don’t want that. What we want is to live in a safe country where we can work and survive honestly. I left my country due to political issues, violence, insecurity, lack of work and kidnappings. Life forces us to migrate. Most of us do not migrate because of hunger or lack of shelter, but because it is impossible to survive in our country [of origin],” he told Zenger.

Prunier Washington has been living in Mexico since June. His journey began in Brazil. He suffered robbery and discrimination on his way north. (Julio Guzmán/Zenger)

Political and economic instability has forced several Haitians to leave their country in recent years to seek a better life for their families. Events such as the Aug. 14 earthquake — which left more than 1.2 million victims — and the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on July 7 have been potent triggers of migration.The economic and security problems had driven many more Haitians to migrate, said Yollolxóchitl Mancillas López, a doctor in Latin American studies specializing in migration, and professor at the Well-Being University Benito Juárez García.

Insecurity drives many Haitians to leave their country, but on their journeys, they go through high-risk experiences and become victims of more serious problems, said the researcher.

“Many Haitians come to Mexico from Santa Catarina, São Paulo, in southern Brazil. They travel north to the state of Acre, which is where they cross into Peru and Bolivia. They continue by land to Colombia and then to the Darien Gap on the Panama border. The latter is not an easy journey. Then, [migrants] continue their journeys through Central America,” she said.

“The journey can take weeks or months. Times come when they have no money to eat, pay for lodging, or call the family. They cross through violent places that are also expelling people, [forcing them] to migrate. When they arrive in Mexico via Tapachula, their situation is equally complex,” he said.

Since leaving Brazil, where he had settled, crossing Peru, Colombia and Central America to reach Mexico, Washington has experienced several difficulties. His four-day passage through the Darien Gap was harrowing.

“While crossing the jungle in Colombia, I had a tough time. People die there every day. Many families get split because they cannot walk. [Migrants encounter] hunger, robberies, beggars, kidnappings; we live through all this until we get to Tapachula … The path has marked me. To date, I still suffer,” he said.

Crossing the 66-mile Darien Gap can take a week. The area is prone to torrential rains that often cause flash floods. Reports of robberies and rapes at the hands of armed criminal groups are common.

About 24,000 people from more than 50 countries crossed it in 2019, according to UNICEF. The number increases each year. Now, Haitians make the most attempts to cross it. They usually begin their journey from either Chile or Brazil.

When they arrive in Mexico, some decide to stay, like Washington. But it is not an easy choice.

“I am currently staying in a lodge where I pay per day because I cannot afford to rent a place. Rents are usually expensive, about $300 a month. You need someone to endorse you [offering a pledge of land as collateral], and landlords ask for a two-month deposit. One ends up needing about $900. As an immigrant, you can’t get that amount,” Washington said.

Several Haitian migrants arrive directly in Mexico City, hoping to get a permit that allows them to settle in the country. (Julio Guzmán/Zenger)

Brustelus Xavier flew from Chile to Mexico City on Sept. 25, hoping to start a new life. He traveled with his wife and two children. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered their journey. Xavier had worked for five years in Chile, and he was able to save some money. He is fluent in Spanish, which he learned there. For him, the most important thing is getting legal status, which would allow him to get a formal job.

“We were undergoing too much pressure. We felt we no longer fit in Chile. During the pandemic, we had many family losses, and we couldn’t get out [of the country, because the borders were closed],” he told Zenger.

“Once the border opened, we looked for a different place to live. We did not leave Chile because we were treated poorly, but because we needed something different. We want to stay in Mexico. We don’t know if it’s going to be six months, eight months or a year, but for the moment, we are here,” he said.

Brustelus Xavier and his son, both Haitians, waiting their turn at the office of Mexico’s Commission for Refugee Aid in Mexico City. (Julio Guzmán/Zenger)

Given the size of the Haitian population in Mexico, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said at a Sept. 24 press conference that he does not want “Mexico to become a migrant camp.”

“We want the underlying problem to be addressed, so people are not forced to migrate. If that does not happen, we will continue doing the same things, retaining them and putting them in shelters, without facing the underlying problem,” he said.

Mexico’s National Institute of Migration estimates that 147,033 undocumented migrants are living in the country. The institute has granted 16,919 Haitian nationals legal status to cope with the migratory surge.

While Haitian migrants resolve their migratory issues, there is one thing that is definitive: Their future is not in the country where they were born. “I don’t want to go back there. I don’t even want my corpse to go back there,” Washington told Zenger.

Translated by Gabriela Alejandra Olmos; edited by Gabriela Alejandra Olmos, Melanie Slone and Fern Siegel



The post Dangerous Trek For Haitian Migrants Seeking Asylum In Mexico appeared first on Zenger News.

VIDEO: Air Drop: Coast Guard Chopper Drops Lifesaving Oxygen To Ship’s Crew

Aadhityan A
-
0
VIDEO: Air Drop: Coast Guard Chopper Drops Lifesaving Oxygen To Ship’s Crew

By Joseph Golder

A U.S. Coast Guard air crew dropped 10 lifesaving oxygen bottles to a fishing vessel for one of its crew members who was experiencing respiratory failure on Oct. 10.

Video posted on Facebook shows a C-130 Hercules aircraft from the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Kodiak, Alaska, delivering the oxygen cannisters to the ship in waters 120 nautical miles west of the Aleutian Islands port of Dutch Harbor, between the Pacific Ocean to the south and the Bering Sea to the north.

“A crew member aboard the vessel was experiencing respiratory failure and medical onboard was running out of oxygen. A medical evacuation was considered too dangerous, due to the nearly 40 knot winds and 20-foot seas,” the Coast Guard said in its post.

The video shows what appears to be the medevac helicopter arriving at the ship’s location before flying away due to weather conditions.

“After the drop, the vessel began to transit back toward Dutch Harbor to get the crew member to a higher level of medical care. 17th District Command Center watch standers remained on four-hour communication schedule with the vessel to monitor the situation.”

Adverse weather conditions made evacuation by helicopter impossible, so a C-130 Hercules aircraft from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Kodiak, Alaska, dropped oxygen bottles to the crew. (U.S. Coast Guard/Zenger)

The vessel was identified as the Alaska Victory. There were no updates on the condition of the crew member, who was not named.

Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak “was commissioned as an Air Detachment April 17, 1947, with one PBY Catalina aircraft, seven pilots, and 30 crewmen,” its website says. “It represented the first permanent Coast Guard aviation resource in Alaska.

“The Air Station is the major tenant of Coast Guard Base Kodiak. It is the largest Coast Guard command in D17 and the entire Pacific Area. The present complement of HC-130Hs, MH-60Ts, MH-65Ds aids in completing our mission and saving lives.”

The air station, which has received many awards, uses MH-65D helicopters and MH-60T Jayhawk Helicopters.

“MH-65D helicopters augment Alaska Patrols by deploying aboard 378-foot High Endurance Cutters to make our presence known to the outer edges of the largest operational area of responsibility in the Coast Guard, over 3.9 million square miles,” the Coast Guard site says. Supported by extremely motivated and professional maintenance personnel, MH-65D Helicopter crew achieve a remarkable 98 percent availability during deployments. Without that type of support, operational effectiveness on the high seas would be substantially diminished.”

Further, the site says: “Protection of living marine natural resources doesn’t end with the close monitoring of U.S. and international fishing fleets far from Kodiak. Air Station MH-60T crews remain intensely involved with state and local officials to equally ensure nearby sea-lion rookeries remain unmolested, halibut fishery openings and closings are closely monitored for violators, and local herring fisheries are properly conducted.”

Edited by Judith Isacoff and Kristen Butler



The post VIDEO: Air Drop: Coast Guard Chopper Drops Lifesaving Oxygen To Ship’s Crew appeared first on Zenger News.

Israelis Spirit Vulnerable Afghans From Taliban-led Country

Aadhityan A
-
0
Israelis Spirit Vulnerable Afghans From Taliban-led Country

By Nicky Blackburn

Israeli activists, philanthropists and aid workers have helped rescue 125 Afghans at risk from Taliban retribution in a complex and hush hush operation this month.

The Afghans, who include judges, human rights activities, journalists, TV presenters, scientist, artists, diplomats, artists and even cyclists, arrived in Albania on Oct. 2 after being evacuated from Afghanistan to a neighboring country.

The operation took weeks to arrange and was a collaborative effort by the governments of the United Arab Emirates and Albania, activists and donors including businessman and philanthropist Sylvan Adams.

The effort was facilitated by nonprofit humanitarian aid organization IsraAID, which offers disaster response in the wake of natural and man-made crises all over the world, and which has been helping refugees from all over the world for many years.

The rescued girls on their way to the United Arab Emirates. (Boaz Arad/IsraAID)

This was the second evacuation of vulnerable people from Afghanistan that the group has coordinated since the Taliban overran Kabul on Aug. 15 and seized control of the troubled country.

On Sept. 6, 42 women, girls and family members were spirited out of the country to the United Arab Emirates.

IsraAID’s CEO, Yotam Polizer, who took part in the mission, said the last few weeks of negotiations were intense and difficult, and the situation was constantly changing, with new plans being made on an almost daily basis.

“We are delighted to be able to say that our main focus now is on ensuring the evacuees have everything they need while they begin the process of building new lives for themselves,” he said. “We are committed to supporting both of these groups for the long-term.”

IsraAID CEO Yotam Polizer oversees as evacuees board the flight to Albania. (Boaz Arad/IsraAID)

“What we did in this operation to extract and resettle these Afghan women was simply practicing the ancient Jewish cultural imperative of ‘Tikkun Olam,’ which means improving our world,” said Israeli-Canadian Adams.

The people evacuated are considered particularly vulnerable under Taliban’s harsh and violent rule, and many of the women and girls were symbols of female empowerment and leadership in Afghanistan in the pre-Taliban days.

After escaping the country, they were granted safe passage through a neighboring country to the UAE and Albania, before long-term resettlement in countries including Canada, France and Switzerland.

IsraAID has also launched an initial needs assessment mission to Albania, where the group of 125 evacuees join more than 1,000 Afghan refugees currently in the country. IsraAID’s team will assess access to crucial services and plan to provide ongoing assistance to Afghan refugees while they stay in Albania.

The mission to save Afghan nationals was the initiative of Israeli journalist Danna Harman, who gathered a group of friends to try to rescue the Afghans.

Rescued Afghans on the plane to safety. (Boaz Arad/IsraAID)

“If there is a bright spot in the story of Afghanistan’s latest crisis, it would be how many regular people, Afghans and those who care about Afghanistan alike, came together to respond to calls for help,” said Harman.

“None of us know what life in Afghanistan will look like now, and it is not for us to judge who is in graver or lesser danger. But, I believe, it behooves us all to listen to and respect anyone’s cry for help, and, moreover, if we can, reach out our hands to assist.”

Others involved in the rescue mission included international NGO Team Humanity, an anonymous family foundation, Chairman of the Euro Asian Jewish Congress Aaron G. Frenkel, Honorary President of the Euro Asian Jewish Congress Alexander Mashkevich, The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, Union Cycliste Internationale President David Lappartient, and Len Blavatnik.

“We would like to thank the governments of Albania and UAE for their hospitality and willingness to provide safe passage to these vulnerable people out of Afghanistan, and to the governments worldwide who have prioritized them for resettlement,” said Polizer.

Produced in association with Israel21C.



The post Israelis Spirit Vulnerable Afghans From Taliban-led Country appeared first on Zenger News.

VIDEO: California Wildfire Threatens Reagan Ranch

Aadhityan A
-
0
VIDEO: California Wildfire Threatens Reagan Ranch

By Joseph Golder

A wildfire that started near the Alisal Resevoir on Oct. 11 has consumed approximately 13,400 acres and days later was within several miles of former President Ronald Reagan’s Rancho del Cielo.

Video posted by the Los Padres National Forest on social media shows huge plumes of smoke from the fire, which was northwest of the Reagans’ 688-acre ranch near Santa Barbara, California.

“Fire crews are working diligently to keep the fire away from the ranch,” the Los Padres National Forest said in a caption of one photograph posted on Twitter on Oct. 12.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office posted a photograph on Instagram on Oct. 12 showing police officers standing in front of a huge orange plume of smoke as the fire raged in the background.

“Three teams of deputies and seven field Search and Rescue volunteer teams visited 101 locations to give evacuation orders and warnings, throughout the night,” the sheriff’s office said. “As of 6:20 a.m., the Alisal Fire stands at 0 percent containment with approximately 6,000 acres burned.

“Evacuation orders and warnings issued yesterday remain in place.”

The number of people evacuated was not reported.

The Reagan Ranch in the foreground was still several miles from the Alisal Fire on Oct. 12. (@montecitofire/Zenger)

“Santa Barbara County Animal Services has been activated to assist with animal evacuations,” the Los Padres National Forest said.

The Montecito Fire Department is assisting in fighting the huge fire.

“Erratic, strong sundowner winds continue to challenge firefighting conditions at the Alisal Fire in the Refugio area. Smoke from the fire is impacting our air quality. If you are sensitive to smoke, please limit time outside,” the Montecito Fire Department posted on Instagram on Oct. 12.

The Los Padres National Forest said on Oct. 12: “The Alisal Fire made a push west this afternoon toward Mariposa Reina. Air tankers joined the fire fight & made numerous drops to assist fire crews on the ground.”

The Alisal Fire was several miles northwest of the Reagan Ranch in the Lost Padres National Forest on Oct. 12. (Los Padres National Forest/Zenger)

The Reagans bought the ranch in 1974, and Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, spent their holidays there. It became known as the Western White House during Reagan’s administration. It is now part of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.

“The ranch was sold in 1998 to the Young America’s Foundation. In 2002 it was dedicated as a California State Landmark by the Native Sons of the Golden West,” according to the museum site.

“The ranch is very informal and has no central heating. The ranch was run by a very small staff keeping it in working order for President Reagan and his visits.

“The President enjoyed working outdoors at the ranch whenever he visited.  A few cows, some dogs and horses roamed freely there.  … The animals from the ranch and most of the Reagan family pets are buried at Rancho del Cielo,” the site says.

Edited by Judith Isacoff and Kristen Butler



The post VIDEO: California Wildfire Threatens Reagan Ranch appeared first on Zenger News.

Smarter News Quiz: Ancient Factories, Pollution Warriors and Cringeworthy Videos

Aadhityan A
-
0
Smarter News Quiz: Ancient Factories, Pollution Warriors and Cringeworthy Videos

By Rachel McMahon


The post Smarter News Quiz: Ancient Factories, Pollution Warriors and Cringeworthy Videos appeared first on Zenger News.

Bio-Printed Blood Vessels Now Possible For Body Implants

Aadhityan A
-
0
Bio-Printed Blood Vessels Now Possible For Body Implants

By Abigail Klein Leichman

The science of tissue engineering uses cells and biomolecules combined with scaffolds to repair, replace or regenerate a damaged body part with bio-identical tissue.

But when engineered tissues are transplanted into the body, they need a network of blood vessels to function like natural tissues would.

The current method is to transplant the engineered tissue first into a healthy limb, allowing the tissue to be permeated by the host’s blood vessels, and then transplanting the structure into the affected area.

A breakthrough from researchers led by Technion-Israel Institute of Technology tissue engineering pioneer professor Shulamit Levenberg could make that intermediary step unnecessary.

As described in Advanced Materials, Levenberg lab member Ariel Alejandro Szklanny 3D-printed a system containing a functional combination of large and small blood vessels.

“This experiment reveals the high versatility and potential of our proposed technique and represents an important step toward creating personalized implantable vascularized engineered tissues,” the study’s authors wrote.

Dr. Ariel Alejandro Szklanny of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. His technique could be used in the future to create personalized blood vessels. (Courtesy of Technion)

His structure, dubbed VesselNet, was attached to a rat’s femoral artery. Blood flowing through the engineered structure successfully spread through the vessel network, supplying blood to the tissue without leakage.

Szklanny’s vascularized tissue constructs incorporate another Israeli innovation: human collagen produced by engineered tobacco plants from CollPlant.

CollPlant’s products “are based on our revolutionary plant-based technology that enables production of recombinant human type I collagen (rhCollagen), which is identical to the collagen produced by the human body,” its website says.

“The advent of 3D bioprinting is expected to enable unlimited supply of tissues and organs. rhCollagen-based BioInks are ideal for 3D bioprinting. Leveraging on the unique properties of our BioInks and biomaterial know-how, we are developing a pipeline of products aimed at 3D bioprinting of tissues and organs and medical aesthetics.”

Szklanny’s technique could be used in the future to create personalized blood vessels, of the exact shape necessary, which can be printed and implanted together with implanted tissue engineered from the patient’s own cells, eliminating rejection risk.

The study received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme.

“By coupling research and innovation, Horizon 2020 is helping to achieve this with its emphasis on excellent science, industrial leadership and tackling societal challenges. The goal is to ensure Europe produces world-class science, removes barriers to innovation and makes it easier for the public and private sectors to work together in delivering innovation,” the program’s website says.

Produced in association with Israel21C.



The post Bio-Printed Blood Vessels Now Possible For Body Implants appeared first on Zenger News.

Inside The Digital Campaign That May Allow Italy To Decriminalize Cannabis

Aadhityan A
-
0
Inside The Digital Campaign That May Allow Italy To Decriminalize Cannabis

By Giulia Alice Pozzi

For Marco Perduca, one of the architects of the digital campaign that may push Italy to decriminalize cannabis in 2022, the last few weeks have been quite hectic.

Perduca, a former Radical Party senator and a prominent member of Italian human and civil rights NGO Luca Coscioni Association, is also president of the organizing committee that on Sept. 11 launched an online petition aimed at collecting the 500,000 signatures needed to call a popular referendum in Italy.

Marco Perduca is president of the organizing committee that launched an online petition to call a popular referendum on the decriminalization of cannabis in Italy.  (Courtesy Marco Perduca, Associazione Luca Coscioni)

For the first time, signatures were collected entirely online.

If the Constitutional Court (the country’s highest court) green lights the proposal, the referendum will ask Italians whether they want to decriminalize private cultivation of cannabis and remove prison sentences for most cannabis-related crimes. The referendum will also seek to erase driving disqualification for drug possession. (Sanctions for driving under the influence would remain in effect.)

The effort, coordinated by Luca Coscioni Association for the freedom of scientific research, along with 60 other groups, drew a major popular response. Advocates collected more than 500,000 signatures in less than a week, well ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline. Typically, proponents may take up to three months to collect at least half a million signatures. This time, the fully digital nature of the campaign led to the target being reached in just a few days.

Digital petitions overcome challenges

The practice of signing referendum petitions electronically was introduced in August through an amendment approved by the Italian Parliament. However, the effort was not without challenges.

“Since the costs associated with each signature amounted to approximately 1 euro, the biggest problem was to find enough money to finance the entire process,” Perduca told Zenger. A fundraising campaign, which is still underway, allowed advocates to raise 190,000 euros ($219,000) in 10 days; 50,000 euros ($57,700) came from sponsorships.

Bureaucracy posed a further challenge. The organizing committee was required by law to collect signatories’ voter registration certificates from municipalities by Sept. 30 so that the Supreme Court of Cassation could validate them. Though municipalities had 48 hours to provide the paperwork, the process was hampered by delays.

“We have sued 1,800 municipalities because they didn’t respect the 48-hour deadline,” Perduca said. On Sept. 29, the Italian government included the pro-cannabis referendum proposal among those that qualified for an extended Oct. 31 deadline to complete the process.

Antonella Soldo says half of those who signed the petition are younger than 25. (Courtesy Antonella Soldo, Meglio Legale)

Controversial issue

“Digital signing has boosted popular participation, but truth is, cannabis is a very sensitive issue for Italian citizens,” said Antonella Soldo, coordinator of a pressure group called Meglio Legale (Better Legal). Half of those who signed the petition are younger than 25, Soldo said. A recent survey commissioned by Better Legal found that 58 percent of Italian citizens favor decriminalizing cannabis.

Advocates believe their proposal would benefit the country in multiple ways.

“Prohibition doesn’t work,” Soldo said. “Although Italy has one of the most repressive drug legislation in Europe, the country has among the highest percentages of underage users.” Thirty-five percent of Italy’s prison population has violated the country’s drug laws, well above the European average, anti-prohibition organization ForumDroghe found.

Nearly six million Italians were cannabis users in 2018, according to the 2021 annual report to Parliament on Drug Addiction. More than 31,300 people were reported to judicial authorities in 2020 for drug-related offenses; 43 percent of those reports were cannabis-related. Italian police confiscated nearly 414,400 cannabis plants in 2020. Overall, the illegal drug market in the country is worth €16.2 billion ($18.7 billion), 39 percent of which comes from cannabis.

Decriminalizing marijuana, activists say, would help free up resources from Italy’s criminal justice and law enforcement systems, relieve overcrowded jails and establish a system of controlled drug quality and safety.

They also claim it would stop organized crime from profiting from cannabis trafficking.

Better Legal’s survey found that eight out of 10 Italians support cannabis legalization because it would help deprive organized crime of one of its breeding grounds.

However, Raul Caruso, associate professor of economics of crime at Catholic University in Milan, said the impact of legalization would not be as clear-cut as activists think.

“As opposed to cocaine, cannabis trafficking is not one of the highest-profit activities for criminal organizations. They would certainly suffer a backlash, but not a huge one,” he told Zenger.

Caruso said an illegal market of cannabis, sold at more accessible prices or mixed with other substances, may continue to exist. He also is concerned about the potential long-term costs to Italy’s national healthcare system if cannabis is decriminalized.

“When Italy legalized gambling, it has been estimated that in some regions the costs associated with treating gambling addiction have exceeded the tax income derived from legalization,” he said.

In addition to facing resistance from conservative circles, the pro-decriminalization movement has drawn mixed reactions from Italian politicians. While the Five Star Movement’s founder, Beppe Grillo, was among the politicians who encouraged citizens to support the initiative, Matteo Salvini, the leader of the League party, tweeted that the issue is not among Italy’s political priorities.

“If these are the priorities of PD [Democratic Party] and 5Stelle [Five Star] in government, Italy has a problem,” Salvini tweeted.

Three decades of anti-prohibition advocacy

The recent campaign is the latest initiative in a decades-long history of anti-prohibition advocacy in Italy. Activists are trying to amend a drug law that was adopted in 1990 to implement the 1988 U.N. Convention on Drugs.

In 1993, a popular referendum to decriminalize possession of drugs for private use was passed by a slim majority — a change that, according to Perduca, “was never 100 percent reflected in national laws and policies.”

In 2006, Silvio Berlusconi’s government approved a tougher law that equated soft and hard drugs, which the Constitutional Court struck down in 2014. While medical cannabis has been legal since 2006 and personal use of drugs is not a criminal offense, cultivation and sharing can still trigger a criminal investigation. As a result, pro-cannabis activists have kept protesting and publicly disobeying the rules.

Advocates in 2016 submitted to Parliament a popular bill that would regulate the production, consumption and sale of cannabis. The bill will expire at the end of the current parliamentary term in 2023 if Parliament doesn’t vote on it, Perduca said. The referendum “was the only instrument we had left,” he told Zenger.

In the wake of their recent success in collecting signatures online, activists are planning to take to the streets.

“In the next few weeks, we will bring our message to Italy’s major cities and small towns,” Soldo said.

If the referendum proposal passes the Constitutional Court’s vetting between December and January, citizens will vote in the spring of 2022. To be considered valid, a referendum in Italy must meet quorum requirements for turnout, set at 50 percent-plus-one of the eligible voters.

“This means that anti-cannabis advocates will have two options: One is to tell people to stay home, which is the most powerful; the second is to tell them to vote ‘no,’” Perduca told Zenger. “This is the biggest obstacle we still need to overcome.”

Edited by Judith Isacoff and Matthew B. Hall



The post Inside The Digital Campaign That May Allow Italy To Decriminalize Cannabis appeared first on Zenger News.

‘Panicky’ Factors Could Be Behind Higher Gasoline Prices

Aadhityan A
-
0
‘Panicky’ Factors Could Be Behind Higher Gasoline Prices

By Daniel James Graeber

There may be some emotional factors at play when assessing retail gasoline prices, which should continue to test multiyear highs for the time being, analysts told Zenger.

Travel club AAA listed the national average retail price at $3.28 for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline on Tuesday. That’s about 10 cents higher than one month ago and, according to federal data, the highest national average since late October 2014.

The spike in retail gasoline prices follows a steady run higher for most commodities.

Natural gas prices in the European market continue to test multiyear highs and West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark for the price of oil, topped $80 per barrel in early Tuesday trading.

As with retail gasoline prices, U.S. crude oil prices are at seven-year highs.

Commodity prices are at levels not seen in years, though demand for gasoline continues to hold up, analyst told Zenger. (St. Louis Federal Reserve)

Patricia Hemsworth, a senior vice president at Paragon Markets, told Zenger from New York that at least some of the increase in retail gasoline prices is due to the energy crisis in the European market.

“I tend to look at everything in terms of relationships,” she said. “We can talk about the overall spike in energy prices as a kind of panicky contagion effect from the gas shortage in Europe.”

Soaring natural gas prices are pushing some segments of the energy sector to coal or crude oil to shore up supplies ahead of the winter heating season in the Northern Hemisphere. That in turn creates more tailwinds for the price of crude oil, which accounts for the bulk of what consumers see at the pump.

Hemsworth added that U.S. crude oil production is not increasing and members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries decided in early September to stand pat on production levels. With the switch from natural gas to crude oil, that leaves major economic segments competing for oil in an ever-tightening market.

As go crude oil prices, so goes the retail price for gasoline, federal data show. (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

The White House is pressing OPEC to open the spigot to arrest the steady rise in commodity prices, but so far there seems to be no relief in sight.

Even with soaring prices, however, Matthew Kohlman, an associate director for refined products pricing at S&P Global Platts, said seasonal factors that would normally be in play were thrown off by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Demand destruction is the norm for gasoline after summer, usually dropping 5 percent to 10 percent from August to September,” he said. “But last year’s autumn demand was so abnormally low from the pandemic that normal demand this year feels higher than normal by comparison.”

And like Hemsworth, Kohlman said the “normal global oil geopolitics” are having an impact on prices at the pump.

Despite calls for energy independence, energy markets are global by nature, with factors outside the United States driving prices higher and higher.

Patrick DeHaan, the senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy, told Zenger from Chicago that prices could cool off a bit, but not much. As long as the price for crude oil and other commodities remain high, consumers will continue to see elevated gasoline prices. But for now, those consumers don’t seem to care.

“Demand hasn’t really responded to the high price much,” he said.

Edited by Bryan Wilkes and Kristen Butler



The post ‘Panicky’ Factors Could Be Behind Higher Gasoline Prices appeared first on Zenger News.

1...535455...196Page 54 of 196