ANTI ABORTION IS ANTI CONTRACEPTION

Abortions in Texas fell 60% in 1st month under new limits

 Protesters walk along Jackson St. during the North Texas March for Life, celebrating the passage and court rulings upholding the Texas law known as Senate Bill 8, on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, in Dallas. Abortions in Texas fell by 60% in the first month under the most restrictive abortion law in the U.S. in decades. That's according to the fist figures released by Texas health officials since the law known as Senate Bill 8 took effect in September.

 (Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News via AP)


AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Abortions in Texas fell by 60% in the first month under the most restrictive abortion law in the U.S. in decades, according to new figures that for the first time reveal a full accounting of the immediate impact.

The nearly 2,200 abortions reported by Texas providers in September came after a new law took effect that bans the procedure once cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks of pregnancy and without exceptions in cases of rape or incest. The figures were released this month by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

In August, there had been more than 5,400 abortions statewide. State health officials said more data will be released on a monthly basis.

The numbers offer a fuller picture of the sharp drop in patients that Texas doctors have described in their clinics over the past five months, during which time courts have repeatedly allowed the restrictions to stay in place. It has left some Texas patients traveling hundreds of miles to clinics in neighboring states or farther, causing a backlog of appointments in those places.

Planned Parenthood issued a statement calling the numbers “the very beginning of the devastating impact” of the law.

The Texas law conflicts with landmark U.S. Supreme Court rulings that prevent a state from banning abortion early in pregnancy, but was written in a way that has essentially outmaneuvered those precedents.

Under the law, any private citizen is entitled to collect $10,000 or more if they bring a successful lawsuit against someone who performed or helped a woman obtain an abortion after the limit — which opponents have condemned as a bounty. So far, no anti-abortion supporters have filed any suits.

With few options left, Texas abortion providers have acknowledged the law is likely to stay on the books for the foreseeable future.

It comes as the U.S. Supreme Court has signaled a willingness to weaken or reverse the landmark Roe v. Wade precedent in a ruling that is expected later this year.

House OKs bill easing budget strains on Postal Service

By ALAN FRAM

A worker carries a large parcel at the United States Postal Service sorting and processing facility Nov. 18, 2021, in Boston. Congress would lift onerous budget requirements that have helped push the Postal Service deeply into debt and would require it to continue delivering mail six days per week under bipartisan legislation that approached House approval Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. 

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)


WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress would lift onerous budget requirements that have helped push the Postal Service deeply into debt and would require it to continue delivering mail six days per week under bipartisan legislation the House approved Tuesday.

The election-year bill, coming at a time of widespread complaints about slower mail service, would also require the Postal Service to display online how efficiently it delivers mail to communities.

The Postal Service is supposed to sustain itself with postage sales and other services, but has suffered 14 straight years of losses. The reasons include growing workers’ compensation and benefit costs plus steady declines in mail volume, even as it delivers to 1 million additional locations every year.

Postal Service officials have said without congressional action, it would run out of cash by 2024, a frequent warning from the service. It has estimated it will lose $160 billion over the coming decade.

Those pressures have brought the two parties together for a measure aimed at helping the Postal Service, its employees, businesses that use it and disgruntled voters who rely on it for delivery of prescription drugs, checks and other packages. Tuesday’s vote was 342-92, a rare show of partisan agreement, with all Democrats and most Republicans backing it.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., chairwoman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, said the Postal Service “provides service to every American, no matter where they live, binding us together in a way no other organization does.”

Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, that committee’s top Republican, said “the days of letters alone driving Postal Service revenue are not coming back.” The bill, he said, will “help it succeed into the 21st century.”

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said he expects his chamber to “move quickly” on the measure. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he’s planning a vote before a recess that starts after next week. The bill has 14 GOP sponsors and, with strong Democratic support expected, seems on track to gain the 60 votes most bills need for Senate passage.

Over the years, some lawmakers have wanted to impose tougher requirements for faster service by the Postal Service, while others have favored privatizing some services. The compromise omits controversial proposals.

There has been talk over the years of reducing deliveries to five days per week, which could save more than $1 billion annually, according to the Government Accountability Office, the accounting agency of Congress. That idea has proven politically toxic and has not been pursued.

The bill would also require the Postal Service to set up an online “dashboard” that would be searchable by zip code to show how long it takes to deliver letters and packages.

The measure is supported by President Joe Biden, the Postal Service, postal worker unions, industries that use the service and others.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said the bill would help “provide the American people with the delivery service they expect and deserve.” Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union, called the bill “outstanding” in an interview.

One of the bill’s few critics was Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who said its changes fell short.

“It has failed to make a profit, it has failed the American people, and everyone who has a mailbox knows it,” he said.

The bill would end a requirement that the Postal Service finance, in advance, health care benefits for current and retired workers for the next 75 years. That obligation, which private companies and federal agencies do not face, was imposed in 2006. That ended up being the year that the Postal Service’s mail volume peaked and its financial fortunes steadily worsened.

The Postal Service hasn’t made those payments since 2012. Overall it faces unpaid obligations of $63 billion, according to its most recent annual report. The bill forgives much of that debt.

Instead of those obligations, the Postal Service would pay current retirees’ actual health care costs that aren’t covered by Medicare, the federal health insurance program for older people.

The legislation would also require future Postal Service retirees to enroll in Medicare, which only about 3 in 4 do now. The shift would save the Postal Service money by having Medicare cover much of its costs.

Proponents say the changes would save tens of billions of dollars over the next decade.

Criticism of the Postal Service peaked in 2020, when the agency’s board of governors, dominated by President Donald Trump’s appointees, picked DeJoy as postmaster general and Democrats accused him of slowing service to undermine the election. DeJoy, a major GOP donor, has proposed a 10-year plan to stabilize the service’s finances with steps like additional mail slowdowns, cutting some offices’ hours and perhaps higher rates.

The Postal Service had a successful 2021 holiday season, delivering 97% of shipments on time during two weeks in December, according to ShipMatrix, which analyzes shipping package data. In 2020 more than a third of first-class mail was late by Christmas Day.

The Postal Service hit its peak of mail volume in 2006, when it delivered 213 billion pieces of mail. Last year that figure was 129 billion, according to Postal Service figures.

Since the Postal Service has its own finance system, it is not counted as part of the federal budget. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the bill would save the government $1 billion over the next 10 years.

That is largely because retirees’ prescription drug expenses under Medicare would be covered by required discounts from pharmaceutical makers.

Congress approves sex harassment bill in #MeToo milestone

By MICHELLE L. PRICE

1 of 5

Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson, center, celebrates with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., left, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., after Congress gave final approval to legislation guaranteeing that people who experience sexual harassment at work can seek recourse in the courts, during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022. Since her 2016 sexual harassment lawsuit against then Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes, Carlson has worked to ban non-disclosure agreements and forced arbitration clauses in employment agreements to prevent victims of sexual harassment from being silenced. 

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)


NEW YORK (AP) — Congress on Thursday gave final approval to legislation guaranteeing that people who experience sexual harassment at work can seek recourse in the courts, a milestone for the #MeToo movement that prompted a national reckoning on the way sexual misconduct claims are handled.

The measure, which is expected to be signed by President Joe Biden, bars employment contracts from forcing people to settle sexual assault or harassment cases through arbitration rather than in court, a process that often benefits employers and keeps misconduct allegations from becoming public.

Significantly, the bill is retroactive, nullifying that language in contracts nationwide and opening the door for people who had been bound by it to take legal action.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who has spearheaded the effort, called it “one of the most significant workplace reforms in American history.”

Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said the arbitration process is secretive and biased and denies people a basic constitutional right: a day in court.

“No longer will survivors of sexual assault or harassment in the workplace come forward and be told that they are legally forbidden to sue their employer because somewhere in buried their employment contracts was this forced arbitration clause,” she said.

Gillibrand, who has focused on combating sexual harassment and sexual misconduct in the military, originally introduced the legislation in 2017 with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

The legislation had uncommonly broad, bipartisan support in a divided Congress. That allowed the bill to be passed in the Senate by unanimous consent — a procedure almost never used for significant legislation, especially one affecting tens of millions of Americans. The House passed the bill this week on a robust bipartisan basis in a 335- 97 vote.

Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson, who accused the now-deceased network CEO Roger Ailes of making unwanted advances and harming her career when she rejected him, testified in support of the legislation. Some employee contracts at the network included binding arbitration clauses.

Carlson, who appeared with Gillibrand and other senators at a news conference after Senate passage of the bill, said she could never have imagined, after coming forward with her allegations five years ago, that it would lead to a change in the law that both Democrats and Republicans would get behind.

“Marching in the streets can inspire us. Editorials can open our minds. Hashtags can galvanize, but legislation is the only thing that lasts,” Carlson said.

An estimated 60 million American workers have clauses tucked into their employment contracts forcing them to settle any allegations of sexual misconduct in private arbitration proceedings, rather than in court. The widespread practice has come under fire in the wake of the #MeToo movement for forcing employees to seek recourse without a jury, a chance to appeal a decision or the sunlight of a public court process.

“If you could ever say any legislation was long overdue, this is it,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. He called it “almost medieval” to force victims of harassment and assault “to shut up, not tell anyone about it and not seek justice.”

The secretive nature of binding arbitration protects companies and perpetrators, critics contend, and allows corporations to avoid changing any policies or removing serial abusers.

The clauses barring lawsuits are not just limited to employment contracts but have been found in other service agreements, preventing those who were sexually assaulted at nursing homes or massage parlors from taking their claims to court.

Defenders of the arbitration process, including business groups, have contended it is a faster and less costly way to resolve disputes than through lengthy courtroom proceedings.

Graham said on the Senate floor that it does not harm businesses to ensure people who are harassed at work are treated fairly.

“This is not bad for business. This is good for America,” he said.

Many workers don’t realize they’re bound by forced arbitration rules and how the process can disproportionately benefit employers, with companies typically paying out smaller sums to settle claims, Gillibrand said.

In a sign of the power of the #MeToo movement and wide-ranging support behind the change, the legislation’s co-sponsors included senators who are ideologically polar opposites, such as New Jersey Democrat Cory Booker and Missouri Republican Josh Hawley.

Graham said at the news conference that things can be “pretty screwed up” in Washington but the legislation signals “that there’s some hope, as long as we listen to each other and try to make life better where we can find common ground.”

The White House released a statement earlier this month in support of the bill.

___

Follow Michelle L. Price on Twitter at twitter.com/michellelprice

Working Families Party endorses Jumaane Williams for New York governor


Feb. 9 (UPI) -- The New York Working Families Party has endorsed Democrat Jumaane Williams for governor in a race against incumbent Kathy Hochul.

"We're thrilled to announce our endorsement of Jumaane Williams for governor," the left-leaning political party said Tuesday in a statement. "Jumaane has been a champion for working New Yorkers since day one. We can count on him to fight for affordable housing, healthcare for all and excellent schools."

Williams, a progressive candidate and New York City's public advocate, announced in mid-November that he was putting his name on the gubernatorial ballot that includes Hochul and Rep. Thomas Suozzi.

In his own statement published to Twitter on Tuesday, Williams said NYWFP has been by his side throughout his career of "taking on the powerful to create change."

"We've fought & won many battles before, & I'm honored to have their support as we work to bring transformational change to NY," he said.

Williams adds the endorsement to a slew of others including several New York City councilmembers, Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats, Coalition for a District Alternative and Nina Turner, a former Ohio state senator and candidate for Congress.

The New York gubernatorial race is being held in the wake of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's resignation from the position in August over allegations of sexual harassment.
As lieutenant governor, Hochul became governor until the end of the term.

Williams has faced Hochul before on the campaign trail, losing to her in the race for the lieutenant governor job by a margin of 53.3% to 46.7%.

Last month, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union endorsed Hochul for governor, as did several firefighters unions.

The incumbent has raised a war chest of $21.6 million for the race, according to campaign paperwork filed last month and seen by The New York Times.

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that she would enter the race in October but ended her bid less than three months later, saying that she would instead seek re-election.

New contraceptive could trap sperm in natural gel state

By HealthDay News

Researchers discovered that blocking a protein called prostate-specific antigen 

(PSA) in semen causes it to remain in its thick gel form, trapping the majority

 of sperm.

 Photo courtesy of HealthDay News

No contraceptive is perfect, and scientists continue searching for safer, more effective methods.

Now, researchers have found a way to trap sperm in semen's natural gel state, and they believe their findings could point the way to a new type of birth control.

Normally, semen liquefies after ejaculation, which enables sperm to swim through a woman's reproductive system to fertilize an egg.

The researchers discovered that blocking a protein called prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in semen causes it to remain in its thick gel form, trapping the majority of sperm.

RELATED Study suggests IUD can affect hormones beyond uterus

This suggests it may be possible to develop a new type of non-hormonal, over-the-counter birth control for women, according to the study authors.

"Our goal is to develop this into an easily accessible female contraceptive that would be available on demand, meaning women could go buy it off the shelf," said study co-author Joy Winuthayanon, an associate professor and director of the Center for Reproductive Biology at Washington State University.

"It could be used in combination with a condom to lower the failure rate significantly," Winuthayanon said in a university news release.

RELATED Study: Female students' graduation rates improve with better birth control access

Current spermicides can lower the natural vaginal barrier against sexually transmitted diseases like HIV, but targeting the liquefaction process of semen could avoid that type of problem, the study authors said.

Still, further research is needed, they emphasized.

"It is a bit of a long process because we don't want off-target effects," Winuthayanon said. "If we are going to develop this into the contraceptive product, it may be something that women would use often, so we want something that is safe and has no unintended effects."

RELATED Hormonal IUD effective option for emergency contraception, study finds

Current non-prescription birth control methods such as condoms and spermicides have an average failure rate of 13% to 21%, according to the researchers.

Hormonal-based contraceptives such as IUDs and birth control pills have lower failure rates, but they can have side effects and are not always easily available or affordable, they noted.

These issues may help explain why recent research shows that the worldwide unintended pregnancy rate is 48%, the study authors pointed out.

The findings were published recently in the journal Biology of Reproduction.

More information

For more on birth control, see the U.S. Office on Women's Health.

Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.




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FCC nominee Gigi Sohn addresses concerns at second confirmation hearing

By Michael Korsh, Medill News Service and Doug Cunningham

Gigi Sohn, who is President Joe Biden's nominee to serve on the Federal Communications Commission testifies during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. 

Pool Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI | License Photo

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- In her second appearance before the Senate Commerce Committee, Gigi Sohn, nominated to be a Federal Communications Commission commissioner, faced repeated Republican questioning Wednesday whether she could be impartial.

The top Republican on the committee, Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, had asked for the hearing after Gigi Sohn's recent statement that she would recuse herself from FCC decisions on regulatory issues with which she was involved.

"It gives me no pleasure to say that my reason for being here today is to discuss outstanding questions about Ms. Sohn's fitness and ability to serve as a commissioner," Wicker said.

On Jan. 27, Sohn wrote to acting FCC general counsel P. Michele Ellison, saying she would recuse herself from retransmission consent and television copyright issues for the first three years of her term as FCC commissioner "to avoid any appearance of impropriety and in interest of ensuring that the public has full confidence that policymakers will make decisions free of bias," according to the letter obtained by Bloomberg Law.

During the hearing, Senate Republicans again questioned Sohn's ability to serve impartially, pointing to her role as president of Public Knowledge, a group that advocates for a free and open Internet and affordable access to communication tools.

"My recusal is voluntary, temporary, extremely narrow and concerns business unlikely to come before the full FCC," Sohn testifed. "But in no way does it open the door to every other industry seeking a recusal for every position I and Public Knowledge have ever advocated."

Sohn told the committee she only would only have to recuse herself from FCC decisions rarely. Using her previous experience against her "would prohibit anyone -- not just public interest advocates and academics -- who has taken any public position on telecommunications and media policy from serving on the FCC," she said.

Wicker had requested a second hearing to address potential conflicts of interest. He said he has many policy disagreements with Sohn and has "outstanding questions about Ms. Sohn's fitness and ability to serve as FCC commissioner."

Among the concerns about her fitness to serve are her service on the board of Sports Fan Coalition New York, as well the settlement agreement between Sports Fan Coalition New York and some broadcasters over copyright violation issues.

Wicker questioned the settlement that was reduced from $32 million to $700,000.

"Ms. Sohn has not been forthcoming on this settlement," Wicker said. "When I asked her about the source of the $32 million settlement, she did not acknowledge that it had been reduced to $700,000. This raises questions as to what else she is not revealing about this litigation."

Sohn testified that she has no financial liability stemming from the settlement.

"This wasn't a settlement agreement that I negotiated, Sohn said. "Why didn't I mention this number in my response to Sen. Wicker's question? For the record, the confidential settlement barred me, as well as the network plaintiffs and SFCNY from mentioning the terms of the agreement in writing."

Republicans also cited comments Sohn had made on Twitter that criticized Fox News and Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sohn said her opinions would have no bearing on her role as FCC commissioner, although she said she wished her tone had been "less sharp."

Democrats on the committee, including Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Ed Markey D-Mass., said that concerns about Sohn's impartiality represented a "double standard" from the committee's willingness to approve prior nominees with industry expertise -- such as former FCC chairman Ajit Pai, who served as an associate general counsel for Verizon Communications -- without any conflict-of-interest concerns.

Two of the four current FCC commissioners were appointed by Democrats and two by Republicans, leading to deadlock on many votes.

"Every day that [Sohn's] confirmation is delayed is a day when the FCC cannot fully discharge the important responsibilities that we have given it," said Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.

Sohn initially appeared before the committee in December, when her nomination failed to advance after significant backlash from Republicans. She had been scheduled for another confirmation hearing Feb. 2, but that was postponed after committee member Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., suffered a stroke the previous day.

Senators have until Monday to submit further questions regarding Sohn's nomination. Sohn has one week to respond after that. The committee then would vote on whether to recommend that the Senate confirm her nomination.

Chinese researchers develop 4-minute COVID-19 test
By HealthDay News

Researchers at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, developed a rapid COVID-19 test, and test results were a perfect match with PCR tests in a recent study. File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo

A new coronavirus test that provides results within 4 minutes is as accurate as a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) lab test, according to the Chinese scientists who developed it.

The results of a clinical trial of the test, which uses microelectronics to analyze genetic material from nasal swabs, were published Monday in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.

The researchers at Fudan University in Shanghai used the test to analyze samples from 33 people who had the coronavirus and 54 uninfected people. PCR tests were also conducted.

The rapid test results were a perfect match with the PCR tests, according to the peer-reviewed study. The rapid test accurately detected all 33 coronavirus cases and did not give false negatives for any of the uninfected people.

RELATED Antibodies from COVID-19 infection may last up to 20 months

"We implemented an electromechanical biosensor for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 into an integrated and portable prototype device, and show that it detected (virus RNA) in less than four minutes," the study authors wrote.

PCR tests are regarded as the most accurate and sensitive test for the coronavirus, but it usually takes several hours to get results. There were long waits for PCR test results during the surge of the Omicron variant because many labs couldn't keep up with demand.

Once it's fully developed, the new rapid test could provide quick results in a number of locations, including airports, health facilities and at home, the Fudan University team said.

RELATED CDC bolsters efforts to use wastewater monitoring to track COVID-19

They also believe the test might have uses beyond spotting COVID-19, including "the ultraprecise diagnosis of other diseases in a few minutes, without the need for target purification, amplification or culture, which normally requires hours or days."

More information

Find out more about at-home COVID tests at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

RELATEDAt-home COVID-19 test users do not always follow quarantine guidelines, study finds

Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Germany cracks down on far-right Telegram users

Multiple channels belonging to a prominent German coronavirus-denier have been blocked, while a man in Bavaria is under investigation for spreading antisemitic content on the platform.



The Telegram app was initially launched in 2013

Germany is punishing Telegram users who spread coronavirus conspiracy theories and antisemitic content on popular encrypted messaging service.
Conspiracy channels blocked for 'violating local laws'

Several channels belonging to radical coronavirus conspiracy theorist Attila Hildmann were blocked as of Wednesday for having "violated local laws." The notice appears on both the mobile and desktop versions of the app.

German news magazine Der Spiegel reported that Hildmann's channels were only restricted for German users.

Moreover, Josef Holnburger, a researcher at the Center for Monitoring Analysis and Strategy nonprofit, tweeted that a channel tied to Hildmann with over 63,000 users is still unrestricted. The group often promotes false information related to COVID-19 vaccines.

Last year, a channel run by Hildmann with over 100,000 users was blocked, with the conspiracy theorist decrying the move as censorship.

Hildmann, who came to prominence as a vegan chef, has previously called for violence against the German state. He has also made numerous antisemitic statements.

The 40-year-old moved from Germany to Turkey in early 2021 after a warrant was issued for his arrest. Hildmann, who holds both German and Turkish citizenship, is unlikely to be extradited to Germany and face the justice system.

Bavarian police raid home of suspected antisemitic user

Meanwhile, police in the southern German state of Bavaria on Wednesday searched the home of a man spreading antisemitic content on the platform. The authorities confiscated the hard drives of the 59-year-old, who is suspected of hate speech and Holocaust denial.

The man operated a Telegram channel that had over 800 members. In addition to hateful content, the posts in the group suggested violence against German authorities.

A police spokesperson said the man cooperated with authorities and agreed to be taken to a police station. If found guilty of Holocaust denial, the man could be punished with up to five years in prison.

The crackdown comes after German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser met with Telegram executives last week. Faeser has previously threatened the shutdown of Telegram in Germany.

Telegram contributes to 'spiral of radicalzation'

German researchers have found that extremists are using Telegram more frequently to spread hateful messages and gain new followers. A study in December by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue Germany found Telegram contributes to a "spiral of radicalization."

"Power users" such as Hildmann and far-right Austrian Identitarian Movement leader Martin Sellner are able to express themselves more freely on Telegram than more established platforms such as Facebook or Twitter and can attract a massive following, study co-author Christian Schwieter told the Funke media group.

In January 2018, the Network Enforcement Act was implemented by the German government, which forces large social media giants to remove illegal content or face a fine. Yet, researchers found alternative platforms such as Telegram are able to evade these reporting requirements.

Schwieter suggested that German authorities put more pressure on foreign companies such as Telegram, which is based in Dubai. It should also be made easier for users to report illegal content on these platforms.

Saxony, Hesse call for stricter enforcement

The eastern German state of Saxony on Wednesday called for the federal government to more efficiently prosecute criminal offenses on social networks. Saxony Media Minister Oliver Schenk said the government should ascertain whether messenger services such as Telegram fall under the auspices of the Network Enforcement Act.

Peter Beuth, the interior minister of the western German state of Hesse, had earlier made a similar request to the federal government.

German news agency epd contributed to this report.

Edited by: Sean Sinico

THIS IS A PROBLEM IN SAUDI ARABIA, BAHRAIN, QATAR, UAE, ETC.
Pakistan: Cousin marriages create high risk of genetic disorders

Scientists say inbreeding is causing an unusually high number of genetic mutations to spread in Pakistan, leading to disabilities in children of consanguineous marriages. Still, this social custom persists.


Experts say that caste system leads to many inter-family marriages

Ghafoor Hussain Shah is a 56-year-old teacher and father of eight children in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. According to tribal customs in Pakistan, Shah said he is expected to arrange the children's marriages within his extended family.

However, Shah knows about the potential risks of genetic disease prevalent in children from inter-family marriages. He married his maternal cousin in 1987, and three of their children suffer from disorders.

Shah told DW his son's brain did not develop to a normal size. One of his daughters has a speech disorder and another has hearing problems.

"My biggest regret is that they could not get education," he said. "I am always worried about them … who will look after them after my wife and I are gone?" he added.

Despite the risks of genetic disorders, Shah said there is enormous social pressure to adhere to customs calling for cousins to marry. Anyone who refuses to offer their children for marriage within the family risks being ostracized.

Shah said he had to marry off his one son and two daughters to close relatives. His family's medical history includes cases of blood disorders, learning disabilities, blindness and deafness. Doctors have said inbreeding could be to blame.
Pakistan's 'genetic mutation' problem

According to a 2017 report on genetic mutations in Pakistan, the "heterogenous composition" of Pakistan's population, including high levels of "consanguinity" has led to a prevalence of genetic disorders.

The report introduces a Pakistan "genetic mutation" database, which identifies and tracks different types of mutations and the disorders they lead to. According to the database, more than 1,000 mutations have been reported in 130 different kinds of genetic disorders found in Pakistan.

Huma Arshad Cheema, a pediatrician specializing in genetic disorders, told DW that Pakistan has a huge burden of generic disorders due to inbreeding.

She said specific disorders can be pinpointed to particular castes and tribes where inter-marriage is common.

One of the most common genetic disorders seen right now in Pakistan is the inherited blood disorder, Thalassemia, which keeps red blood cells from absorbing oxygen.

Genetic testing and pre-natal screenings for hereditary disorders are not widely available in Pakistan, Cheema said, adding that many health facilities also lack the capacity to treat genetic disorders.
Why do cousin marriages continue?

Karachi-based health expert Seraj ud Daulah said that the practice of cousin marriages in Pakistan can be traced to Islamic religious doctrines.

"I asked clerics to help create awareness about genetic diseases, asking them to explain to people how cousin marriages are contributing to the rise in genetic diseases," Daulah told DW.

However, he said the clerics he spoke with flatly refused, claiming that such marriages are in accordance with Islamic Sharia law and the traditions of the Prophet Mohammad.

Shah said many families in Pakistan go through with consanguineous marriages because they believe it is called for by their Islamic religion. Even if the government were to make such marriages illegal, it would be met with fierce resistance, he added.

Tribal and caste systems are deeply rooted in remote areas of Pakistan. Cheema said that the caste system, particularly among the Arain people living in Punjab province, is especially rigid and leads to many inter-family marriages. She said several genetic disorders are commonly found in this community.

In Pakistan's western province of Balochistan, the southern region of Sindh, and in the northwestern provinces, tribal systems dictate family life.

Ghulam Hussain Baloch, a resident of Balochistan, told DW that marrying outside of your tribe is considered a major social taboo. The situation in Sindh is not much different, where marriage outside one's clan or tribe could lead to murders and tribal clashes.
Health officials respond

In March 2020, the government in Punjab formed a task force aimed at preventing genetic diseases. The children's hospital in Lahore is now offering free genetic screening services in cooperation with Germany's CENTOGENE diagnostics company and other international organizations.

Cheema said pre-natal screening will help parents decide whether to terminate the pregnancy in cases where lethal disorders are detected. Early detection can also aid treatment of a child born with a hereditary disorder.

"We have screened 30,000 families in Pakistan with suspected genetic disorders," an official from Punjab's health department told DW on condition of anonymity.

Health expert Daulah, however, said that more needs to be done to change people's mindsets on the danger of having children with close family members.

"In religious matters, people have blind faith and they do not want to listen to any logic," he said.

"Perhaps if the government asked all clerics to spread awareness about the rising number of genetic disorders, and its connection with cousin marriage, then perhaps more Pakistanis would pay heed," he added.

Edited by: Wesley Rahn

Climate change may cause A/C use to overwhelm electric grid, experts say
By HealthDay News


Experts warn that as climate change brings longer and hotter summers, the U.S. electric grid could be pushed past its capacity within a decade. Photo by Sumekler/Pixabay

Global warming will lead to longer, hotter summers. But cranking up the air conditioning may not be a viable solution, a new study warns.

The investigators found climate change could drive Americans' demand for A/C to exceed the nation's electricity-producing capacity within a decade.

That could lead to prolonged blackouts during summer heat waves, putting many lives at risk, the researchers recently reported in the journal Earth's Future.

"It's a pretty clear warning to all of us that we can't keep doing what we are doing or our energy system will break down in the next few decades, simply because of the summertime air conditioning," Susanne Benz, a geographer and climate scientist at Dalhousie University in Canada, said in a news release from American Geophysical Union. She was not involved in the new study.

The researchers said the global climate is expected to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius -- 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit -- of warming by the early 2030s, which could push summer air conditioning demand in the United States to rise between 8% and 13%.

As a result, average U.S. households could face up to eight days without air conditioning during the summer, but those in some Midwestern states could have 12 days without A/C.

The projections suggest what could happen if nothing is done to expand electricity production, increase efficiency and take steps to fight climate change, according to the study authors.

The study focused solely on the impacts of climate change, and did not take into account possible population increases, changes in wealth, behavior or other factors that affect air conditioning demand, the researchers noted.

"We tried to isolate just the impact of climate change. If nothing changes, if we, as a society, refuse to adapt, if we don't match the efficiency demands, what would that mean?" said lead study author Renee Obringer, an environmental engineer at Penn State University.

"We've seen this in California already -- state power suppliers had to institute blackouts because they couldn't provide the needed electricity," Obringer said.

That resulted in 599 heat-related deaths, according to official state data, but the actual number may have been closer to 3,900.

Those most likely to be affected by a loss of air conditioning due to power outages include low income, non-white and older people, Obringer noted.

Benz said, "When they say there's going to be two weeks where you don't have cooling on average -- in reality, some people will have cooling. Disadvantaged people will have less cooling."

More information

For more on extreme heat, go to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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