AP-NORC poll details rift between lay Catholics and bishops


Migrants watching Pope Francis' Mass in Juarez, Mexico, from a levee along the banks of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas, take part in Communion, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. According to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted in mid-May 2022, only 31% of lay Catholics agree that politicians supporting abortion rights should be denied Communion, while 66% say they be allowed access to the sacrament. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)


The hardline stances of many conservative Catholic bishops in the U.S. are not shared by a majority of lay Catholics. Most of them say abortion should be legal, favor greater inclusion of LGBT people, and oppose the denial of Communion for politicians who support abortion rights, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

The poll, conducted in mid-May, shows a clear gap between the prevalent views of American Catholics, and some recent high-profile actions taken by the church’s leaders.

For example, leaders of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops recently called on Catholics nationwide to pray for the U.S. Supreme Court to end the constitutional right to abortion by reversing its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. According to the new poll, 63% of Catholic adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, and 68% say Roe should be left as is.

On May 20, the archbishop of San Francisco, Salvatore Cordileone, announced that he will no longer allow U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to receive Communion because of her support for abortion rights.

According to the poll, only 31% of lay Catholics agree that politicians supporting abortion rights should be denied Communion, while 66% say they should be allowed access to the sacrament.

An even larger majority – 77% -- said that Catholics who identify as LGBT should be allowed to receive Communion. That contrasts sharply with a policy issued by the Diocese of Marquette, which encompasses Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, saying pastors should deny Communion to transgender, gay and nonbinary Catholics “unless the person has repented.”

Natalia Imperatori-Lee, a professor of religious studies at Manhattan College, said the rift between rank-and-file Catholics and the bishops “reveals a breakdown in communication and trust -- shepherds who are far removed from the sheep.”

“This is a precarious time for the U.S. Catholic church,” she added in an email. “U.S. Catholics are, on the whole, accustomed to living and working in a pluralistic society and this poll reinforces the notion that they want the public square to remain pluralistic, free from coercion, and oriented toward care for the vulnerable populations among us.”

The Rev. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, said the poll results didn’t surprise him, and underscored a need for anti-abortion clergy and activists to redouble efforts to change people’s positions.

“For us working on pro-life issues, these kinds of polls are like a summons,” he said. “You’ve got to be doing your work -- maybe you’ve got to do it better.”

As for conservative bishops, “their awareness of the gaps that the polling reveals is precisely one of the reasons they feel the need to speak up,″ Pavone said. “They are striving to exercise the role outlined for them in Scripture, namely, to patiently and persistently teach the faith, whether convenient or inconvenient, to clear up confusion.”

Beyond the bishops/laity rift, the poll highlighted other challenges facing the church, which is the largest denomination in the U.S.



For example, 68% of Catholics reported attending religious services once a month or less. Compared to five years ago, 37% said they were now attending less often; 14% said they were attending more often.

Over that five-year span, 26% percent of Catholics said their opinion of the Catholic church had worsened, while 17% said their opinion had improved. Most said their opinion hadn’t changed.

More than two-thirds of U.S. Catholics disagree with church policies that bar women from becoming priests. And 65% say the church should allow openly gay men to be ordained.

The poll was conducted just after the leak of a draft Supreme Court majority opinion that would strike down Roe v. Wade. The views of U.S. Catholics, as expressed in the poll, were in line with the overall American public, both in regard to supporting abortion’s legality and preserving Roe.

However, there were sharp differences among major religious groupings. While 63% of Catholics said abortion should be legal in all or most cases, that stance was held by 74% of mainline Protestants and only 25% of evangelical Protestants.

Sharon Barnes of Dallas, who converted to Catholicism as a young adult, appreciates the centuries-old consistency of Catholic doctrine. Yet she differs from the church on some major social issues, including abortion.

“It’s a woman’s right to decide,” said Barnes, 65. “It’s something that you have to kind of reconcile yourself, and it’s between you and God.”

Pedro Gomez, a 55-year-old border patrol agent in Rio Rico, Arizona, is a lifelong Catholic who prays every night and attends church regularly. He understands the need for abortion in cases of rape, incest or saving the life of a mother, but he said he considers the procedure to be the killing of a child.

Gomez was surprised that most U.S. Catholics support some degree of abortion rights.

“There’s a lot of gray area now that was never there in my upbringing,” he said. “Maybe they’re watering down Catholicism ... Now people are being able to make up their own rules.”

Ed Keeley, a 62-year-old public school teacher in Houston, also was raised Catholic. He described abortion as “a hard subject,” saying he believes in the sanctity of life but that abortion should be allowed in specific cases, including rape or incest.

He finds it “ridiculous” that a priest would deny Communion to someone because of their views on abortion or politics generally.

Last year, some conservative bishops, including Cordileone, argued publicly that President Joe Biden — a lifelong Catholic — should not receive Communion because of his support for abortion rights. However, Pope Francis conveyed his opposition to such a stance, saying Communion “is not a prize for the perfect.”

Cordileone’s recent denial of Communion for Pelosi was supported by several of his clerical colleagues, including the archbishops of Denver, Oklahoma City, Portland, Oregon, and Kansas City, Kansas. However, Archbishop Michael Jackels of Dubuque, Iowa, issued a statement describing the action as “misguided.”

“As Jesus said, it’s the sick people who need a doctor, not the healthy, and he gave us the Eucharist as a healing remedy,” Jackels said. “Don’t deny the people who need the medicine.”

He also contended that abortion was not the only critical “life issue” facing the church.

“Protecting the earth, our common home, or making food, water, shelter, education and health care accessible, or defense against gun violence… these are life issues too,” he said. “To be consistent, to repair the scandal of Catholics being indifferent or opposed to all those other life issues, they would have to be denied Holy Communion as well.”

John Gehring, Catholic program director at the Washington-based clergy network Faith in Public Life, said some conservative bishops engage in the culture wars “in ways that damage their already diminished relevance and credibility.”

“Most Catholics are fed up with bishops who want to weaponize Communion in a hypocritical, single-issue campaign against pro-choice politicians, especially when we see Pope Francis offering a better road map,” said Gehring

The AP-NORC poll of 1,172 adults, including 358 Catholics, was conducted May 12-16 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points, and for Catholics is plus or minus 7.4 percentage points.

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Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Exhibit of famed prehistoric cave to open in Marseille


A replica of the Cosquer Cave in the Villa Mediterranee is pictured in Marseille, southern France, Thursday, June 2, 2022. From Saturday June 4 2022, in the port city of Marseille, visitors will be able to see a replica of the over 30,000-year old site with copies of the prehistoric paintings that made the cave internationally famous. The Cosquer Cave was discovered in 1985 by diver Henri Cosquer, nestled deep in the sea under the Marseille coastline. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

MARSEILLE, France (AP) — A permanent virtual exhibit of one of France’s most famous prehistoric sites, the undersea Cosquer Cave, is set to open its doors as concerns grow that it could be completely inundated as a result of rising tides driven by climate change.

As of Saturday, visitors to the port city of Marseille will be able to see the Cosquer Mediterranee, a replica of the over 30,000-year old site. The visual and audio “experience” features copies of the prehistoric paintings that made the cave internationally famous.

The Cosquer Cave was discovered in 1985 by diver Henri Cosquer, in deep waters off the Marseille coastline.

Years in the making, the exhibit offers the chance to the public to discover the cave of which only 20% currently remains dry and accessible. Officials say the cave’s remaining dry areas are under threat of being flooded because of the effects of climate change.

Ford CEO sees electric vehicle price war as EV costs decline

By TOM KRISHER

June 1, 2022

Ford President and CEO Jim Farley speaks in Glendale, Ky., Sept. 28, 2021. Ford's chief executive says the global auto industry is headed for a huge price war in the coming years as electric vehicle costs drop and multiple companies sell EVs priced around $25,000. Farley told the Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 that the $25,000 electric vehicle will democratize EVs. Materials to build that vehicle will cost around $18,000, he said. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, file)

DETROIT (AP) — Ford’s chief executive says he expects the cost of building electric vehicles to fall to the point that in coming years automakers will be battling each other for sales of EVs priced around $25,000.

CEO Jim Farley told the Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference on Wednesday that the $25,000 price tag will democratize EVs. Materials to build that vehicle will cost around $18,000, he said.

“So I believe there will be our industry is definitely heading to a huge price war,” Farley said.

It currently costs much more to build an EV than it does one powered by a gas engine, Farley noted. The company’s Mustang Mach-E electric SUV, with a starting price around $44,000 but can run much higher, costs about $25,000 more than a comparable Ford Edge gas SUV, he said.

The battery cost alone is $18,000, and the charger adds another $3,000.

But big cost reductions are coming with new battery chemistries that use fewer expensive and scarce precious metals such as nickel and cobalt, he said. Plus, EVs will take less time and labor to build, saving more money, Farley said.

Ford also plans to cut distribution costs, which amount to $2,000 per vehicle more than Tesla, the world’s electric vehicle sales leader, he said. That can be done largely by cutting the expense of keeping a large supply on dealer lots, and cutting advertising costs.

Ford, like Tesla, may not have to buy advertising to sell EVs, which now amounts to $500 to $600 per vehicle, Farley said.

Ford is designing the next generation of EVs for “radical simplification” of the labor it takes to put them together, Farley said.

“Half the fixtures, half the work stations, half the welds, 20% less fasteners,” he told the conference. “We designed it, because it’s such a simple product, to radically change the manufacturability.”

New EVs, he said, also will be designed for optimal aerodynamics so they can use the smallest possible battery to get more range. Redesigning the body of an electric full-size pickup truck for lower wind resistance can add 75 miles (120 kilometers) of range from the same size battery, Farley said. The additional range, he said, cuts another $3,000 from the battery cost, he said.

“The re-engineering for the vehicle to minimize the size of the battery, since it’s so expensive, is going to be a game-changer for these second-generation products,” Farley said.

Ford has plans to differentiate itself and boost profits by selling software services, including driver-assist and autonomous features that could be rented for a time period or by the mile, Farley said.

It all adds up to erasing the $25,000 cost difference and turning profits, even with raw material costs expected to rise, Farley said.

A price war already is happening in China, where more than half the electric vehicles in the world are sold today, Farley said. The most popular one is a van made by Chinese manufacturer Wuling that costs about $8,000, he said.

Farley conceded that getting to the lower price point will be challenging, with many things to work on at once.

Michelle Krebs, executive analyst with Cox Automotive, said Ford has a long way to go to reach the cost reductions that Farley outlined.

“It sounds like a lot of things have to fall into place to make this happen,” Krebs said.

Ford in recent years has had quality control issues with several of its new vehicles, raising costs.

But building a $25,000 electric vehicle will attract more buyers to EVs, which the administration of President Joe Biden is banking on to cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. Research has shown that price is now is the biggest obstacle to people making the change from internal combustion engines, Krebs said.

The first of the next-generation electric vehicles at Ford will be ready in 2026, Farley said, as Ford refits older factories to build EVs and builds three new battery plants and one new assembly plant in Kentucky and Tennessee, he said. By then, the company will have lined up the needed raw materials and have new battery chemistry, he said.

“It’s going to take a little while, but I’m putting pressure on myself to get to making money on these vehicles,” Farley said. “It’s going to be a good investment.”

In March, Ford said it would split its electric vehicle and internal combustion operations into two individual businesses to accelerate new technology.

Ford plans a major restructuring with two distinct but strategically interdependent auto businesses — Ford Blue focusing on traditional combustion engines and Ford Model e, which will develop electric vehicles.

Farley also confirmed Wednesday that Ford is working on an electric vehicle made specifically for ride-hailing services such as Uber, saying that product would fit well into Ford’s other commercial offerings. He gave no other details.

Landmark bill to limit cryptomining passes NY Legislature

The Greenidge Generation bitcoin mining facility, in a former coal plant by Seneca Lake in Dresden, New York, is shown in this photo from Nov. 29, 2021. A milestone measure that would tap the brakes on the spread of cryptocurrency mining operations burning fossil fuels in New York has passed the state Legislature. The bill approved early Friday, June 3, 2022, by the state Senate would establish a two-year moratorium on new and renewed air permits for fossil fuel power plants used for energy-intensive “proof-of-work” cryptomining. The plant also produces power for the state's electricity grid. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York lawmakers have passed a milestone environmental measure designed to tap the brakes on the spread of cryptocurrency mining operations that burn fossil fuels.

Both supporters and opponents say that the closely watched bill, approved early Friday by the state Senate, is the first of its kind in the U.S.

If it becomes law, it would establish a two-year moratorium on new and renewed air permits for fossil fuel power plants used for energy-intensive “proof-of-work” cryptocurrency mining — a term for the computational process that records and secures transactions in bitcoin and similar forms of digital money. Proof-of-work is the blockchain-based algorithm used by bitcoin and some other cryptocurrencies.

Environmentalists are urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign the legislation. They say the state is undermining its long-term climate goals by letting cryptomining operations run their own natural gas-burning power plants.

“We cannot be re-powering fossil fuel power plants for the purposes of private gain in New York, especially as we’re looking to move away from fossil fuels entirely,” said Liz Moran of Earthjustice.

Dozens of fossil fuel plants in New York could potentially be converted into mining operations, she said.

Cryptocurrency advocates complained that the measure singled out the industry without addressing other fossil fuel use. They argue that the legislation would crimp economic development in New York while other states court the burgeoning field.

“The message from the bill and the embrace of that kind of policy is not a good one for an industry that really can go anywhere,” said John Olsen of The Blockchain Association, an industry group.

“We’re very hopeful that the governor realizes that the long-term benefits of embracing this industry and this technology far outweigh a potential pause on prospective future emissions,” he added.

Hochul, a Democrat, has said she want to make sure any legislation balances economic and environmental concerns

Cryptocurrency mining requires specialized computers that consume huge amounts of energy. One study calculated that as of November 2018, bitcoin’s annual electricity consumption was comparable to Hong Kong’s in 2019, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Some miners are looking for ways to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels to produce the necessary electricity.

A coalition of environmental groups has separately been urging the Hochul administration to deny the air permit renewal for Greenidge Generation in the Finger Lakes, which also produces power for the state’s electricity grid. A decision could come at the end of the month.

The moratorium measure, if signed into law, would not affect pending applications, such as the one from Greenidge.

The measure also would require the state Department of Environmental Conservation to perform an environmental impact assessment on how cryptomining affects the state’s ability to meet its climate goals.

The bill passed the Assembly, the Legislature’s lower chamber, in April.

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Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed from New York City.

FROM ONE UNELECTED LEADER TO ANOTHER
Kim Jong Un congratulates Queen Elizabeth II on her Platinum Jubilee


North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a letter to Queen Elizabeth II, congratulating her on the 70th anniversary of her ascension to the throne, the North's foreign ministry said.

 File Photo by KCNA/UPI | License Photo

SEOUL, June 3 (UPI) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a letter to Queen Elizabeth II, congratulating the British monarch on the 70th anniversary of her ascension to the throne amid a four-day Platinum Jubilee celebration, Pyongyang said.

"I extend my congratulations to you and your people on the occasion of the National Day of your country, the official birthday of Your Majesty," the letter said, according to a statement by North Korea's foreign ministry on Thursday.

Buckingham Palace acknowledged receiving the letter, saying in a statement that the private message is "in line with standard practice of receiving messages from countries with whom we have diplomatic relations," according to The Mirror.

North Korea and Britain established diplomatic ties in 2000 and continue to maintain embassies in Pyongyang and London. In September, the Queen sent a message to Kim, congratulating the people of North Korea on the 73rd anniversary of the country's founding.

Kim's letter was a rare episode of cordiality with the West in recent years, as the secretive regime has ramped up its weapons program and appears poised to conduct its first nuclear detonation since 2017.

Pyongyang has conducted 17 rounds of weapons tests so far this year, with its most recent launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile coming just hours after U.S. President Joe Biden concluded a visit to South Korea and Japan.

Washington has been seeking a new round of U.N. Security Council sanctions against Pyongyang over the provocations, with its latest effort vetoed last week by China and Russia.

The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebration kicked off Thursday with pomp and pageantry including a 1,400-troop military parade and aircraft flyover.

Report: Harvard University holds 7,000 Native American remains, 19 possible slaves


Image of Harvard University during the Harvard University Class Day address at the tercentenary theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 29, 2019. An unreleased report said the university is in possession of 7,000 Native American remains and 19 possible slaves. 

File Photo by Matthew Healey/ UPI | License Photo

June 3 (UPI) -- Harvard University possesses human remains of 19 people who were likely enslaved and nearly 7,000 Native Americans and has been urged to turn over the remains to descendants, the institution's draft report said.

Harvard's student newspaper, The Crimson, wrote the unreleased report was created by the university's Steering Committee on Human Remains in Harvard Museum Collection.

The report said, according to the newspaper, that the bodies were "obtained under the violent and inhumane regimes of slavery and colonialism; they represent the university's engagement and complicity in these categorically immoral systems. Moreover, we know that skeletal remains were utilized to promote spurious and racist ideas of difference to confirm existing social hierarchies and structures."

The report, which has not been finalized, suggested that a new commission be created that would oversee the treatment of the remains and efforts to find descendants.

Evelynn M. Hammonds, the committee's chair, called the release of the draft "irresponsible reporting" because the report has not been finalized and its document could change before it becomes official.

She told The Crimson its reporting "puts in jeopardy the thoughtful engagement of the Harvard community in its release. Further, it shares an outdated version with the Harvard community that does not reflect weeks of additional information and committee work."

The remains are primarily housed at Harvard's Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography. In an April report on Harvard's past involvement with slavery, the university committed $100 million to redress its legacy.

Peabody Director Jane Pickering made a formal apology on behalf of the museum last year for the practices that led to its large collection of Native American human remains and funerary objects.

GAO finds flaws in Air Force's selection process for SPACECOM headquarters


Vice President Kamala Harris interacts with U.S. military officers in the Command Space Operation Center at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Lompoc, California, on April 18. The Government Accountability Office said the Air Force had shortcomings its its selection process for a new SPACECOM headquarters in a report on Friday. 

File Photo by Etienne Laurent/UPI | License Photo


June 3 (UPI) -- The Air Force had "significant shortfalls" in its process of selecting the new Space Command headquarters, the Government Accountability Office said in a report on Thursday.

The news paralleled complaints from Colorado legislators who criticized the process after Peterson Space Force Base, where the provisional SPACECOM headquarters is located, lost out to the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala., for the permanent location.

"While the January 2021 selection of Redstone Arsenal as the preferred location for U.S. Space Command headquarters was consistent with the Air Force's analysis, our assessment of the Air Force's revised selection process and attendant analysis against our Analysis of Alternatives best practices identified significant shortfalls in its transparency and credibility," the GAO said in its report.

GAO recommended the Air Force develop guidance for future basing decisions aligned with the agency's best practices.

"GAO believes that the [Analysis of Alternatives] best practices are relevant and, if effectively implemented, can help ensure such basing decisions are transparent and deliberate," the GAO report said.

"Developing basing guidance consistent with these best practices, and determining the basing actions to which it should apply, would better position the Air Force to substantiate future basing decisions and help prevent bias, or the appearance of bias, from undermining their credibility."

The Air Force manages most of the Pentagon's military space systems and was ordered with selecting the headquarters location for SPACECOM in 2018. The Air Force then announced six candidate installations, four in Colorado, one in California and one in Alabama.

The military branch started conducting site visits after service validated those preferred locations in 2019.

FUTILE FRUITLESS COUNTER PRODUCTIVE ENDEAVOUR

Afghan Taliban launch campaign to eradicate poppy crop

By ABDUL KHALIQ

June 2, 2022

1 of 4

Taliban eradicate a poppy field in Washir, district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, Sunday, May 29, 2022. Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have begun a campaign to eradicate poppy cultivation, aiming to wipe out the country's massive production of opium and heroin, even as farmers fear their livelihoods will be ruined at a time of growing poverty.(AP Photo/Abdul Khaliq)


WASHIR, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have begun a campaign to eradicate poppy cultivation, aiming to wipe out the country’s massive production of opium and heroin, even as farmers fear their livelihoods will be ruined at a time of growing poverty.

On a recent day in Washir district in southern Helmand province, armed Taliban fighters stood guard as a tractor tore up a field of poppies. The field’s owner stood nearby, watching.

The Taliban, who took power in Afghanistan more than nine months ago, issued an edict in early April banning poppy cultivation throughout the country.

Those violating the ban “will be arrested and tried according to Sharia laws in relevant courts,” the Taliban deputy interior minister for counternarcotics, Mullah Abdul Haq Akhund, told The Associated Press in Helmand’s provincial capital, Lashkar Gah.

Afghanistan is the world’s biggest opium producer and a major source for heroin in Europe and Asia. Production spiraled over the past 20 years despite billions of dollars spent by the U.S. trying to stop poppy cultivation.

But the ban will likely strike a heavy blow to millions of impoverished farmers and day laborers who rely on proceeds from the crop to survive. The ban comes as Afghanistan’s economy has collapsed, cut off from international funding in the wake of the Taliban takeover. Most of the population struggles to afford food, and the country has been suffering under its worst drought in years.

Noor Mohammed, who owns one poppy field in Washir that was torn apart by Taliban tractors, said his plot of land is small and lacks water, so he can’t survive by growing less profitable crops.

“If we are not allowed to cultivate this crop, we will not earn anything,” he said of his poppies.

Day laborers can earn upwards of $300 a month harvesting opium from the poppies. Villagers often rely on the promise of the upcoming poppy harvest to borrow money for staples such as flour, sugar, cooking oil and heating oil.

Helmand is the heartland of poppy cultivation in Afghanistan. It appeared the new eradication campaign was targeting mainly those who planted their crops after the ban was announced. Many others who had planted earlier succeeded in harvesting, going from plant to plant, slicing the poppy’s bulb, then scooping up the sap that oozes out, the raw material for opium.

Akhund, the deputy interior minister, said the Taliban were in touch with other governments and non-governmental organizations to work out alternative crops for farmers.

Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Nafi Takor said the eradication campaign will take place across the country. “We are committed to bringing poppy cultivation to zero,” he told the AP.

It’s not known how many poppies were planted this season, how much was harvested and how many fields the Taliban have eradicated so far.

But Afghanistan’s production has steadily risen, reaching new heights every year in recent years. In 2021, 177,000 hectares (438,000 acres) were planted with poppies, yielding enough opium to produce up to 650 tons of heroin, according to estimates by the U.N.’s Office on Drugs and Crime. That was an increase from up to 590 tons of heroin in 2020.

The total value of Afghanistan’s opiates production in 2021 was $1.8-$2.7 billion, up to 14% of the country’s GDP, exceeding the value of its legal exports, the UNODC said in its most recent report.

During their first time in power in the late 1990s, the Taliban also banned poppy cultivation and with a fierce campaign of destroying croplands nearly eradicated production within two years, according to the United Nations.

However, after the U.S.-led invasion that ousted the Taliban in 2001, many farmers returned to growing poppies.

Over the next nearly 20 years, Washington spent more than $8 billion trying to eradicate Afghan poppy production. Instead, it only steadily increased: In 2002, around 75,000 hectares were planted with poppies, producing some 3,400 tons of opium. Last year, production was double that.

During the years-long Taliban insurgency, the movement reportedly made millions of dollars taxing farmers and middlemen to move their drugs outside Afghanistan. Senior officials of the U.S.-backed government also reportedly made millions on the flourishing drug trade.

Today, Afghanistan’s opium output is greater than all other opium-producing countries combined. Nearly 80% of the heroin produced from Afghan opium reaches Europe through Central Asia and Pakistan.

Playing drums may improve socialization, focus in teens with autism

By Alan Mozes, HealthDay News

For teens with an autism spectrum disorder, learning to drum appeared to reduce hyperactive behavior and improve teens' ability to focus and pay attention. Photo by Pexels/Pixabay

The percussive skill needed to bang out rhythms on a drum may help improve socializing, inhibition control and focus among teens with autism, new research suggests.

The finding follows work with 36 teens with an autism spectrum disorder.

Half were randomly chosen to receive two months' worth of drum training, based on a standard electronic drum kit program.

Designed so that it could track each teen's motor performance and timing accuracy, the program "consisted of learning to perform a series of repetitive rhythm patterns," explained lead author Marie-Stephanie Cahart.

The upshot: Learning to drum appeared to reduce hyperactive behavior and improve teens' ability to focus and pay attention, she said. The activity also seemed to enhance communication "between brain regions responsible for inhibitory control, action-outcome monitoring, and self-regulation."

Cahart is a doctoral candidate at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London in the United Kingdom.

She noted that autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition marked by deficits in social communication and interaction, as well as a range of repetitive interests, activities and behaviors.

Those deficits often show up as a lack of inhibition, impulsiveness, attention problems, and hyperactive behavior, Cahart said. But drumming requires "motor planning and timing accuracy" as well as focused attention and inhibition control, she said. Other small studies have also investigated drumming as an autism intervention.

To see if it could be of help, researchers tested a drumming program among three dozen teens (average age 18). None had drummed before.

Those assigned to drum training were given two 45-minute sessions a week for eight weeks. The other group received no drum training.

All underwent brain scans and neuro-psychological testing both before and after the study. Severity of autism symptoms was also assessed for all.

By the study's end, caregivers and drum tutors reported that participants who received drum training had better ability to make eye contact, verbalize their needs and regulate their emotions, Cahart said. As a result, participants' self-esteem was better and there were fewer angry outbursts, according to the caregivers and tutors.

Plus, young people in the drumming group "reported that they really enjoyed learning to drum," Cahart said.

"It is now clear that drumming activities are particularly relevant in the context of autism spectrum disorders," Cahart said, suggesting that the activity - even if it's not yet considered an autism "treatment," per se - would likely confer benefits to patients with "a wide range of ability levels and autism symptoms."

Why? Cahart pointed to the emphasis that drumming places on timing, hand-eye coordination and the need to continuously monitor and correct mistakes - all of which enhance the attention, inhibition and thinking skills that are keys to "social outcomes and physical and mental health well-being."

Plus, "percussion activities are also enjoyable and accessible to everyone, regardless of ethnicity, age range and musical background," she added.

"Most importantly, [they] offer a non-verbal means of self-expression, thus making them particularly suitable in the context of autism spectrum disorders," Cahart said.

Donna Murray, vice president and head of clinical programs at Autism Speaks, said she is not aware of drumming being specifically deployed as an autism intervention.

At the same time, she suggested that the potential benefit be viewed in the overall context of music therapy, which "is a common supplemental therapy" for people with autism.

Music therapies designed "to address motor coordination, synchronization and even tapping to enhance verbal communication have been successful in improving outcomes, in a number of conditions," Murray added.

In this instance, she noted, the findings suggest that drumming may have a positive impact in several areas of concern for people with autism, including attention and focus, inhibition and motor control, and better timing.

But while the findings "look promising," Murray said the study's small size means it's too soon to draw broad conclusions or make clinical recommendations.

"More research is needed to determine type of drumming intervention, how much, and for whom it may be beneficial," she said.

The findings were published online Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

More information

Learn more about autism and music therapy at American Music Therapy Association.

Copyright © 2022 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

FROM SLAVERY TO WAGE SLAVERY
White House interns to be paid for first time starting this fall


The White House announced Thursday that for the first time interns there will be paid starting in the fall. Pool File Photo by Ron Sachs/UPI | License Photo

June 2 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris announced Thursday that White House interns will be paid for the first time starting in the fall.

A White House statement said, "This significant milestone of paying White House interns will help remove barriers to equal opportunity for low-income students and first-generation professionals at the beginnings of their careers and help to ensure that those who receive internships at the White House -- and who will be a significant part of the leadership pipeline across the entire federal government -- reflect the diversity of America."

Funding is coming from bipartisan legislation signed into law earlier this year, according to the White House.

The White House said the fall 2022 session will be a 22-week program. Applicants to become interns must be U.S. citizens are 18 or older.

They must meet one of three criteria: be enrolled in a college or university, have graduated from a two- or four-year institution, or be a U.S. military veteran with a high school diploma or equivalent.

The White House statement added, "President Biden and Vice President Harris have committed to building an Administration that looks like America, believing that qualified people from every background and walk of life should have equal opportunity to serve our Nation.

"That commitment is reflected in each White House Internship Program class, and all who are interested and meet the established criteria are highly encouraged to apply."

People interested in becoming White House interns can obtain more information at WH.gov/intern.