2. Gone with the wind: Chihuahua blown
away
Gone with the wind: Chihuahua blown away
Report: Six-pound puppy found a mile away from where gust sent
her flying
Last updated 1:12 p.m. ET, Tues., April 28, 2009
WATERFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. - A six-pound Chihuahua has been
reunited with her owners after a 70-mph gust of wind picked the
puppy up and tossed her out of sight.
Dorothy and Lavern Utley credit a pet psychic for guiding them on
Monday to a wooded area nearly a mile from where 8-month-old
Tinker Bell had been last seen. The brown long-haired dog was dirty
and hungry but otherwise OK.
The Utleys, of Rochester, had set up an outdoor display Saturday at
a flea market in Waterford Township, 25 miles northwest of Detroit.
3. 4-28-2009 Gone with the wind:
Chihuahua blown away
We chose quot;Chihuahua blown awayquot;
as an funny category because We
thought its funny that an dog was
blown away in the wind. I also
never knew that the wind is so
strong. This also is funny because
it would be funny to see a dog in
the wind blowing away.
4. Obama sworn in as 44th president of the United States Baptist Church in Coram. quot;I see God's hands all over this.quot;
BY MELANIE LEFKOWITZ | melanie.lefkowitz@newsday.com
At precisely noon, as Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman and others performed a John Williams
11:41 PM EST, January 20, 2009 composition, quot;Air and Simple Gifts,quot; the mantle of power changed from George W.
Barack Hussein Obama declared the start of quot;a new era of responsibilityquot; as he was Bush to Obama. Shortly afterward, Obama lay his hand on the burgundy velvet-
sworn in Tuesday to become the 44th president of the United States before more bound Bible used at the first inauguration of another former Illinois lawmaker,
than 1 million cheering Americans who traveled from around the country to witness Abraham Lincoln, and held by his wife, Michelle. Supreme Court Chief Justice John
history. Roberts administered the presidential oath as both men briefly stumbled on the
words.
The son of a black Kenyan father and white Kansan mother, Obama characterized his
swearing-in as quot;a moment that will define a generation.quot; Standing on the steps of the Call to 'reaffirm our enduring spirit'
U.S. Capitol, multitudes spread out before him on the National Mall, Obama used his
inaugural address to offer both a stinging rebuke of quot;the stale political arguments Then, a confident Obama turned to face the sea of expectant faces and began
that have consumed us for so longquot; and a soaring but sober vision of the challenges, speaking in ringing tones.
and victories, that lie ahead.
quot;On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises,
quot;Our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our
decisions - that time has surely passed,quot; Obama said. quot;Starting today, we must pick politics,quot; he said. quot;The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit, to choose our
ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.quot; better history, to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from
generation to generation - the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and
Daunting challenges lie ahead all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.quot;
Obama took the oath of office against a backdrop of economic meltdown, global As her father spoke, Malia Obama, 10, lifted a digital camera to snap his picture.
anxiety, two U.S.-led wars and stratospheric expectations that he will right the ship of
state. Though Obama spoke strongly in his speech about the dangers posed by quot;a far-
reaching network of violence and hatred,quot; he also reached out to the rest of the
After winning a sweeping electoral victory in November on a promise of hope and world, noting that not just military might, but quot;sturdy alliancesquot; promote freedom
change, Obama signaled Tuesday that the daunting challenges facing the nation and bring peace.
won't be easily or quickly resolved, nor will the challenges lessen his resolve.
quot;To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of
quot;Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history,quot; he said, quot;but that we will
system cannot tolerate too many big plans,quot; he said. quot;Their memories are short. For extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.quot;
they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women
can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to The Rev. Rick Warren, whose opposition to same-sex marriage angered Obama's gay
courage.quot; supporters, delivered the invocation, as Obama sat behind him, at times with his eyes
closed.
The inauguration marked the pinnacle of a stunning political journey in which a 47-
year-old, one-term U.S. senator raised mostly by his single mother ascended to the A day brimming with festivities
most powerful post in the world as the nation's first African-American president.
The Obamas began their day at a church service; before the inauguration, following
Marking our 'patchwork heritage' tradition, they had coffee at the White House with the Bushes. Less than half an hour
after the inaugural ceremony ended, the Bushes were aboard a helicopter to
Obama acknowledged the historic significance of his achievement - that quot;a man Andrews Air Force Base, en route to their home in Texas.
whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served in a local restaurant
can now stand before you to take a most sacred oathquot; - but throughout his address The swearing-in itself marked just one event in a day of festivities. At a luncheon in
emphasized unity, diversity and the strength of quot;our patchwork heritagequot; over his the Capitol, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), who is battling a brain tumor, suffered
singular story. an apparent seizure and was rushed in an ambulance to Washington Hospital Center.
By evening, hospital officials said he was conscious and communicative.
Across the nation and around the world, all eyes were on Obama and the
extraordinary crowd that came to witness his swearing-in ceremony. Waves of After the luncheon, the inaugural parade briefly brought the Obamas out of their
people stretched nearly 2 miles along the wide expanse of the National Mall, from armored Cadillac to walk hand in hand twice. Following the parade, the couple
the Capitol, whose builders included slaves, all the way to the Washington planned to attend 10 official inaugural balls. And this morning, President Obama
Monument, built to honor the achievements of the nation's first president, himself a reports to work to begin the weighty task of governing, as he phrased it, quot;amidst
slaveholder. gathering clouds and raging storms.quot;
Thousands more gathered, riveted, in front of jumbo screens in Harlem and Times quot;Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let
Square; at movie theaters in Huntington and Sag Harbor; in school gyms, churches this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter,quot; he said, to close his
and college campuses. It was a day and an event many Americans wanted to be a part speech. quot;And with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried
of. forth that great gift of freedom, and delivered it safely to future generations.quot;
quot;I feel blessed to be here to see this happening, to see the effects of history, to see it Staff writer Carol Polsky contributed to this story, which was supplemented with
all come to pass,quot; said Chester Gibson, 59, of Patchogue, who watched from the Faith Associated Press reports.
5. Newsday: 1-20-09 Obama sworn in
as 44th president of the US
For most memorable we did and
article the 44th president Barack
Obama was vote as first black
president. We chose it because
someone finally showed that they
can be what they what to be.
Because years before Blacks used
to be slaves. And Obama showed he
can do it. That's why we chose this
article for most memorable.
6. LI school officials concerned over swine flu outbreak a popular destination among teens.
BY JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER | jennifer.kelleher@newsday.com
10:13 PM EDT, April 27, 2009 Over the weekend, when news Jason Chute, director of operations for GradCity of Peabody,
about the swine flu broke, the superintendent of Amityville Mass., popular among Long Island teens, said about 100
schools felt a wave of panic about his students who recently fell students returned from Cancun on April 18.
ill.
quot;We want to make sure everyone was OK and happy when they
quot;Of course when you see the story on the swine flu, the first got back,quot; he said.
thing you think is, 'Holy cow, we have a bunch of kids struck with
the flu,' quot; John Williams said Monday. He said the company will know by the end of the week what
options are available for those who have upcoming trips to
On April 16, more than 30 middle school students went home Mexico.
sick. Most were diagnosed with a minor respiratory virus. At the
beginning of last week, five other middle school students were The Associated Press reported that some of the infected
diagnosed with type A influenza. Of that group, two tested students at St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows
negative for swine flu, Williams said. Results were pending for went to Cancun for spring break.
another student and two family members, he said, adding that it
wasn't known whether the other two students took tests. Connetquot superintendent Alan Groveman said he will monitor
quot;We have no reason to believe any of these illnesses are developments at the private Catholic school, which will remain
connected to the swine flu,quot; Williams said. closed Tuesday. As of Monday afternoon, there were 28
confirmed and 17 probable cases of swine flu among St. Francis
As a precaution in finding other possible sickened students, students.
Williams said officials are trying to determine whether any
students or staff traveled to Mexico City over spring break. quot;We're an interconnected island,quot; Groveman said. quot;Whatever is
in Queens will end up on the Island.quot;
quot;We don't know exactly who went where,quot; he said.
Long Island districts will mostly monitor the situation and
Meanwhile, companies catering to student spring break travel continue to reinforce healthy hygiene habits, said Great Neck
are reaching out to those who recently took trips to or through superintendent Ronald Friedman, who is also president of the
Mexico City. Nassau County Council of School Superintendents.
Patrick Evans, a Dallas-based spokesman for STA Travel, said the quot;Nobody should panic,quot; he said.
firm will waive fees to change dates for future travel to Cancun,
7. Newsday: 4-27-09 LI school officials
concerned over swine flu outbreak
I chose this article for tragic
because. The swine flu started in
Mexico and now people have it in US.
I thought it amazing because I live
in LI and that a scary to me
because I don't want to get it . Also
People in LI died for the swine flu
and I don't want to get it. thAt’s
why I pick this for most amazing.
8. Blagojevich indicted on federal corruption charges
The Associated Press 9:42 PM EDT, April 2, 2009
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been chosen as one of Time magazine's top 100 most influential people for 2009. (AP File Photo)
CHICAGO - Ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich was indicted Thursday on charges of trying to auction off President Barack Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat along with new
corruption allegations that he tried to extort a congressman.
A sweeping 19-count federal indictment alleges that Blagojevich discussed with aides the possibility of getting a Cabinet post in the new president's administration,
substantial fundraising assistance or a high-paying job in exchange for the Senate seat.
Obama's deputy press secretary, Josh Earnest, said the White House would not comment. The indictment does not allege any wrongdoing by Obama or his associates.
Prosecutors also accused Blagojevich and members of his inner circle of scheming to line their pockets with millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains, squeezing contractors,
hospital owners and others seeking state business for kickbacks they planned to split after the governor left office.
quot;I'm saddened and hurt but I am not surprised by the indictment. I am innocent,quot; Blagojevich said in a statement. quot;I now will fight in the courts to clear my name. I
would ask the good people of Illinois to wait for the trial and afford me the presumption of innocence that they would give to all their friends and neighbors.quot; His
brother, two former aides, a former fundraiser and a lobbyist were also indicted. Blagojevich's wife, Patti, was not indicted.
According to the indictment, the corruption stretches back to when Blagojevich became governor in 2003. He and three coconspirators agreed then to use his position
for financial gain and split the proceeds after he left office, the indictment said.
The indictment alleges that Blagojevich:
--Told an aide he wanted to stall a $2 million state grant to a school supported by a congressman until the lawmaker's brother held a fundraiser for the governor. The
congressman's identity wasn't released.
--Was involved in a corrupt scheme to get a massive kickback in exchange for the refinancing of billions of dollars in state pension funds.
--Told an aide he didn't want executives with two financial institutions getting further state business after he concluded they were not helping his wife get a high-
paying job. --Withheld state aid sought by the Tribune Co. unless the company fired unfriendly editorial writers at the Chicago Tribune.
Also, convicted fixer Tony Rezko paid Patti Blagojevich a $14,396 real estate commission quot;even though she had done no workquot; to earn it and later hired her at a salary
of $12,000 a month plus another $40,000 fee, the indictment said.
Others charged were former chief of staff Alonzo Monk; another former chief of staff, John Harris; brother Robert Blagojevich; onetime chief fundraiser Christopher G.
Kelly; and Springfield lobbyist-millionaire William F. Cellini.
Prosecutors said Harris has agreed to cooperate.
Blagojevich faces 16 counts of wire fraud, racketeering and extortion conspiracy, attempted extortion and making false statements. Most of those charges carry a
maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Blagojevich, 52, was arrested Dec. 9 on a criminal complaint and U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald had faced a Tuesday deadline to supplant it with an indictment
handed up by a federal grand jury.
The Democrat's arrest led to his political downfall: The Illinois House impeached him Jan. 9. The Senate convicted him and removed him from office Jan. 29.
Blagojevich's administration has been under federal investigation for years and Kelly and Rezko already have been convicted of federal crimes and are awaiting
sentencing.
Thursday's indictment said that in 2003, Blagojevich, Monk, Kelly and Rezko agreed to direct big-money state business involved in refinancing billions of dollars in
pension bonds as part of a deal with a lobbyist who promised a massive kickback in return. The lobbyist wasn't identified.
Rezko raised more than $1 million in campaign contributions for Blagojevich and also was a major Obama fundraiser.
9. Newsday.com:4-2-2009 Blagojevich indicted
on federal corruption charges
We think this article is the most
outrageous article of the year. We
think this because Blagojevich
tried to sell a seat in the senate.
Doing this is a corrupt way of
abusing you power. This is why we
say this is the most Outrageous.
10. Hijacked U.S. crew turns tables on Somalia pirates
Press 9:19 PM EDT, April 8, 2009 1
Reporting from Nairobi, Kenya - In a riveting high-seas drama, an unarmed American crew wrested control of their U.S.-flagged cargo ship
from Somali pirates Wednesday and sent them fleeing to a lifeboat with the captain as hostage.
A U.S. warship and at least six others were speeding toward the ship -- the first with an American crew to be taken by pirates off the Horn of
Africa -- as crew members negotiated with the pirates for the return of the captain.
Family members said Capt. Richard Phillips surrendered himself to the pirates to secure the safety of the crew.
quot;What I understand is that he offered himself as the hostage,quot; said Gina Coggio, 29, half sister of Phillips' wife. quot;That is what he would do. It's
just who he is and his response as a captain.quot; Details of the day's events emerged sporadically as members of the crew were reached by
satellite phone, providing a glimpse of the maneuvering.
A sailor who spoke to The Associated Press said the entire 20-member crew had been taken hostage but managed to seize one pirate and
then successfully negotiated their own release. The man did not identify himself during the brief conversation.
The crisis played out hundreds of miles off the coast of Somalia -- one of the most lawless nations on earth. President Barack Obama was
following the situation closely, foreign policy adviser Denis McDonough said.
The Maersk Alabama was the sixth vessel seized by Somalis pirates in a week. Pirates have staged 66 attacks since January, and they are still
holding 14 ships and 260 crew members as hostages, according to the International Maritime Bureau, a watchdog group based in Kuala
Lumpur.
Somalia's 1,900-mile (3,057-kilometer) long coastline borders one of the world's busiest shipping lanes and offers a perfect haven to the
heavily armed pirate gangs. They often dress in military fatigues and use GPS systems and satellite phones to coordinate attacks from small,
fast speedboats resupplied by a larger quot;mother shipquot;.
The pirates usually use rocket propelled grenades, anti-tank rocket launchers and automatic weapons to capture large, slow-moving vessels
like the U.S.-flagged 17,000-ton Maersk Alabama, which was carrying food aid from USAID and other agencies to help malnourished people in
Uganda and Somalia.
According to reports from the crew, the pirates sank their boat when they boarded the ship. The captain talked them into getting off the
vessel using one of the ship's lifeboats.
Second Mate Ken Quinn told CNN in a live interview Wednesday that the crew also had held a hostage.
quot;We had a pirate, we took him for 12 hours,quot; Quinn said. quot;We returned him, but they didn't return the captain.quot; Maersk Line Limited CEO
John F. Reinhart said his company received a call that indicated the crewmen were safe. But the call got cut off, and the company could not
ask any more questions.
11. Continued: Hijacked U.S. crew turns tables on Somalia pirates
the first four months of this year. Last year, pirates made off with up to $80 million in
It remained unclear how the unarmed sailors could have overpowered pirates armed ransom money, said Middleton. Those hauls included payment for a Saudi oil tanker and
with automatic weapons. a Ukrainian ship loaded with military tanks, both of which were later released.
Capt. Shane Murphy, second in command on the ship, told his wife, Serena, that pirates NATO already has five warships in the Gulf of Aden and is planning to deploy a
had followed the ship Monday and pursued it again for three or four hours before permanent flotilla to the region this summer.
boarding it Wednesday morning, family members said.
The hijackings -- and the resulting jumps in insurance fees and shipping costs -- have
The ship was taken about 7:30 a.m. local time some 380 miles east of the Somali capital prompted many countries to send their navies to the region. The NATO warships patrol
of Mogadishu. Analysts say many of the pirates have shifted their operations down the alongside three frigates from the European Union, and up to ten American ships. India,
Somali coastline from the Gulf of Aden to escape naval warship patrols. China, Japan, Russia and other nations also cooperate in the international patrols.
Reinhart said the company's vessels had received a heightened alert about piracy U.S. Navy spokesman Lt. Nathan Christensen said the closest U.S.
activity. He did not have particulars about how the ship was taken, but said the crew's
orders were to hide in safe rooms until aid came. They did not have weapons, he said, ship at the time of the hijacking was 345 miles (555 kilometers) away.
and typically, their defense would be to fight the pirates off with fire hoses as they
climbed up the stern. quot;The area the ship was taken in is not where the focus of our ships has been,quot;
Christensen said.
Andrea Phillips, the captain's wife, said her husband had sailed in those waters quot;for quite
some timequot; and a hijacking was perhaps quot;inevitable.quot; Coggio, speaking to reporters from quot;The area we're patrolling is more than a million miles in size. Our ships cannot be
the porch of the Phillips' farmhouse in Underhill, Vt., said the family had been told everywhere at every time.quot; It's a lesson the Somali pirates have taken to heart, venturing
negotiations were being conducted to get the captain back to the boat. hundreds of miles
Capt. Joseph Murphy, a professor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, said his son offshore to capture a British ship, a Taiwanese trawler, a Yemeni tug, a German vessel
was a 2001 Massachusetts Maritime Academy graduate who recently talked to a class and a French yacht in the past week.
about the dangers of piracy.
In an interview with the AP, a man identified by villagers as a pirate, said his gang was
The younger Murphy wrote on his Facebook profile that he worked in waters between not merely a band ruffians, but a well-organized, business-minded group that also had
Oman and Kenya. philanthropic concerns. quot;We have leaders, investors, young people who go to the sea for
hunting ships and also negotiators in many areas,quot; said the man, who identified himself
quot;These waters are infested with pirates that highjack ships daily,quot; Murphy wrote on the only as Madobe. He said he was in his 20s.
page, which features a photograph of him. quot;I feel like it's only a matter of time before my
number gets called.quot; Joseph Murphy said his son was trained in anti-piracy tactics at the Douglas J. Mavrinac, the head of maritime research at investment firm Jefferies & Co.,
academy and received training with firearms and small-arms tactics. said using U.S.-fagged ships with American crews was rare because of the high costs. But
they are used to carry U.S. government aid.
Piracy expert Roger Middleton from London-based think-tank Chatham House said it
was unclear whether the pirates knew they were hijacking a ship with American crew, There are fewer than 200 U.S.-flagged vessels in international waters, said Larry Howard,
but the incident would strengthen the hand of those in American military circles who chair of the Global Business and Transportation Department at SUNY Maritime College in
wanted to take a more robust approach to anti-piracy operations. New York.
Multimillion dollar ransoms are fueling a piracy explosion.
There were 111 attacks in 2008, and more than half that number have been occurred in
12. Newsday.com: 4-8-2009 Hijacked U.S. crew
turns tables on Somalia pirates
We chose this article on Somalia pirates
to be the most unexpected. A lot of
pEoplE think thAt pirAtEs Don’t Exist
Any morE. Also wE Don’t hEAr ABout
pirAtEs unlEss thEy’rE on t.v.
13. Korean scientists clone stem cells
BY BRYN NELSON | STAFF WRITER May 20, 2005 1
South Korean scientists have created 11 new embryonic stem cell lines that are genetically matched to patients with a specific disease or a spinal cord injury -- a
technological feat that has dramatically increased the efficiency of stem cell research while upping the ante in the ongoing ethical and moral debate.
Human embryonic stem cells, sometimes dubbed quot;blank slatesquot; for their ability to become any cell in the body, have been heralded as a promising though unrealized
option for treating a host of diseases such as diabetes and Parkinson's, as well as spinal cord injuries.
Although any clinical applications are still considered years away, scientists say the new study suggests that growing stem cell-derived replacement tissue for sick or
injured patients may be more practical than previously thought.
Charles Jennings, executive director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute in Cambridge, said the study also provides important proof-of-principle demonstrations that
the process can be done in a way that minimizes the risk of immune rejection and contamination from animal-derived components.
quot;I think this proves that it's not hypothetical, it's real,quot; he said. quot;The horse has left the stable. The horse left the stable some time ago and is bolting ahead in other
countries.quot;
Human embryonic stem cell research has proven controversial in the United States because of the necessity of sacrificing early-stage embryos to glean the cells,
drawing the ire of anti-abortion groups. Federally funded scientists are currently limited to experimenting with stem cell lines derived before August 2001 from
embryos left over from in vitro fertilization procedures, though a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives seeks to lift the ban on using new embryonic stem cell
lines.
States such as California and New Jersey already have moved forward with plans to circumvent the federal restrictions, with similar legislation pending in
Massachusetts.
Several other countries, including South Korea, have allowed regulated stem cell cloning to proceed while banning a similar cloning procedure aimed at producing
human babies -- a position supported by most scientists.
The new stem cell lines, created by the same South Korean researchers who announced the first successful derivation of a cloned human embryonic stem cell line last
year, were produced via a technical process deemed ten times more efficient than their initial effort.
quot;It's a giant stride in what is a long journey,quot; said Gerald Schatten, a stem cell expert at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine who advised the South Korean
team and co-authored the new study, published Friday in an online edition of the journal Science.
The researchers, led by veterinarian Woo Suk Hwang and gynecologist Shin Young Moon of Seoul National University, produced the 11 stem cell lines by transferring
nuclear DNA from the skin cells of patients into donated eggs, or oocytes, whose own nucleus had been removed. These cells were coaxed to begin dividing as if
fertilized, and grown in the laboratory until reaching an early stage of embryo development, the blastocyst stage, at which point stem cells were culled from the inner
cell masses.
The cell lines were derived from men, women and children ranging in age from 2 to 56, including nine patients with spinal cord injuries, one with juvenile diabetes,
and one with an immune deficiency known as congenital hypogammaglobulinemia -- some of the same conditions that researchers say may be treatable by the
technique if it continues to blossom.
Last year, Hwang and his colleagues announced the first successful creation of a human embryonic stem cell from a procedure known as somatic cell nuclear transfer,
sometimes called therapeutic cloning.
That breakthrough required 242 donated eggs from 16 women volunteers and 30 early-stage blastocysts to produce one stem cell line. For the latest study, the same
researchers used 185 donated oocytes from 18 women to generate 31 blastocysts and 11 stem cell lines -- a ten-fold improvement in overall efficiency. Eggs donated
from women under the age of 30 appeared to increase the success rate the most.
Hwang and Schatten said the new study demonstrates that stem cells can be derived from human patients, regardless of their age, sex, illness or injury, and that an
immune system match between the cells and their genetic donors may eliminate the need to use toxic immunosuppressive drugs in any therapeutic applications.
14. Korean scientists clone stem cells (continued)
The team further demonstrated that the cells could differentiate into cells with traits of skin and retina cells, muscle cell bundles, bone matrix cells, and cells of the
gastrointestinal and respiratory lining.
quot;It's almost, but not quite clinical grade material,quot; Schatten said. For stem cells to be useful in a clinical setting, researchers would need to coax them to differentiate
into specific cell types on command. Also, cells derived from patients with genetic diseases would not be useful for direct treatment unless the defect could be
corrected. And scientists must still demonstrate that such stem cells are safe, effective, and tolerated by the human immune system.
Nevertheless, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine stem cell researcher Gordon Keller lauded the team's quot;impressivequot; achievement in requiring far fewer egg donations to
produce each cell line.
quot;I think it looks very good,quot; he said. quot;It's exciting.quot;
The study is sure to further ignite the debate over the promise and limitations of stem cell research and of cloning techniques that may be used to produce a human
child.
quot;Arguments about inefficiency will have much less force because of this paper,quot; Jennings said. quot;It comes down to people's moral beliefs.quot;
Kevin Fitzgerald, a biomedical ethicist at Georgetown University Medical Center agreed, asserting that the demonstration that the reseach is feasible will clarify the
central issue, quot;which I think comes back to the creation and destruction of human embryos, of nascent human life.quot;
Fitzgerald said he was quot;deeply troubledquot; by this creation and destruction process for scientific purposes, but said the research has now laid that issue squarely on the
table.
quot;And so we have here the commodification of human life, and lives,quot; he said, quot;and societies around the world are going to have to decide how they're going to
respond to this technological ability that we have for manipulation.quot;
Responding to concerns that the technique could aid those interested in cloning humans, both Hwang and Schatten repeatedly expressed their opposition to such a
goal in a teleconference.
quot;Reproductive cloning is not our goal of research,quot; Hwang said. quot;Reproductive cloning is unsafe and it shouldn't be done in any country -- and I think biologically, it
may be impossible.quot;
Schatten said the cloning technique quot;might be nature's very best immune-matched repair kit.quot; But he also downplayed suggestions that it could provide a key
technological boost to those seeking to clone humans, citing the extensive gene expression errors found in cloned animals and large number of oocytes needed for
an implanted embryo to yield a successful pregnancy.
quot;This will never be part of reproductive medicine,quot; he asserted, though Fitzgerald pointed out that similar technical arguments were once made against stem cell
research -- and subsequently overcome.
Stanford University biomedical ethicists David Magnus and Mildred Cho said the study raises other unforeseen ethical challenges. The improved efficiency means
that far fewer women egg donors will be required for the research, though they said classifying egg donors like organ or blood donors will better frame the informed
consent process. They also suggested eliminating the use of the phrase quot;therapeutic cloningquot; to describe the somatic cell nuclear transfer procedure involved in
producing stem cells, in order to avoid confusion that the research may have a direct therapeutic benefit to its participants.
Laurie Zoloth, director of the Center for Bioethics at Northwestern University, praised the scientists for paying close attention to ethical concerns, including informed
consent.
quot;Not only is this a lab that's committed to moving ahead with the science, but they wanted to make sure that ethics is a part of all of the science that they publish,quot;
she said.
Zoloth cautioned against over-hyping the scientific results, but commended them as a quot;clear, small, but significant step along a long, long road.quot;
15. Newsday.com: 5-20-2009 Korean
scientists clone stem cells
We chose this article to be th most
controversial. A lot of people think
that it is wrong to test on unborn babies
not even giving them a chance to live.
Yet others think that stem cell
research can improve the world..
