An ant that selectively amputates the infected limbs of wounded sisters

CELL PRESS

 

IMAGE: 

VIDEO STILL IMAGE – WOUNDCARE AND AMPUTATION IN C. MACULATUS

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CREDIT: DANNY BUFFAT

Saving lives through surgery is no longer exclusive to humans. In a study publishing July 2 in the journal Current Biology, scientists detail how Florida carpenter ants, a common, brown species native to its namesake, selectively treat the wounded limbs of fellow nestmates—either by wound cleaning or amputation. When experimentally testing the effectiveness of these “treatments,” not only did they aid in recovery, but the research team found the ants’ choice of care catered to the type of injury presented to them.  

“When we're talking about amputation behavior, this is literally the only case in which a sophisticated and systematic amputation of an individual by another member of its species occurs in the animal Kingdom,” says first author Erik Frank (@ETF1989), a behavioral ecologist from the University of Würzburg.

Wound care among ants is not an entirely new phenomenon. In a paper published in 2023, it was discovered that a different group of ants, Megaponera analis, use a special gland to inoculate injuries with antimicrobial compounds meant to quell possible infections. What makes Florida carpenter ants (Camponotus floridanus) stand out is that because they have no such gland, they appear to be using only mechanical means to treat their nestmates.

The researchers found that this mechanical care involves one of two routes. The ants would either perform wound cleaning with just their mouthparts or perform a cleaning followed by the full amputation of the leg. To select which route they take, the ants appear to assess the type of injury to make informed adjustments on how best to treat.

In this study, two types of leg injuries were analyzed, lacerations on the femur and those on the ankle-like tibia. All femur injuries were accompanied by initial cleaning of the cut by a nestmate, followed by a nestmate chewing off the leg entirely. In contrast, tibia injuries only received the mouth cleaning. In both cases, intervention resulted in ants with experimentally infected wounds having a much greater survival rate.

“Femur injuries, where they always amputated the leg, had a success rate around 90% or 95%. And for the tibia, where they did not amputate, it still achieved about the survival rate of 75%,” says Frank. This is in contrast to the less than 40% and 15% survival rate for unattended infected femur and tibia abrasions, respectively.

The researchers hypothesized that the preferred path of wound care could be related to the risk of infection from the wound site. Micro-CT scans of the femur showed it is largely composed of muscle tissue, suggesting it plays a functional role of pumping blood, referred to as hemolymph, from the leg into the main body. With an injury to the femur, the muscles become compromised, reducing their ability to circulate potentially bacteria-laden blood. The tibia, on the other hand, has little muscle tissue and thus little involvement in blood circulation.

“In tibia injuries, the flow of the hemolymph was less impeded, meaning bacteria could enter the body faster. While in femur injuries the speed of the blood circulation in the leg was slowed down,” says Frank.

You may expect, then, if tibia damage results in faster infections, amputating the full leg would be most appropriate, but the opposite is observed. It turns out the speed at which the ants can amputate a leg makes a difference. An ant-assisted amputation takes at least 40 minutes to complete. Experimental testing demonstrated that with tibia injuries, if the leg was not immediately removed post-infection, the ant would not survive. “Thus, because they are unable to cut the leg sufficiently quickly to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria, ants try to limit the probability of lethal infection by spending more time cleaning the tibia wound,” remarks senior author and evolutionary biologist Laurent Keller (@KellerLab_Ants) of the University of Lausanne.

“The fact that the ants are able to diagnose a wound, see if it's infected or sterile, and treat it accordingly over long periods of time by other individuals—the only medical system that can rival that would be the human one,” Frank says.

Considering the sophisticated nature of these behaviors, a reasonable next thought would be how these ants are capable of such precise care. “It’s really all innate behavior,” says Keller. “Ant behaviors change based on the age of an individual, but there is very little evidence of any learning.”

Now the lab team is running similar experiments in other Camponotus species to see just how conserved this behavior is and begin to unpack whether all ant species without the special antimicrobial (metapleural) gland also perform amputation. Also, since the ant receiving care allows for the slow removal of a limb while conscious, this calls for further exploration into our understanding of pain in ant societies.

“When you look at the videos where you have the ant presenting the injured leg and letting the other one bite off completely voluntarily, and then present the newly made wound so another one can finish cleaning process—this level of innate cooperation to me is quite striking,” says Frank.

Amputation in Camponotus macul [VIDEO] | 

Woundcare in Camponotus florid [VIDEO] |

This study was supported by the Swiss NSF, the ERC, and the DFG.

Current Biology, Frank et al. “Wound-dependent leg amputations to combat infections in an ant society” https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(24)00805-4

Current Biology (@CurrentBiology), published by Cell Press, is a bimonthly journal that features papers across all areas of biology. Current Biology strives to foster communication across fields of biology, both by publishing important findings of general interest and through highly accessible front matter for non-specialists. Visit: http://www.cell.com/current-biology. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.

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DOI

10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.021 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Wound-dependent leg amputations to combat infections in an ant society

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

2-Jul-2024

 

Bacteria detected in tattoo and permanent makeup inks

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MICROBIOLOGY

Washington, D.C.—Researchers have detected anaerobic and aerobic bacteria in commercial tattoo and permanent makeup inks. The findings, reported in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology, demonstrate that the inks could be a source of human infections. The new study is particularly notable as it is the first to investigate the presence of anaerobic bacteria in commercial tattoo inks. 

“Our findings reveal that unopened and sealed tattoo inks can harbor anaerobic bacteria, known to thrive in low-oxygen environments like the dermal layer of the skin, alongside aerobic bacteria,” said corresponding author Seong-Jae (Peter) Kim, Ph.D., a microbiologist with the Division of Microbiology, National Center for Toxicological Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, Ark. “This suggests that contaminated tattoo inks could be a source of infection from both types of bacteria. The results emphasize the importance of monitoring these products for both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, including possibly pathogenic microorganisms.” 

The main goal of the new study was to assess the prevalence of both aerobic and anaerobic microbial contaminants in tattoo inks available on the U.S. market. For the detection of aerobic bacteria, the researchers mixed 1 to 2 grams of tattoo ink solution with appropriate media and incubated them in a standard incubator, and to detect anaerobic bacteria, they mixed the ink solution with appropriate media and incubated them in an anaerobic chamber, a device specifically designed to cultivate anaerobes. This chamber is kept oxygen-free by constant flushing with a mix of gases such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The researchers conducted this procedure for a total of 75 tattoo inks from 14 different manufacturers. 

The investigators discovered that around 35% of tattoo or permanent makeup inks sold in the U.S. were found to be contaminated with bacteria. “Both types of bacteria, those needing oxygen (aerobic) and those not needing oxygen (anaerobic), can contaminate the inks,” Kim said. “There was no clear link between a product label claiming sterility and the actual absence of bacterial contamination.”

“The rising popularity of tattooing in recent years has coincided with an increase in tattoo-related complications or adverse reactions,” Kim said. “It should be noted that microbial infections constitute just one aspect of these complications. In addition to microbial infections, immunologic complications such as inflammatory reactions and allergic hypersensitivity, as well as toxic responses, represent a significant portion of these issues. In light of our study results, we want to emphasize the importance of continuously monitoring these products to ensure the microbial safety of tattoo inks.”

Kim and his colleagues will move their research forward in 2 key directions. They will develop more efficient microbial detection methods for tattoo inks, making the process quicker, more accurate and less labor-intensive. They will also conduct systematic research to deepen the understanding of microbial contamination in tattoo and permanent makeup inks. This will include studying the occurrence, co-occurrence and diversity of microbial contaminants, which is essential for preventing contamination in these products.
 

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The American Society for Microbiology is one of the largest professional societies dedicated to the life sciences and is composed of 32,000 scientists and health practitioners. ASM's mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences.

ASM advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications, educational opportunities and advocacy efforts. It enhances laboratory capacity around the globe through training and resources. It provides a network for scientists in academia, industry and clinical settings. Additionally, ASM promotes a deeper understanding of the microbial sciences to diverse audiences.

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JOURNAL

Applied and Environmental Microbiology

 

Study explores what motivates people to watch footage of disasters and extreme weather

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH

 

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STORM EUNICE WAS ONE OF A SERIES OF EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS TO HIT THE UK IN 2022. IT SAW HIGH WINDS CAUSE DAMAGE ON LAND AND AT SEA, WITH THIS PICTURE SHOWING WAVES OVERTOPPING THE BREAKWATER IN PLYMOUTH SOUND (UK)

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CREDIT: LLOYD RUSSELL/UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH

Extreme weather events such as hurricanes and storms have increased in both frequency and severity in recent years.

With that has come heightened public interest, resulting in often dramatic footage being live-streamed on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Discord.

Now, a new study conducted at the University of Plymouth has for the first time analysed what might be motivating people to watch these streams – in some instances for up to 12 hours at a time.

The research centred around the live-streaming of three events – Hurricane Irma in 2017, Hurricane Ian in 2022, and Storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin in 2022.

Through a detailed analysis of viewers’ comments, it was found that people in affected areas were using streams to discuss official government risk advice they had received – for example, about whether to evacuate.

Others were drawn to the streams because they had a previous connection to the affected region. For these people, watching live footage – which included taking time to share messages of ‘hope’ for the hurricane or storm to pass without destruction – was a way of showing support to places and people impacted by the event.

The research was published in the journal Environmental Hazards and conducted by Dr Simon Dickinson, Lecturer in Geohazards and Risk in the University’s School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences.

He said: “When dramatic things happen – whether that relates to extreme weather or events like tornados or volcanoes erupting – people flock to watch. You might assume that this is just a form of online ‘rubber-necking, and that people are naturally drawn to spectacular sights. However, this study has shown that the drivers to watch extreme weather footage are more complex. Live-streams provide the opportunity for people in, close to, and far away from the event to interact in real time. The footage becomes a marker that people use to sense-check their understandings of how significant the event is, how hazards work, and as an online gathering point to share experiences of similar events. It is a fascinating insight into human behaviour that has previously been unexplored.”

The research focused on nine live-streams of the 2017 and 2022 hurricanes and storms, which broadcast a total of 65 hours of video footage watched by more than 1.8million people.

During that time, over 14,300 comments were left by 5,000 unique accounts, a reflection of the fact that footage focused on unfolding events of national or global importance generate higher-than-normal audience engagement.

Many of the streams were already existing webcam channels that were repurposed during the hurricane or storm, such as webcams that streamed beach or port conditions. In some instances, affected people streamed live-footage from their own house security or doorbell cameras.

The study demonstrates that people are keen to learn more about the science behind what is happening, highlighting the need for further work that examines how people are using new technologies to make sense of hazard risk.

Dr Dickinson added: “Although scientists are getting better at communicating risk, people are far more likely to discuss hazards in informal and relatively unmoderated settings. Moments of extreme weather are important because they focus people’s attention and generate discussion about hazards, how they work, and how they will increasingly affect us in future. New digital practices – such as live-streaming – are thus important for us to understand because they’re not just spaces of disaster voyeurism. Rather, they’re spaces of learning, community and emotional support in a world that can feel increasingly volatile.”

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JOURNAL

Environmental Hazards

DOI

10.1080/17477891.2024.2324058 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Watching the disaster unfold: geographies of engagement with live-streamed extreme weather

OPINION

The collapse of Britain's stillborn Rwanda plan

July 3, 2024 

Demonstrators hold placards during a protest against the British Government’s latest plan to deport immigrants to Rwanda, outside the Home Office in central London on December 18, 2023. [ HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP) (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images]

by Anadolu Agency


The Conservative government’s plan to deport the vast bulk of those claiming asylum in the United Kingdom (UK) to Rwanda was always about politics rather than policy – ​​symbolism rather than substance.

Government’s attempt to save itself

It was first unveiled in the spring of 2022, ostensibly to head off criticism over the number of migrants crossing to England from France in small boats – criticism which came from both Conservative party members of parliament and the populist radical right party, Reform UK.

But it was also made by former UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who was in big trouble with British voters in the wake of the “Partygate” scandal. Desperate to avoid being forced out of Downing Street in disgrace, he needed something to distract him from his travails. Rwanda was that distraction; never mind whether the scheme would work in practice or represented good value for money.

As a result, it was widely assumed that it would be quietly abandoned when, a few months later, Johnson eventually succumbed to the inevitable to be replaced, first by former UK Prime Minister, Liz Truss, and then, after her premiership was imploded after just 49 days, by Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.

READ: Rwanda says UN refugee agency lying in British asylum policy case

However, with public concern over rising migration, the government decided, instead, to make the Rwanda flagship scheme of its efforts to deter people from seeking asylum in the UK. Anyone not arriving in the UK via a handful of officially sanctioned schemes would be deemed automatically to be breaking the law. Furthermore, the Home Secretary (the UK’s interior minister) would be under a legal duty to detain and then remove them to a safe country, namely Rwanda. Moreover, whoever was sent there would have no right to return to the UK, even if their application for asylum was granted.

Predictably, this last feature of the scheme, along with concerns that Rwanda could not, in reality, be considered a safe country, triggered loud protests among refugee and migration charities, as well as lawyers. The opposition Labour Party also refused to support the scheme but, because public opinion was split, with some of the voters hoping to win back following its landslide defeat in 2019 expressing their support for it, it did so mainly on the grounds of workability and cost.

But it was ultimately the legal rather than the political objects that prevented the government from getting any flights off to Rwanda. In the summer of 2022, following a decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), judges in the UK ordered a last-minute halt to deportations. And, in November 2023, the justices of the UK’s Supreme Court unanimously declared the scheme unlawful, albeit only on the grounds that Rwanda’s asylum system could not be said to meet the standards expected of it by the UK.

Sunak’s last struggle

Sunak responded by signing a new treaty with Rwanda and – in extraordinary fashion – passed a controversial Act of Parliament in April 2024 which asserted that, if the UK government deemed Rwanda’s system adequate and the country safe, then that was indeed the case.

At that point, it was widely assumed that deportation flights would take off sometime this summer, allowing the Conservatives to demonstrate to voters, in advance of an autumn election, that their deterrent scheme was up and running. Instead, Sunak was amazed by everyone calling for an election in early July, presumably because he anticipated yet more legal challenges and because, even if those challenges failed, he knew the scheme (a scheme that would initially accommodate only a few hundred people rather than the tens of thousands coming “illegally” across the English Channel every year) would not, in fact, “stop the boats”.

Labour looks set to win that election easily and has made it clear that it will not implement the Rwanda scheme, instead concentrating on its efforts to process asylum claims more efficiently in the UK, negotiating a series of return arrangements with sending countries, and “smashing the smuggling gangs”.

As a result, a scheme that has cost the UK hundreds of millions of pounds and which has seen only two people travel to Rwanda (and to do that voluntarily!), will, like those (in)famous deportation flights, never actually get off the ground – a monument to a policy that no serious politician would ever have dreamt up in the first place.

No, immigrants aren't more likely to commit crimes | Opinion

Jul 3, 2024“There’s this famous line about immigration policy: that it takes five minutes to explain and 30 seconds to lie about — and that is absolutely true,” Catherine Rampell says. 

Read more: https://wapo.st/3VeyznI.

 

Activists call for largest sit-in in Washington during Netanyahu visit

[03/July/2024]

WASHINGTON July 03. 2024 (Saba) -Corporations supporting the Palestinian Cause and youth groups have called, on social media, for a gathering outside the Capitol in Washington during a visit expected by the Zionist PM Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver a speech to the Congress on the 24th of this July.

The call comes in rejection to the visit of Netanyahu, dubbed as war criminal whose forces committed massacres against the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip, according to WAFA.

The activists, through posts, called on the Congress to issue an arrest warrant and a verdict against Netanyahu at his arrival in the U.S. over the brutal crimes against innocents in Gaza, the Palestinian news agency added.


K.N

 NYT: Israeli senior generals want Gaza ceasefire

[03/July/2024]

NEW YORK July 03. 2024 (Saba) -Israel's top generals want to begin a cease-fire in Gaza even if it keeps Hamas in power for the time being, The New York Times (NYT) said late on Tuesday, "widening a rift between the military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has opposed a truce that would allow Hamas to survive the war.

The generals think that a truce would be the best way of freeing the roughly 120 Israelis still held, both dead and alive, in Gaza, according to six current and former security officials interviewed by the paper.

Underequipped for further fighting after Israel's longest war in decades, the generals also think their forces need time to recuperate in case a land war breaks out against Hezbollah.

A truce with Hamas could also make it easier to reach a deal with Hezbollah, according to the officials, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters.
Hezbollah has said it will continue to strike northern Israel until Israel stops fighting in the Gaza Strip.

"The military is in full support of a hostage deal and a cease-fire," said Eyal Hulata, who served as Israel's national security adviser until early last year, and who speaks regularly with senior military officials.

"They believe that they can always go back and engage Hamas militarily in the future," Mr. Hulata said. "They understand that a pause in Gaza makes de-escalation more likely in Lebanon. And they have less munitions, less spare parts, less energy than they did before — so they also think a pause in Gaza gives us more time to prepare in case a bigger war does break out with Hezbollah."

Fewer reservists are reporting for duty, according to four military officials. And officers are increasingly distrustful of their commanders, amid a crisis of confidence in the military leadership propelled in part by its failure to prevent the Hamas-led attack in October, according to five officers.

At least some tanks in Gaza are not loaded with the full capacity of the shells that they usually carry, as the military tries to conserve its stocks in case a bigger war with Hezbollah does break out, according to two officers. Five officials and officers confirmed that the army was running low on shells. The army also lacks spare parts for its tanks, military bulldozers and armored vehicles, according to several of those officials.


K.N

 

Navigating The Future Of Supply Chains: Government's Role In Promoting Resilience

Thursday, 4 July 2024
Press Release: APEC

Governments play an indispensable role in facilitating the resilience of firms and supply chains.

During the peak of disruptions due to the COVID-19 epidemic, consumers struggled to fulfil their basic daily needs such as eggs and vegetables. Manufacturers also faced difficulties in securing materials for production. Scarcity of chips or semiconductors, the fourth most-traded product globally, disrupted supply chains in various sectors, including automotive, smartphones and computers—demonstrating the far-reaching consequences of disruptions in just one component. A car may require 1,400-1,500 semiconductor chips, whereas a smartphone may utilize eight different high-performing semiconductors.

The logistics and transportation sectors also experienced serious bottlenecks in fulfilling deliveries to their customers. Lockdown and quarantine measures created a shortage of truck drivers and seafarers, further exacerbating pressures and chokepoints on connecting suppliers and traders across the globe.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains, highlighting their critical role in our daily lives. While supply chains are ubiquitous, few people fully understand how they actually work. We only become acutely aware of supply chains when they aren't working, feeling the direct impact of disruptions on goods availability and inflation. Otherwise, the operations of supply chains often remain unnoticed in the background.

What are supply chains?

In its simplest form, a supply chain involves just two parties: the buyer and the seller. The seller ensures that goods are successfully delivered to customers, which necessitates a transportation and logistics function to guarantee connectivity and successful delivery.

A broader concept of supply chain incorporates the production process of a product, such as cars or smartphones. This involves a complex network of suppliers (for raw materials, parts and components) collaborating to manufacture and produce commercial goods.

In summary, a supply chain is a dynamic and complex network of organizations, people, activities, information, and resources involved in creating and distributing a product or service.

In search of a resilient supply chain

The COVID-19 disruptions have raised questions regarding supply chain resilience. Critics argue that business supply chains need a complete overhaul to become more resilient and avoid future disruptions from similar events or other 'black swan' risks.

A recent APEC study suggests there's a compelling reason to improve supply chains to better handle risks and global disruptive events to avoid devastating impacts not only on customers but also on businesses, trade and the global economy. Disruptions not only cause supply chain failures in fulfilling basic needs but also have broader economic consequences, such as higher inflation and lower economic growth.

On the other hand, it's important to acknowledge differing perspectives on supply chain performance during the pandemic. Some argue that supply chains functioned relatively well, pointing to the quick recovery in global value chain participation, from 43 percent during the pandemic's peak in 2020 to 48-49 percent in 2022, as measured by the share of intermediate (or value-added) trade in gross export. Top trading hubs like Singapore, China and the US are experiencing a significant recovery and improvement in global value chain participation. The relatively quick recovery in global value chain participation signifies a significant degree of resiliency within the current supply chain and production network, showing its ability to rebound.

While the pandemic highlighted vulnerabilities, the recovery in participation suggests a level of adaptability within the supply chain network. The supply chain disruptions during the pandemic highlight necessary adaptations as supply chains adjust to a new normal. The global disruption occurred because of the 'network' characteristics of supply chains, with their hub-and-spoke structure. While a long, global network of supply chains allows disruption to spread wide and quickly, the same network also allows for swift regrouping and recovery once chokepoints are resolved, and the system adapts.

Of course, ongoing efforts are needed to strengthen resilience and address lingering issues. Several strategies have been suggested to improve the structure and operation of global supply chains, including de-risking the supply chain, re-shoring and plus-one sourcing.

It is clear that supply chains must become more aware of new risks and seek innovative ways to manage them utilizing available technologies. There's no one-size-fits-all solution for supply chain design. Essentially, companies must carefully consider the possible trade-off between achieving low operating costs and delivering a superior customer experience that enhances competitiveness.

Future supply chains could achieve stronger resilience by using available innovative digital technologies such as RFID, blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve end-to-end supply chain visibility in an online and real-time manner. A higher degree of supply chain visibility will enable mutual collaboration and trust among stakeholders, leading to rapid adoption of innovative and well-rounded solutions.

Government's role in building resilience

While the private sector has been grappling with issues of resilience on a daily basis, and understandably holds valuable experience in managing and mitigating risks (motivated by profit and survival), governments play an indispensable role in facilitating the resilience of firms and supply chains. Their roles as regulators and providers of essential infrastructures are critical.

In principle, governments should maintain their public role by investing in trade facilitation and logistics infrastructure to address supply bottlenecks. For example, modernizing and digitalizing customs and port processes enables faster trade flow even during sudden regulatory changes, like those during the pandemic.

Additionally, governments should focus their efforts on preventing supply chain disruptions for risky and essential products. In such cases, governments can play a more direct role, intervening to ensure continuity of supply when a failure would have critical or severe consequences for the public interest.

Governments should also promote investment in technological innovation. Greater digitalization of supply chains will empower firms to strike a better balance between efficiency and resilience. Technologies like cloud-based solutions, AI and blockchain offer firms the ability to monitor their suppliers in real-time, gathering more detailed data and insights to prevent and adapt when disruptions occur. Such innovation will create value for firms in the pursuit of resilience.

To foster trust and confidence in digitalizing the supply chain, governments must act as frontrunners. This includes strategically investing in the digitalization of their own systems, particularly customs processes. Customs operations can benefit from using artificial intelligence for container scanning, implementing container track-and-trace services, and leveraging blockchain to consolidate data from multiple parties. By digitizing these processes, governments can encourage wider adoption and demonstrate the efficiency and security of digital solutions.

Finally, governments should strengthen policy coordination and regional cooperation when adopting economic resiliency policies. Policies that aim to increase economic resilience by re-shoring production, promoting self-sufficiency, and unwinding trade integration can yield the opposite effect. This is because risk reduction measures and resilience policies in one economy may create negative spillovers in others

 

Abortion-rights advocates in Arizona submit needed signatures to put the issue on November ballot

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona abortion-rights supporters on Wednesday turned in more than double the signatures needed to put the issue on November’s ballot in the key swing state.

Walter Berry And Anita Snow, The Associated Press

FILE - Volunteer signature gatherers Judy Robbins, left, and Lara Cerri, center, collect Grace Harders' signature on a petition to enshrine the right to abortion in Arizona's consitution, April 10, 2024, in Phoenix. Abortion rights advocates are set to deliver about 800,000 petition signatures Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in hopes of getting abortion rights on the November general election ballot. (AP Photo/Anita Snow, File)

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona abortion-rights supporters on Wednesday turned in more than double the signatures needed to put the issue on November’s ballot in the key swing state.

Organizers say they submitted far above the 383,923 required from registered voters. The measure would add an amendment to the state constitution providing a fundamental right to an abortion if voters approve it.

County election officials have until Aug. 22 to verify whether enough of the petition signatures are valid and provide results to the Arizona secretary of state’s office.

Activists in two other states — Nebraska and Arkansas — also are planning to submit signatures this week for ballot measures on abortion.

Activists in two other states — Nebraska and Arkansas — also are planning to submit signatures this week for ballot measures about abortion. If successful, those states and Arizona will join five others where the issue is set to go before voters this year: Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada and South Dakota.

The issue is a key part of Democratic campaigns in this year's elections. Opponents of the proposed amendment say it goes too far and could lead to unlimited and unregulated abortions in Arizona. Supporters say a change in the state’s constitution is necessary to ensure that abortion rights cannot be easily erased by a high court decision or legislative vote.

The proposed constitutional amendment would allow abortions in Arizona until a fetus could survive outside the womb, typically around 24 weeks, with exceptions to save the parent’s life or to protect her physical or mental health. It would restrict the state from adopting or enforcing any law that would prohibit access to the procedure.

Arizona currently has a 15-week abortion ban in place.

Officials with Arizona for Abortion Access, a coalition that includes the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona and Planned Parenthood of Arizona, will turn in hundreds of boxes of signed petitions to the Arizona secretary of state's office Wednesday morning.

Arizona for Abortion Access spokesperson Dawn Penich said it was the most signatures ever submitted for a citizens initiative in state history.

“That was our goal from the get-go,” Penich said. “We started collecting signatures in September and October 2023 and saw how passionate people are about this issue.”

Arizona's current abortion ban was signed into law in 2022 and includes exceptions in cases of medical emergencies and has restrictions on medication abortion. It also requires an ultrasound before an abortion is done, as well as parental consent for minors.

Two months ago, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld a 1864 abortion ban that permitted abortions only to save the mother's life and provided no exceptions for survivors of rape or incest, but the Republican-controlled Legislature voted for a repeal of the Civil War-era ban, and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs quickly signed. The 19th century law had been blocked in Arizona since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade that guaranteed the constitutional right to an abortion nationwide.

In Nebraska, organizers of a petition to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution have expressed confidence that they’ve gathered enough signatures to get it on the November ballot.

Allie Berry, campaign manager for Protect Our Rights, and organizers of a competing petition effort to codify Nebraska’s 12-week abortion ban in the state constitution would not say how many signatures they had gathered ahead of Wednesday’s deadline.

Both efforts, as well as a third that would ban abortion at all stages by deeming embryos as people, must turn in around 123,000 valid signatures — or 10% of registered voters in the state — to qualify for the ballot.

The total abortion ban effort in Nebraska started eight weeks ago and is unlikely to gather the signatures it needs. The 12-week ban proposal — which kicked off in March thanks to a $500,000 donation from Nebraska Republican U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts — has made a furious 11th-hour push to gather signatures but has telegraphed that it might not meet the threshold.

Supporters of an Arkansas proposal to scale back the state’s abortion ban face a Friday deadline to submit petitions to qualify for the November ballot.

The group behind the measure, Arkansans for Limited Government, said on Facebook and Instagram on Tuesday it still needed 8,200 signatures. The group must submit at least 90,704 valid signatures from registered voters to qualify.

The proposed constitutional amendment would prohibit the state from banning abortion within the first 18 weeks of pregnancy. The proposal includes exemptions for rape, incest, fatal fetal anomalies and to protect the mother's life. It would also exempt abortions performed to protect the mother from a physical disorder, physical illness or physical injury.

Arkansas banned nearly all abortions under a law that took effect when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Arkansas’ ban currently exempts abortions only to protect the mother’s life in a medical emergency.

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Associated Press reporters Margery A. Beck in Omaha, Nebraska, and Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas, contributed to this report.

Walter Berry And Anita Snow, The Associated Press

US has ‘undeniable complicity’ in Gaza war killings, say former US officials

In a joint statement, the 12 former government officials said the administration was violating U.S. laws through its support for Israel and finding loopholes to continue shipping weapons to its ally. — Reuters pic

Wednesday, 03 Jul 2024 

WASHINGTON, July 3 — A dozen former U.S. government officials who quit over U.S. support for Israel's war in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday accused President Joe Biden's administration of "undeniable complicity" in the killing of Palestinians in the enclave.In a joint statement, the 12 former government officials said the administration was violating U.S. laws through its support for Israel and finding loopholes to continue shipping weapons to its ally.Both the White House and the State Department had no immediate comment on the statement.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANTThere has been mounting international criticism of Israel's conduct in Gaza and of U.S. military and diplomatic support for its ally in a war that has so far killed nearly 38,000 people and created a humanitarian crisis.The resignations of the 12 U.S. officials reflects some dissent within the government over its support for Israel. Washington has pushed for the protection of civilians in Gaza and has called on Israel to improve aid access.Among the people who signed the joint statement were former members of the State Department, Education Department, Interior Department, White House and the military

.KEY QUOTES"America's diplomatic cover for, and continuous flow of arms to, Israel has ensured our undeniable complicity in the killings and forced starvation of a besieged Palestinian population in Gaza," the former officials said in the statement.They urged the U.S. government to use its "necessary and available leverage" to bring the war to an end and to ensure the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israel. They also demanded that the U.S. government support Palestinian self-determination and fund an "immediate expansion of humanitarian assistance" in Gaza.

CONTEXTNearly 38,000 people have been killed during the war in Gaza, the local health ministry says, with many more feared buried in rubble as nearly the entire enclave has been flattened and most of its 2.3 million population displaced. There is also widespread hunger in Gaza. The war has led to genocide allegations that Israel denies.Israel's assault on Gaza began after Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and abducting 250 hostages to the Hamas-governed enclave, according to Israeli tallies. 

— Reuters

UN humanitarians concerned over Israeli 

 order to evacuate one-third of Gaza


Xinhua, July 3, 2024

UN humanitarians on Tuesday expressed deep concern over the impact of Israel's order for tens of thousands of Gazans to evacuate 117 square kilometers in Khan Younis and Rafah governorates.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that over the last nine months, many of the Gazans affected by the latest evacuation order have repeatedly been displaced. Monday's order, covering about one-third of the Gaza Strip, is the most significant since the October order to evacuate northern Gaza.

OCHA said an evacuation of such a massive scale only heightens civilians' suffering and drives humanitarian needs even higher.

"People are left with the impossible choice of having to relocate, some most likely for the second or third time, to areas that have barely any spaces or services, or staying in areas where they know heavy fighting will take place," the humanitarians said.

Initial estimates by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, known as UNRWA, indicate that nearly 250,000 people may have resided in the areas subject to evacuation at the time of the order. The new evacuation order affects more than 90 schools, many of which host displaced people, as well as four medical points and the European Gaza Hospital area.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that on Monday, 70 patients and medical staff reportedly self-evacuated, and more patients evacuated on Tuesday. WHO's representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Rik Peeperkorn, said only three patients remained at the European Gaza hospital and three at the International Committee of the Red Cross field hospital.

Peeperkorn reported that the WHO supported the transfer of valuable medical equipment and supplies out of the hospital, one of the few remaining critical referral hospitals in the south of Gaza, OCHA said. However, on Tuesday, Israeli authorities said the order does not apply to patients or staff at the hospital.

The humanitarian office reiterated that all parties must always respect international humanitarian law. "This means that civilians must be protected, and their essential needs -- including food, shelter, water and health -- must be met, wherever they are in Gaza."