Glycolic Acid falls into the group of Alpha Hyrdroxy Acids (AHA) and is the group's most common and safest forms. As an exfoliator, it removes the outer layer of dead skin cells on the surface of your skin, bringing fresh new skin to the surface. For this reason, the Glycolic Exfoliating Masque is an invaluable part of the skin care regimen for those who are looking for help with anti-aging, ways to lighten discoloration of the skin (such as sun spots or age spots) and those with acne-prone and blackhead-prone skin.
Recommended for all skin types except sensitive skin.
Contains: Aloe Vera Gel, Glycerin, Safflower Oil, Kaolin, Sodium Glycolate and Glycolic Acid (10%), Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Sodium PCA, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Sage Extract, Biotin, Jojoba Oil, Sodium Alginate, Sweet Kernel Oil, Ginseng Extract, Hops Extract, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Squalene, Allantoin, Guar Gum, Olive Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate.


The longest-serving member of New Jersey's House delegation will have at least two more years in Washington.
Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th District) has won re-election against Democrat Brian Froelich in this Central Jersey district, according to the Associated Press.
Smith, 59, has served in the House since 1981. A moderate Republican on most issues, he is one of the most outspoken abortion opponents in Congress.


text:
SPJVA accepting nominations for 2021 George Mason Award
Posted bySPJ Virginia Pro May 23, 2021 June 7, 2021 Posted ingeneralTags:George Mason Award
The Society of Professional Journalists, Virginia Pro Chapter, seeks nominations for its 56th George Mason Award, to be presented in fall 2021.
The annual award has only one stated criterion: It recognizes a person who "has made outstanding contributions to Virginia journalism." Those contributions may include:
Reporting and writing that has righted a wrong, caused a sea change in attitudes or changed a law;
Starting a watchdog group that exposed violation of the public trust, forced a reluctant government to make the people's business public, or defended a reporter or news organization from unjust persecution;
Mentoring young reporters who went on to outstanding careers;
Or some other specific, noteworthy accomplishment.
SPJ Virginia Pro has presented the George Mason Award since 1964. Winners have included reporters, columnists, editorial writers, publishers, broadcast station owners, attorneys, directors of public interest organizations and professional development associations. They have worked for organizations large and small. A complete list of recipients can be found at https://spjva.com/.
You may nominate yourself or someone else. Nominations should be made in letter form to Wilford Kale, chair of the SPJ Virginia Pro George Mason Award Selection Committee, via email at kalehouse@aol.com or addressed to:
Wilford Kale
427 Hempstead Road
Please mark nominations as Attn: Mason Nominee. A résumé and supporting documents, such as letters of recommendation from peers, may also be submitted.
Deadline for nominations is Monday, Aug. 2, 2021.
SPJ Virginia Pro named the award for Mason, Virginia's "forgotten founding father," because he risked lifelong friendships and personal fortune by insisting that the fledgling United States protect freedom of the press and the other civil liberties by enacting a Bill of Rights. He was born in Fairfax County in 1725, helped frame the Virginia Constitution and in 1776 wrote its Declaration of Rights, the first authoritative formulation of the doctrine of inalienable rights. Mason's work influenced Thomas Jefferson in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence.
Questions about the award may be sent to virginiaprospj@gmail.com.
Published by SPJ Virginia Pro
SPJ is the nation's most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior. Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry through the daily work of its nearly 10,000 members; works to inspire and educate current and future journalists through professional development; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press through its advocacy efforts.	View more posts
Experts to discuss future of journalism, democracy on June 8
3 Virginia college students awarded $1,000 summer journalism fellowships

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
jazz reggae vocal a capella singer-songwriter Add to favorites
Bobby McFerrin (born New York City, March 11, 1950) is a jazz-influenced a cappella vocal performer and conductor. A ten-time Grammy Award winner, he is one of the world's best known vocal innovators and improvisers. His song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" (featured in the 1988 movie Cocktail, and the 2005 movie Jarhead) was a #1 U.S. pop hit in 1988.
He has also worked in collaboration with instrumental performers including pianist Chick Corea and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. This collaboration has established him as an ambassador of both the classical and jazz worlds. His recordings have sold over 20 million copies.
In addition to his vocal performing career, Mr. McFerrin was appointed in 1994 as creative chair of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.
He is the subject of a persistent yet wholly unfounded rumour that he has committed suicide. The rumor was so strong that the official Bobby McFerrin FAQ addressed the question.
Mr. McFerrin and his oft-maligned hit "Don't Worry, Be Happy" were parodied on "The Simpsons" as "I'm Worried - Need Money".
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
1) Don't Worry Be Happy
2) Don't Worry, Be Happy
3) Drive My Car
4) Thinkin' About Your Body
5) Drive
6) Turtle Shoes
7) Good Lovin'
9) From Me To You
10) Freedom Is A Voice
11) Another Night in Tunisia
12) All I Want
13) Bang! Zoom
14) Simple Pleasures
15) Kalimba Suite
16) Sunshine Of Your Love
17) Baby
18) Invocation
19) Fertile Field
20) Come To Me
21) Blackbird
22) A Piece, A Chord
23) Them Changes
24) Everytime
25) The Garden


text:
using System;
using System.Net;
#if ASYNC
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System.Threading;
#endif
using MYOB.AccountRight.SDK.Communication;
using MYOB.AccountRight.SDK.Contracts;
using MYOB.AccountRight.SDK.Extensions;

namespace MYOB.AccountRight.SDK.Services
{
    /// <summary>
    /// A service that is used to fetch the available company files
    /// </summary>
    public sealed class CompanyFileService : ServiceBase, ICompanyFileService
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// Initialise a service that can fetch company files
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="configuration">The configuration required to communicate with the API service</param>
        /// <param name="webRequestFactory">A custom implementation of the <see cref="WebRequestFactory"/>, if one is not supplied a default <see cref="WebRequestFactory"/> will be used.</param>
        /// <param name="keyService">An implementation of a service that will store/persist the OAuth tokens required to communicate with the cloud based API at http://api.myob.com/accountright </param>
        public CompanyFileService(IApiConfiguration configuration, IWebRequestFactory webRequestFactory = null, IOAuthKeyService keyService = null)
            : base(configuration, webRequestFactory, keyService)
        {
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Get list of available company fies
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="onComplete">The action to call when the operation is complete</param>
        /// <param name="onError">The action to call when the operation has an error</param>
        public void GetRange(Action<HttpStatusCode, CompanyFile[]> onComplete, Action<Uri, Exception> onError)
        {
            MakeApiGetRequestDelegate(new Uri(Configuration.ApiBaseUrl), null, onComplete, onError, null);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Get list of available company fies
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns></returns>
        public CompanyFile[] GetRange()
        {
            return MakeApiGetRequestSync<CompanyFile[]>(new Uri(Configuration.ApiBaseUrl), null, null);
        }

#if ASYNC
        /// <summary>
        /// Get list of available company fies
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns></returns>
        public Task<CompanyFile[]> GetRangeAsync()
        {
            return this.GetRangeAsync(CancellationToken.None);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Get list of available company fies
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="cancellationToken"></param>
        /// <returns></returns>
        public Task<CompanyFile[]> GetRangeAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
        {
            return this.MakeApiGetRequestAsync<CompanyFile[]>(new Uri(this.Configuration.ApiBaseUrl), null, cancellationToken, null);
        }
#endif
        /// <summary>
        /// Get list of available company fies
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="queryString">e.g. An ODATA filter</param>
        /// <param name="onComplete">The action to call when the operation is complete</param>
        /// <param name="onError">The action to call when the operation has an error</param>
        public void GetRange(string queryString, Action<HttpStatusCode, CompanyFile[]> onComplete, Action<Uri, Exception> onError)
        {
            MakeApiGetRequestDelegate(BuildUri(queryString.Maybe(_ => "?" + _.TrimStart('?'))), null, onComplete, onError, null);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Get list of available company fies
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="queryString">e.g. An ODATA filter</param>
        /// <returns></returns>
        public CompanyFile[] GetRange(string queryString)
        {
            return MakeApiGetRequestSync<CompanyFile[]>(BuildUri(queryString.Maybe(_ => "?" + _.TrimStart('?'))), null, null);
        }

#if ASYNC
        /// <summary>
        /// Get list of available company fies
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="queryString">e.g. An ODATA filter</param>
        /// <returns></returns>
        public Task<CompanyFile[]> GetRangeAsync(string queryString)
        {
            return this.GetRangeAsync(queryString, CancellationToken.None);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Get list of available company fies
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="queryString">e.g. An ODATA filter</param>
        /// <param name="cancellationToken"></param>
        /// <returns></returns>
        public Task<CompanyFile[]> GetRangeAsync(string queryString, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
        {
            return this.MakeApiGetRequestAsync<CompanyFile[]>(this.BuildUri(queryString.Maybe(_ => "?" + _.TrimStart('?'))), null, cancellationToken, null);
        }
#endif
        /// <summary>
        /// Get a company file entry with the list of available resources
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="cf">A company file that has been retrieved</param>
        /// <param name="credentials">The credentials to access the company file</param>
        /// <param name="onComplete">The action to call when the operation is complete</param>
        /// <param name="onError">The action to call when the operation has an error</param>
        public void Get(CompanyFile cf, ICompanyFileCredentials credentials, Action<HttpStatusCode, CompanyFileWithResources> onComplete, Action<Uri, Exception> onError)
        {
            MakeApiGetRequestDelegate(cf.Uri, credentials, onComplete, onError, null);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Get a company file entry with the list of available resources
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="cf">A company file that has been retrieved</param>
        /// <param name="credentials">The credentials to access the company file</param>
        /// <returns></returns>
        public CompanyFileWithResources Get(CompanyFile cf, ICompanyFileCredentials credentials)
        {
            return MakeApiGetRequestSync<CompanyFileWithResources>(cf.Uri, credentials, null);
        }

#if ASYNC
        /// <summary>
        /// Get a company file entry with the list of available resources
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="cf">A company file that has been retrieved</param>
        /// <param name="credentials">The credentials to access the company file</param>
        /// <returns></returns>
        public Task<CompanyFileWithResources> GetAsync(CompanyFile cf, ICompanyFileCredentials credentials)
        {
            return this.GetAsync(cf, credentials, CancellationToken.None);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Get a company file entry with the list of available resources
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="cf">A company file that has been retrieved</param>
        /// <param name="credentials">The credentials to access the company file</param>
        /// <param name="cancellationToken"></param>
        /// <returns></returns>
        public Task<CompanyFileWithResources> GetAsync(CompanyFile cf, ICompanyFileCredentials credentials, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
        {
            return this.MakeApiGetRequestAsync<CompanyFileWithResources>(cf.Uri, credentials, cancellationToken, null);
        }
#endif

        private Uri BuildUri(string postResource = null)
        {
            return new Uri(string.Format("{0}/{1}", Configuration.ApiBaseUrl, postResource ?? string.Empty));
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Thursday, July 18, 2019Back to
It\'s got what it takes to be a flagship killer
Redmi K20 Pro review
New hormone-based breast cancer drug found to boost survival rates dramatically
Researchers are interested in exploring whether the drug could help nip cancer in the bud at early stages.
Agence France-PresseJun 03, 2019 09:27:07 IST
A new form of drug drastically improves survival rates of younger women with the most common type of breast cancer, researchers said on Saturday, citing the results of an international clinical trial.
The findings, presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago, showed that the addition of cell-cycle inhibitor ribociclib increased survival rates to 70 percent after three and a half years.
The mortality rate was 29 percent less than when patients, all under 59 and pre-menopausal, were randomly assigned a placebo. Lead author Sara Hurvitz told AFP the study focused on a form of breast cancer which is fueled by the hormone estrogen and which accounts for two-thirds of all cases among younger women. It is generally treated by therapies that block the hormone's production.
"You actually can get synergy, or better response, better cancer kill, by adding one of these cell-cycle inhibitors" on top of the hormone-blocking therapy, said Hurvitz.
Representational image.
The drug works by inhibiting the activity of cancer-cell promoting enzymes. The treatment is less toxic than traditional chemotherapy because it more selectively targets cancerous cells, blocking their ability to multiply.
An estimated 268,000 new cases of breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the US in 2019, while the advanced form of the disease is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women aged 20 to 59. Though advanced breast cancer is less common among younger women, its incidence grew two percent per year in the US between 1978 and 2008 for women aged 20 to 39, according to a previous study.
Also read: New Immunotherapy treatment shows promising results for stubborn breast cancer
The new trial, which looked at more than 670 cases, included only women who had advanced cancer — stage four — for which they had not received prior hormone-blocking therapy.
"These are patients who tend to be diagnosed later, at a later stage in their disease, because we don't have great screening modalities for young women," said Hurvitz.
In addition, patients who develop breast cancer early tend to have more complex cases.
"That's what makes us so excited because it's a therapy that's affecting so many patients with advanced disease," added Hurvitz.
A pill is administered daily for 21 days followed by seven days off to allow the body time to recover since two-thirds of patients have a moderate to a severe drop in white cell count.
A T-cell (green) attacking a cancer cell. Image credit: Lab Roots
Jamie Bennett, a spokeswoman for Novartis, which markets the drug under the brand name Kisqali and funded the research, said it cost $12,553 for a 28-day dose. But, she added, "the majority of patients in the US with commercial insurance will pay $0 per month for their Kisqali prescription."
There is no cure for metastatic breast cancer and the majority of the women on the drug will require some form of therapy for the rest of their lives. Oncologist Harold Burstein, who was not involved in the research, said it was "an important study," having established that the use of the drug "translates into a significant survival benefit for women."
Burstein is with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
"Hopefully, these data will enable access for this product for more women around the world, particularly in healthcare systems which assess value rigorously as part of their decisions for national access to drugs," Burstein added.
Moving forward, Hurvitz said she was interested in investigating whether ribociclib could help nip cancer in the bud at an earlier stage.
"We want to go and look at those women diagnosed with early-stage disease, small tumors, tumors that haven't gone to the lymph nodes or haven't gone to other parts of the body and see if we can stop it from returning later from metastasizing," she said.
The enrollment phase of the new global clinical trial is now underway.
Find our entire collection of stories, in-depth analysis, live updates, videos & more on Chandrayaan 2 Moon Mission on our dedicated #Chandrayaan2TheMoon domain.
Advanced Cancer Treatment
Advanced Cancer\
Cancer Survival Rates
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Boston
Item Hell Challenge with RawKnee | Tech2 Game Challenge | PUBG
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order I Desi Game Review I Review Ramesh
Will PUBG Lite replace the emulator market? | PUBG Lite Review
Indian Heroes of PUBG S2 | EP 01: RawKnee | Rony Dasgupta
Mysterious YT On Why The Hate Against Emulator Players Is Not Justified
Cyberpunk 2077 Game Review I Review Ramesh
Gamer Girls of India | Ep 3: Mysterious YT | Shazia Ayub | First Interview
Who's next on Gamer Girls of India? | Ep 03 Teaser
Games We Grew Up Playing | Funny Games | Ep 02
Zero Kill Challenge with Rav3n | Tech2 Game Challenge Ep: 03 | PUBG Mobile
Chandrayaan 2 launch date and time: ISRO's first attempt at landing on the Moon launches on 15 July
After Chandrayaan 2: ISRO's upcoming interplanetary missions to Mars, Venus, the Sun
Chandrayaan 2 shows India's potential, but we need to make it the 'Kennedy moment' for our engineering education
Chandrayaan 2: ISRO seeks to bet on trillion-dollar Helium-3 on Moon's surface
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If you're approaching retirement soon, you're likely thinking about Social Security and when to file for benefits. Like many workers, you've probably paid into Social Security for decades. You may be anxious to file for benefits and start collecting income.
The earliest you can file for benefits is at age 62. To get your full benefit, however, you need to wait until your full retirement age (FRA), which is either 66 or 67 for most people retiring today. At your FRA, you can file for benefits and receive 100 percent of your full Social Security benefit.
As mentioned, benefit credits for a delayed filing stop at age 70. That doesn't mean you have to file for Social Security at that time, but your benefit will no longer increase if you don't file. Instead, your benefit amount at age 70 will stay level, and that's the amount you will receive when you eventually do file.
However, there's still one way in which you could increase your benefits after age 70 even though Social Security doesn't offer annual delay credits past that age. Your Social Security benefit amount is based on your average earnings during your highest-earning 35 years of work.
If you continue to work past age 70 and are making a good income, your earnings in those years could replace lower-earning years from earlier in your career. That could boost your average earnings for your career and potentially increase your eventual benefit amount.
If you have significant retirement income, you may be hesitant to add another taxable income source, especially if your income crosses the threshold to be taxed on 85% of your benefits. You may be specifically concerned if you feel the income would push you into a higher bracket.
Generally, your Social Security benefit is likely to be a net positive in your financial picture. If you're concerned about the tax implications, however, you may want to consult with a financial professional to determine the best filing strategy for you.
Not sure when you should file for Social Security? Let's talk about it! Contact us today for a free initial strategy session, and we can help you analyze your needs and develop an appropriate Social Security strategy.
The material is not intended to be legal or tax advice. The insurance agent can provide information, but not advice related to social security benefits. Clients should seek guidance from the Social Security Administration regarding their particular situation. The insurance agent may be able to identify potential retirement income gaps and may introduce insurance products, such as an annuity, as a potential solution. Social Security benefit payout rates can and will change at the sole discretion of the Social Security Administration. For more information, please consult a local Social Security Administration office, or visit www.ssa.gov.


DEMOCRACY FOR THE FEW is a provocative interpretation of yank executive. It exhibits how democracy is again and again violated via company oligopolies, and the way renowned forces have fought again and infrequently made earnings inspite of the process. by means of targeting the connection among monetary energy and political strength, discussing real executive practices and guidelines, conspiracies, propaganda, fraud, secrecy and different ploys of presidency and politics, this publication stands aside in its research of ways US govt works.
This booklet units out to unearth the hidden genealogies of democracy, and especially its most generally well-known, regularly mentioned and deeply symbolic act, vote casting. via exploring the gaps among balloting and popularity, being counted and feeling counted, having a vote and having a voice and the languor of count number taking and the animation of account giving, there emerges a distinct perception into the way it feels to be a democratic citizen. in accordance with a chain of interviews with a number of electorate and nonvoters, the study makes an attempt to appreciate what humans imagine they're doing after they vote; how they believe ahead of, in the course of and after the act of vote casting; how performances of balloting are framed via stories, narratives and goals; and what it ability to think about oneself as somebody who does (or doesn't) vote. wealthy in idea, it is a contribution to election reviews that takes tradition heavily.
The structure is without doubt one of the such a lot respected records in American politics. but this can be a record that frequently locations within the White condominium applicants who didn't in reality get a majority of the preferred vote. It provides Wyoming an identical variety of votes as California, which has seventy occasions the inhabitants of the Cowboy kingdom. And it bargains the President the ability to overrule either homes of Congress on laws he disagrees with on political grounds. is that this a recipe for a republic that displays the wishes and needs of today's Americans?
Taking a troublesome examine our much-venerated structure, Sanford Levinson right here argues that too lots of its provisions advertise both unjust or useless govt. lower than the present blueprint, we will be able to neither rid ourselves of incompetent presidents nor guarantee continuity of presidency following catastrophic assaults. less significant, possibly, yet definitely troublesome, is the appointment of perfect court docket judges for all times. including insult to damage, the us structure is the main tricky to amend or replace of any structure at present latest on the planet today.
Democratic debate leaves few stones unturned, yet we have a tendency to take our simple constitutional buildings with no consideration. Levinson boldly demanding situations the yankee humans to adopt an extended past due public dialogue on how they could most sensible reform this so much hallowed rfile and build a structure sufficient to our democratic values.
The second one variation of this vintage textual content covers modern democracy events together with the Arab Spring and its aftermath, Occupy, and new international locations in addition to outdated matters from the Balkans to Africa, from Latin the US to Ukraine. the writer has traveled generally worldwide to take the heart beat of transition and to profile trips towards democracy and trips clear of democracy, too. while, the ebook addresses vital demanding situations that experience emerged in even well-established democracies. those appear in declining vote casting premiums, reduced club in political events, and, in a few international locations together with the us, unfavorable perspectives of primary democratic associations (like the USA Congress).
Political scientist Samuel DeCanio examines how political elites used excessive degrees of voter lack of know-how to create a brand new form of regulatory kingdom with lasting implications for American politics. targeting the growth of bureaucratic authority in late-nineteenth-century the USA, DeCanio's exhaustive archival examine examines electoral politics, the Treasury Department's keep an eye on over financial coverage, and the Interstate trade Commission's rules of railroads to ascertain how conservative politicians created a brand new form of bureaucratic country to insulate coverage judgements from well known control.
It's normal to listen to that we are living in distinct, turbulent and crisis-ridden occasions and this turbulence, transformation and situation are acknowledged to be deeply major - probably threatening - for the human sciences. Responding to such claims, this ebook offers an obtainable engagement with urgent modern themes, comparable to violence, social routine, equality, id and democracy. Foregrounding the mind's eye of chances (utopia), the mapping of the current (theory), and the transformation of the world-system (historical and international questions), the publication surveys primary concerns and paradigms in contemproary political sociology, urging a recommitment to sure ideas and traditions for information in considering and performing on the earth.
The essays during this quantity use Madison to have interaction such modern matters as multiculturalism, federalism, the rising democracies, the scope of overseas legislations, and faith-based coverage and politics. This ebook speaks to either the previous and current of the yankee republic.


text:
Dominique Visse
BNY Mellon Leads the Way in Digital Asset Adoption and Regulation
Veröffentlicht vonadmin 16. Januar 2023
• BNY Mellon CEO Robin Vince sees digital assets as the future of finance and is open to exploring the potential of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
• BNY Mellon has invested resources to provide blockchain-based services and products to clients.
• Despite the push for crypto adoption, the company believes that regulation of the industry should also take utmost priority.
BNY Mellon, America's oldest custodial bank, is taking a leading role in the adoption of digital assets in the financial sector. CEO Robin Vince believes digital assets are the future of finance, and his company is open to exploring the potential of Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies.
BNY Mellon has made significant investments to provide blockchain-based services and products to its clients. In October 2022, the bank launched its digital asset platform to bridge digital and traditional asset custody. The platform serves as a platform for clients to transact and store their digital assets securely.
However, despite the significant push for crypto adoption, BNY Mellon CEO Robin Vince believes that the industry must be properly regulated to ensure the safety and security of those investing in digital assets. To this end, Vince published an opinion piece in the Financial Times in December of 2022 calling for a unified regulatory approach to the digital asset industry to protect investors and ensure the industry remains sustainable.
In addition to the regulatory efforts, BNY Mellon is also investing in innovative technologies to further its digital asset goals. The bank is actively seeking partnerships with startups and projects that are looking to make a mark in the blockchain space. Through these partnerships, BNY Mellon is positioning itself for the future of digital asset finance.
In conclusion, BNY Mellon is demonstrating its commitment to digital assets, both through its regulatory efforts and its technological investments. By embracing the future of finance, the bank is leading the way towards a more secure and efficient financial system.
Veröffentlicht vonadmin 16. Januar 2023 Veröffentlicht inAllgemein
Billionaire Bill Ackman Hypothesizes Bankman-Fried's Innocence in $250M Bail Case
Women Driving the Crypto Investment Revolution: 34% Own Cryptocurrency
Elon Musk Offers to Eat Happy Meal Live on TV if McDonald's Accepts Dogecoin
La sécurité de Bitcoin Cash: une analyse approfondie
Dominique Visse, Stolz präsentiert von WordPress.


The 34-year-old Duke and the 37-year-old Duchess of Sussex arrived in Sydney on a Qantas Airways flight at 7 a.m., and the two were all smiles as they were flanked by a large crew of aides and officials.
The Duke and Duchess arrived at Syndey Airport shortly after 7am on Friday morning on a Quantas flight.
Admiralty House is the Sydney residence of the Australian Governor-General and hosts members of The Royal Family when they visit the country.
Admiralty House has also been used to host other global guests including US Presidents and the Pope.
They're expected to fly from Toronto to meet Prince Harry and Markle when the tour launches at the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday.
Their plans will be mixed with a little fun as Harry and Meghan will cuddle with koalas and joeys at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney before travelling to Tonga to have a dinner with King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau'u.
Their tour will take them to Dubbo in the NSW Central West, Melbourne and Queensland's Fraser Island.
They will be in Australia for a total of nine days, where they will open the Invictus Games in Sydney on October 20 and attend a number of other events including public picnics, farm visits and "Fluoro Day" for mental health.
The Daily Mail and The Sunday Times both report that Mulroney will be on hand with her husband, Ben, in an "unofficial capacity"-reportedly meaning they'll be paying their own way and kind of just casually tagging along on the royal tour, NBD".
And that's only day one! While their visit already seemed jam packed, there are plenty of chances to catch a glimpse of the royal pair.
We will have to wait and see if the couple get as involved in the dancing as Prince William and Kate did when they visited the tiny Pacific island of Tuvalu in 2012.
How the python got into the ceiling, or what business it had in the bank, is still under investigation. Amazingly, that same bank branch was visited by another snake a year ago .
Gagner devant Vincenzo Nibali , c'est ce que je pouvais rêver de mieux. "Je suis heureux qu'il ait attaqué dans Sormano, c'était la clé du succès".
Truex fought the vehicle from the outset, and no amount of tinkering by his crew on pit road could define and fix the problem. He was the lowest finishing playoff driver in the first stage. "Even when they have a bad day, they still gain points on us".
In some ways, the transition - it's more similar than it used to be when I first started. "That's what it's all about for me". Top five TD targets: Gronkowski, Randy Moss (39), Wes Welker (34), Deion Branch (24), Julian Edelman (24).
That fact was reported on Sunday afternoon after Butler participated in yet another Wolves practice. In 59 games, he averaged 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
Zacks Investment Research cut Wells Fargo & Co from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 18th. The consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters are calling for $1.17 in earnings per share (EPS) and revenue of $21.9 billion.
It was the Netherlands' first win over their great rivals in 16 years, and was their biggest-ever winning margin over the Germans. The fact is, we had so many chances in the last two games but couldn't score.
McPhun said Australia's policy of indefinite offshore detention "destroyed their resilience, shattered all hope and ultimately impacted their mental health".
The super-cute snap was left captionless, but her mom Khloe Kardashian and dad Tristan Thompson were tagged. If there ever was a new generation of KUWTK , there are definitely enough children for a spinoff show.
Touché au genou lors du Masters 1000 de Shanghai, l'Argentin souffre d'une fracture de la rotule droite. La carrière de Juan Martin Del Potro sera définitivement marquée par ses nombreuses blessures.
The WCC was formed to work as a pressure group after the attack on the actor in February 2017. Dileep spent 85 days in prison after his arrest in the actress assault case a year ago .
The Supreme Court will convene on Wednesday to determine whether or not it will grant Alqasem permission to file her appeal. Alqasem, 22, turned to the high court after a lower court rejected her appeal to remain in Israel on Friday.
His parents entered the tent for at least 10 minutes. "We don't think there are any issues with it", Saban told reporters. The Crimson Tide got along just fine without him, rolling to a 39-10 win.
Wentz looks like he is getting more confident with this Eagles offense and Manning looks like he has gone back to the future. He side-stepped a diving tackle from Eagles linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill before jumping over safety Malcolm Jenkins .
The Red Sox starting pitcher has been admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital after experiencing stomach illness. The Red Sox ace surrendered two runs and lasted just two innings Saturday in Game 1 against the Houston Astros.


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New 'Oleander' image / sketch for the 'Equestrian Portrait of Elizabeth Williamson' sold / Griselda Pollock on R4.
On June 26, 2020 October 28, 2020 By Jonathan Russell
AN IMPROVED IMAGE for Annie's Oleander has been uploaded, scanned directly from the 2002 Sotheby's auction catalogue.
Known only from two auction records in 1999 and 2002. A particulary fine work which hints at how many other otherwise unknown works must be 'out there.' This is dated 1883, completed several years before her 'symbolist' period blossomed, but one can perhaps see beginnings here.
It's tempting to try to align Annie with a particular movement, such a Realism, Pre-Raphaelitism and even Impressionism, but it never quite works. There are definate influences, but she retains her classically-based training and love of the human figure throughout her career – carefully moulded forms, gradation of tones, no broad monochrome areas.
THE SKETCH FOR the Equestrian Portrait of Elizabeth Williamson (also known as Elizabeth Williamson at Wemmergill) sold today at Keys Auctioneers and Valuers, Aylesham, Norfolk.
GRISELDA POLLOCK gave an interesting talk on Front Row (Radio 4 – still available online) re-broadcast this week, on how female artists have been consistently written out of art history from the beginning of the 20th century. I happened to be watching an online auction at the time of the broadcast, and as is usally the case, out of over two-hundred lots, only a handful were by women artists.
Annie helped partially dislodge the glass ceiling with her acceptance into the Royal Academy in 1923, but was openly critical of the establishment, knowing that her recognition was long overdue, and there is a strong hint of resentment in her few recorded public comments on the subject. The glass ceiling was evidently quickly replaced, as it was another thirteen years before Laura Knight became the second woman to be admitted. At the same time, I don't really think such matters were Annie's primary interest. I feel she truly loved the act of creation, outside of any issues about the promotion of 'female' art just for the sake of it.
I don't consider a person's sex, ethnicity or anything else when liking a picture – Annie, Marie Laurencin, Bridget Riley and Mable Alvarez are personal favourites, all for different reasons, along with Lautrec, Whistler, and various others.
My web site fees are due in September – £85. To help this site remain add-free and with all the current features, do consider buying me a coffee (click on the banner below). In the event of donations going above £85, any surplus will be donated to Manchester Art Gallery. Thank you.
Seymour Stein and 'Portrait of a Boy'
Notes on Susan Isabel Dacre


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Category: EBA
BBVA Can't Hold Cryptocurrency – And That's a Problem
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After becoming the first financial institution to combine public and private blockchains in a live transaction, Spanish multinational bank BBVA has hit something of a quandary.
Specifically, it's unsure how to take its forward-thinking work … forward.
In the process of executing what was expected to be the third in a series of blockchain-based corporate loans, the bank had to work around a lack of legal and regulatory clarity over whether it could (or should) hold the cryptocurrency needed to power a transaction on ethereum.
In short, BBVA's innovation is meant to act like a public notary service, combining private Hyperledger technology (used to negotiate the loan) with a public blockchain (in this case ethereum) in an effort to identify and store each loan agreement with auditability.
However, erring on the side of caution, BBVA chose to abide by European Banking Authority (EBA) recommendations and not use the native token of ethereum, ether, which also serves as a kind of fuel to update the ledger. Instead, the bank anchored the loans to an ethereum testnet, a blockchain which simulates the live version, but that doesn't move real value.
No big deal, you might think, but this uncertainty is hindering the hard-won innovation work.
Alicia Pertusa, managing director of corporate and investment banking at BBVA, said that according to the EBA recommendations of 2014, European banks are discouraged from owning, buying or selling cryptocurrencies. She pointed out that the process BBVA used for the loans was exactly the same as it would have been on the live ethereum, the only difference is it would need the regulator's approval before using the real ether.
While the Bank of Spain, the regulator in this case, would not go on the record, it's clear regulators understand banks may need or want to have small amounts of crypto, not as an asset or an investment, but to validate transactions.
Regulators tend to point out that the EBA 2014 recommendation is not legally binding and thus is not a formal ban. Still, the compliance department of a given bank would have to judge whether this particular use of cryptocurrencies is advisable.
Pertusa told CoinDesk:
"We do think that regulators are evolving in the way they look at cryptocurrencies and in this case in particular we have talked with our regulators. They understand very well that the use of gas and ether in this kind of network is very different from the speculation of cryptocurrencies."
Still, the results are a rare, tangible example of how inconclusive guidance, combined with big-bank jitters about the possibility of plans going wrong, are having an impact on innovation.
Only in March of this year, EBA chief Andrea Enria said it would be more effective to prevent banks and other regulated financial institutions from holding cryptocurrencies, rather than regulating the tokens themselves.
In a statement to CoinDesk, the EBA said: "The EBA has issued several warnings to consumers regarding virtual assets and has discouraged financial institutions from gaining exposures to such assets in view of their high-risk nature. However, as a matter of EU banking law, there is no prohibition on financial institutions gaining direct or indirect exposures to such assets."
None of this lessens the irony that BBVA is doing real corporate loans – €75 million to technology company Indra in April; followed by last month's €325 million to oil and gas company Repsol; and last week €100 million to construction firm ACS – but is uncomfortable holding a few dollars worth of ether because of mixed signals from regulators.
In fact, BBVA's corporate loans platform achieves a number of regulatory goals, such as making the pre-trade negotiation of the loan – which is normally done with a mix of phone calls and messages – a single, transparent and easily audited process. And the lessons learned from the tethered loans will be taken on into BBVA's blockchain syndicated loans project, which will launch in the coming weeks.
As far as the public part is concerned, Pertusa acknowledged that while public blockchain notarization is a powerful tool for those who know how to use it (there is lots of appetite among the bank's clients for this tech, she said) there still needs to be plenty of education elsewhere.
She told CoinDesk:
"We see this as the future of public notaries because at the end of the day it's a public record of an agreement that's been reached privately. But a lot still needs to happen in that direction in terms of regulation, admitting that this public blockchain has the same value as a public notary."
A popular use case
Turns out public blockchains are a popular tool for anchoring data – that is, creating a timestamped proof that the data existed at a certain time – in the world of enterprise ethereum.
Kaleido, the partnership between ethereum development studio Consensys and Amazon Web Services, found that enterprises wanted to anchor private blockchain applications on the public chain more than just about any other blockchain-as-a-service feature.
Indeed, a poll of Kaleido blockchain cloud users saw this use case come out on top with some 37 percent of votes.
"The results mirror what we are hearing in our client and partner discussions around the world," said Kaleido founder Sophia Lopez.
Asked what he thought of the uncertainty facing banks looking at public blockchains for this purpose, Steve Cerveny, CEO of Kaleido, said he was aware of the issue and is in discussion with customers about it, adding that a workaround is in the offing.
"We are currently exploring how Kaleido's pinning/tether feature as-a-service could alleviate this concern," said Cerveny. "For example, they pay Kaleido in fiat for this optional feature and Kaleido handles all of the technical details including ether/gas."
Speaking on behalf of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, Conor Svensson, blk.oi founder and EEA standards chair, said the conundrum demonstrates why financial organizations are far more comfortable working with private blockchain deployments.
He concluded:
"It's where they can exert a much higher degree of control over the network and are not bound by the same regulatory concerns that apply whilst working with the public blockchains."
BBVA image via Shutterstock
Don't Regulate Crypto, Regulate Financial Institutions, Says EU Banking Authority Chair
Coin Telegraph
Bank of England, Blockchain, Crypto News, Cryptocurrencies, EBA, EU, FinTech, Government
Andrea Enria, the chairperson of the European Banking Authority (EBA), said that it could be more efficient to prohibit banks and other financial institutions from holding and selling cryptocurrencies, than to directly regulate crypto, the Financial Times (FT) reported Friday, March 9.
Enria's remarks follow the recent movement toward cryptocurrency regulation in Europe. Yesterday, March 8, the European Commission released its "Action Plan" designed to develop an EU-wide regulatory framework for fintech, including Blockchain. Last week, the Governor of the Bank of England commented that crypto should be regulated and not "banned outright."
During a speech Friday in Copenhagen, Enria mentioned that he was not convinced that the lack of institutions backing cryptocurrencies is evidence that cryptocurrencies themselves should be regulated. He added that the EBA had come up with the idea for limiting regulated companies' contact with crypto in 2014, FT reports.
Enria supports withholding the full force of regulatory measures from fintech firms, so long as they do not perform the same functions of banks, providing credit, debit, and liquidity.
"An excessive extension of the regulatory perimeter […] [for fintech firms] is likely to be a sub-optimal solution. It would risk excessively constraining financial innovation, as the compliance burden placed on banks is not sustainable for small innovative start-ups."
However, Enria added that EU regulators should not permit "de facto banks" to offer a combination of "deposit-taking and lending" without rigorous regulatory supervision.
Enria noted that fintech regulation must take place across the European Union in order to keep EU firms competitive with the US and China.
In mid-February 2018, the European Supervisory Authorities, made up of the EBA, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), and the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), released a warning that cryptocurrencies were risky assets from which investors need to be protected.
EU Regulators Caution Consumers Against 'Highly Risky' Crypto Investing, Again
Banks, Bitcoin Regulation, Crypto News, Cryptocurrencies, EBA, ESMA, EU, ICO
The European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) has warned customers that cryptocurrencies are "highly risky" assets that show "clear signs of a pricing bubble" in a pan-European Union consumer warning released Monday, Feb. 12.
The ESAs is made up of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the European Banking Authority (EBA) and the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA).
The high risk associated with investing in cryptocurrency, according to the ESAs, means that investors can "lose a large amount, or even all, of the money invested:"
"The ESAs warn consumers that VCs (virtual currencies) are highly risky and unregulated products and are unsuitable as investment, savings or retirement planning products."
The warning, published on the ESMA website, comes with an introduction that explains the fear that too many people are investing in crypto without fully understanding the risks.
The official warning also brings up the idea that unregulated exchanges are unprotected because of their existence outside of global financial regulations, meaning a customer's losses from an event like a cyberattack would not be covered by EU law.
The ESAs's warning ends with advice for investors to protect themselves:
"You should not invest money you cannot afford to lose."
ESMA had previously warned customers in Nov. 2017 about Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), citing the same reasons of a lack of investor understanding and the problems with unregulated financial activities.
The ESAs's most recent warning today comes after the European Central Bank (ECB) told CNBC on Feb. 7 that crypto regulation is "not high on the to-do list." Conversely, on Feb. 8, an ECB Executive Board member referred to cryptocurrency a "contagion" and "contamination" and called for preemptive regulation.
3 EU Watchdogs Warn Over 'High Risks' of Crypto Investment
Crypto News, EBA, EIOPA, ESMA, European Regulators, News, Regulation, warning
Three European regulators with oversight over securities, banking and pensions issued a combined warning today to EU residents considering investing in cryptocurrencies.
Citing the crypto markets' volatility, lack of regulation and the potential for severe losses, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the European Banking Authority (EBA) and the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) wrote a brief note warning investors of the "high risks of buying and/or holding so-called virtual currencies."
Collectively referred to as the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs), the regulators state there is a "high risk" that investors will lose all of their funds if they choose to invest in cryptocurrencies, specifically noting that there is an apparent bubble in the markets currently.
They continued, writing:
"VCs [virtual currencies] and exchanges where consumers can trade are not regulated under EU law, which means that consumers buying VCs do not benefit from any protection associated with regulated financial services. For example, if a VC exchange goes out of business or consumers have their money stolen because their VC account is subject to a cyber-attack; there is no EU law that would cover their losses."
The warning explicitly mentions bitcoin, ethereum, litecoin and XRP, while further noting that other cryptocurrencies are often sold without any information explaining their background or the risks in purchasing them.
Part of the risk, the ESAs claim, arises from difficulty purchasing or selling cryptocurrencies due to transaction delays. Users may purchase some amount of a cryptocurrency at a specific price, but network congestion means they could receive a smaller amount at a higher price, they say.
For residents who still want to invest in cryptocurrencies, the note recommends understanding the characteristics of the token being sold and not investing more than they can afford to lose. In addition, users should take steps to keep their digital wallets secure.
The warning comes amid increasing noise within the EU over the crypto market, its perceived risks and potential regulation.
The ESMA said last week that cryptocurrencies will be one of its top priorities in 2018, while, a day later, senior officials from France and Germany called for the G20 group of nations to discuss cooperative action on cryptocurrencies ahead of a summit next month.
At the same time, European Central Bank (ECB) executive board member Yves Mersch aired concerns over the apparent "gold rush" in the crypto markets, adding that a regulatory solution may be to force unregulated exchanges to report transactions.
EU flag image via Shutterstock


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s3_website push


Forest Green have clinched the signing of Nottingham Forest defender Alex Iacovitti on a season-long loan deal.
The 19-year-old centre-back spent part of last season on loan at Mansfield after making two appearances for Forest.
Scotland under-21 international Iacovitti told Rovers' official website he was looking forward to helping the newly-promoted club on their debut in Sky Bet League Two.
He said: "The transfer has all happened quite quickly but this is the best decision for me at the moment - Forest Green came in and it was a no-brainer.
Jack Williams has switched from Queens Park Rangers to Wycombe on a six-month loan deal.
Left-back Williams, 19, has been training with Wanderers and played in friendlies against Wimbledon and Maidenhead in a bid to win a move.
Chairboys boss Gareth Ainsworth told the club's official website: "Jack's got a lot of potential which we've seen in the two games, in training and also in our training match at QPR when he was on the other team.


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Q: Django permissions outside of the admin and in a custom form I have an app with 2 user levels; Superuser, and Staff. Superuser will login to this app and create a new user and assign the user either Superuser or Staff permissions, but they are not logging in through the default Django admin, they will be logging into a custom admin. How do I display the permission checkboxes in my form and how do I save them for that new user being created? Is it merely just a normal checkbox or is there something I need to override to be able to accomplish this?
Here is my CreateUserForm as it is now.
class CreateUserForm(forms.Form):
    username = forms.EmailField(max_length=50)
    email = forms.EmailField()
    first_name = forms.CharField(max_length=150)
    last_name = forms.CharField(max_length=150)
    password1 = forms.CharField(max_length=30, widget=forms.PasswordInput(render_value=False), label='Password')
    password2 = forms.CharField(max_length=30, widget=forms.PasswordInput(render_value=False), label='Password Confirmation')
    address_1 = forms.CharField(max_length=50)
    address_2 = forms.CharField(max_length=50)
    city = forms.CharField(max_length=50)
    province = forms.CharField(max_length=2)
    country = forms.CharField(max_length=50)
    postal_code = forms.CharField(max_length=10)
    work_phone = forms.CharField(max_length=20)
    mobile_phone = forms.CharField(max_length=20)
    fax = forms.CharField(max_length=20)
    url = forms.CharField()
    comments = forms.CharField(widget=forms.Textarea)

    def clean_username(self):
        try:
            User.objects.get(username=self.cleaned_data['username'])
        except User.DoesNotExist:
            return self.cleaned_data['username']
        raise forms.ValidationError("Sorry, this username has already been taken. Please choose another.")

    def clean_email(self):
        try:
            User.objects.get(email=self.cleaned_data['email'])
        except User.DoesNotExist:
            return self.cleaned_data['email']
        raise forms.ValidationError("Sorry, this email has already been taken. Please choose another.")

    def clean(self):
        if 'password1' in self.cleaned_data and 'password2' in self.cleaned_data:
            if self.cleaned_data['password1'] != self.cleaned_data['password2']:
                raise forms.ValidationError("You must type the same password each time.")
            if ' ' in self.cleaned_data['username']:
                raise forms.ValidationError("username must not contain spaces")
        return self.cleaned_data

    def save(self):
        new_user = User.objects.create_user(
            username = self.cleaned_data['username'],
            email = self.cleaned_data['email']
        )
        new_user.first_name = self.cleaned_data['first_name']
        new_user.last_name = self.cleaned_data['last_name']
        new_user.set_password(self.cleaned_data['password'])
        new_user.is_active = True
        new_user.save()

    new_profile = UserProfile(
        # TODO:
    )

Thanks

A: If you mean the permission checkboxes for is_staff and is_superuser, then you're probably best off using a ModelForm w/ the User model. This will automatically take care of everything for you.
class UserForm(forms.ModelForm):
    class Meta:
        model = User
        exclude = ('last_login', 'date_joined')

EDIT per OP update: You can just add 2 forms.BooleanField() fields to your form for is_superadmin and is_staff (or name them differently), and much like you're already doing in the save method you can do new_user.is_staff = self.cleaned_data['is_staff']. You may consider using a choice field instead, w/ a dropdown w/ 3 entries, "Normal User", "Staff User", "Admin User", and then set is_staff and is_superadmin according to the user's selection.
It's also still possible to use a ModelForm on the User model and just add the necessary extra fields in addition. It may or may not be worth it to you, depending how custom you're getting.
Another note about your form - when it comes to editing existing users, this won't be able to be used for that w/ the current clean methods on username/email. But if you tweak those to exclude the current instance (if set) from the lookup, you will be able to use this form for editing existing users (though since it's not a model form you'd need to populate the initial data manually).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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How the Biden presidency might impact Turkey's Kurdish Question
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NAT 14th August 2020
Turkey's political divide spills over to treatment of critically ill infants
ANKARA, Turkey — Few would have thought that Turkey's political divide — running deep on myriad issues, from economic woes and femicides to pandemic measures and university rectors — could extend to critically ill infants in need of costly treatment to survive. The new rift, involving ministers and opposition figures, has come as a stunning milestone in the divisions of Turkish society, leaving the families of the sick children dismayed.
Lying at the core of the controversy are the limits Ankara has set in covering the ultra-expensive treatment of infants with spinal muscular atrophy, a deadly genetic disorder that progressively destroys nerve cells controlling the muscles.
After monthslong efforts, Mehmet Rifat Bacanli — a lawyer for families of children with the most severe type of the disease, estimated to number between 150 and 300 in Turkey — won a court ruling Nov. 27 that approved the procurement from overseas of a relatively new drug, needed for the treatment of the 16-month-old son of one of his clients. The treatment costs up to $2.5 million in the United States.
The ruling paved the way for an import permit for the drug, giving hope to many families grappling with spinal muscular atrophy, which strikes one in 6,000 babies in Turkey. Things, however, did not progress smoothly.
In Turkey, infants with spinal muscular atrophy have thus far used a drug covered by the state, which is administered periodically to stop the advance of the disease, with each dose costing about 73,000 euros ($89,500). The treatment of many infants, however, has been interrupted as the authorities tightened the eligibility criteria over time.
As a result, many families have pinned their hopes on the new drug, Zolgenisma, which offers a one-time gene treatment with 95% efficacy in halting the advance of the disease, if taken in the early stages. The drug — often described as "the world's most expensive" medication — has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency in the past two years, with Germany offering state coverage for the treatment. In Turkey, it has fanned political and societal tensions amid pressure on the government to follow suit.
The issue flared up on the first day of 2021 over a social media campaign, joined by celebrities and opposition leaders and mayors, urging the government to use 75 million Turkish liras ($10.3 million) in lottery funds for spinal muscular atrophy treatments. The sum was a remainder from the grand lottery prize on New Year's Eve, won by a ticket divided into four. Only one of the quarter tickets had been sold, and the prize slated for the other three went to the country's sovereign wealth fund.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca called it a "dirty campaign" that no one with good intentions should join. He argued that the efficacy of gene therapy had yet to be sufficiently proved, charging that the campaign sought to "portray the state as weak and defend [the interests of] global pharmaceutical companies." Family and Labor Minister Zehra Zumrut Selcuk said 40 billion liras ($5.5 billion) had been allocated yearly for spinal muscular atrophy treatments.
Some physicians lent support to the health minister. "Don't exploit children for your political ambitions," a surgeon tweeted. Government supporters lashed out at Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and other opposition figures who backed the campaign, charging that they were not really concerned about sick children but sought to fuel political tensions.
Bacanli said the controversy disrupted efforts at a solution. "We were planning a meeting with the company that would supply the drug. The company had agreed to a discount to enter the Turkish market. But after being portrayed as participants in a big, dirty ploy, both we and the company halted the initiative," he told Al-Monitor.
"The families of children with [spinal muscular atrophy] have no political aspect," the lawyer said. "They are very much worried over the politicization of the issue. They are fighting for their children to live another day. … Criminalizing the people who stand by them, ignoring the recommendations of doctors who prescribe the treatment is a gross injustice," he added.
On Jan. 4, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged, "Any treatment deemed appropriate will be covered," leading Bacanli to apply to the Social Security Institution to pay for the therapy.
The families of the sick infants are racing against time, as patients need to be younger than 2 years old or weigh less than 21 kilograms (46 pounds) to receive the treatment.
Thus far, donations have been collected for the treatment of 12 sick infants, with celebrities and social media influencers backing the campaigns. On Dec. 27, however, parliament approved legislation that conditioned online fundraising to the permission of governor's offices. Citing the existing state coverage for the other drug, governor's offices have denied permission for donation campaigns for the new treatment.
"Families cannot access the drug even if they can pay for it," Bacanli said. "Pressure is growing on doctors and we are struggling to find any to prescribe the drug."
Nagihan Sadiklar, the coordinator-general of Turkey's Muscular Diseases Association, told Al-Monitor, "Polarization on such an important issue is not right. Gene treatment should be included into the scope of [social security coverage], along with all treatments with proven efficacy, so that children can have access to that treatment as soon as they are diagnosed."
Sadiklar called also for a patient-centered review of the criteria for the existing treatment covered by the Social Security Institution or even the removal of all conditions. There are now so many criteria that patients often lose eligibility after four months of treatment, she explained.
More than 200 civic and professional groups issued a joint appeal last month for equal treatment opportunities for all patients and a compulsory, free-of-charge genetic carrier screening before marriage.
The Dimensions of Polarization in Turkey — a joint survey by the German Marshall Fund and Istanbul's Bilgi University, released in December — shows that voters across the political spectrum overwhelmingly see the provision of health care for the sick as the responsibility of the state. Thus, the issue theoretically is above politics.
Emre Erdogan, the Bilgi professor who coordinated the survey, told Al-Monitor, "When the problem is too poignant, there is no partisanship — we unite on the need to help people in need. But when it comes to who should resolve the problem and who is responsible for the solution, we begin to differ. Such politicization is the biggest impact of polarization. And without unity on solution, efficient solutions cannot be produced."
Referring to the health minister's criticism of the latest campaign, Emre Erdogan said the government could have easily met the appeal. But the academic said that because members of the opposition were seen as part of those seeking action, "The campaign was portrayed as an attempt to show the government as weak."
He said, "The government moved to defend itself and used the issue as a subject of polarization, trying to show itself as totally successful, while demonizing the other side and portraying it as connected to foreign forces."
By; Menekse Tokyay
healthcare in turkey
turkish politics
43 people killed, 240 maltreated, tortured in Turkey in December 2020: report
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