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Articles by Ryan Ross
The Price of Access
ANNAPOLIS - At Lewnes' Steakhouse one recent evening during Maryland's 90-day legislative session, magnums of high-end wines waited uncorked in a private dining room with the blinds drawn. As two Capital News Service reporters watched nearby, more than a dozen Maryland legislators headed up the stairs to a free, expensive meal courtesy of a prestigious lobbying firm whose clients have business before them.
ICE presence reshapes Hyattsville food aid efforts, forcing new ways to reach those in need
Hyattsville church and city programs are adapting how they deliver food and other essentials to struggling families after volunteers and city officials reported fewer residents venturing out for help amid heightened Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity. Volunteers and city officials say the presence of ICE has frightened some residents in need from seeking meals, fresh produce and diapers, pushing churches and the City of Hyattsville to adjust outreach methods.
House Republican Impeachment Inquiry: Funding the Government and Examining Allegations Against President Biden
Title: House Republican Impeachment Inquiry Raises Questions in the Midst of Funding Government Date: [Insert current date] Byline: Damien Henderson and Ryan Ross, USA TODAY WASHINGTON – The decision by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to order an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden has sparked debate among House Republicans, with concerns arising over the efficiency of funding the federal government.
Genetic discrimination lawsuit filed in the USA
Genetic discrimination lawsuit filed in the USA 8 February 2016 Appeared in BioNews 838 The parents of a child carrying genetic markers for cystic fibrosis (CF) are suing a school for alleged discrimination and unlawful disclosure of personal information.
An insight into inquiries
The Practical Guide to Public Inquiries Isabelle Mitchell, Peter Watkin Jones, Sarah Jones, Emma Ireton £76.50, Hart Publishing ★★★★✩ Public inquiries are now an established feature of the legal landscape. They range in focus and scale, and, in recent years, have investigated everything from public tragedies to terrorist attacks, rogue doctors, child protection and the Iraq War.
UK scientists seek trial of 'mitochondria-boosting' IVF technique
UK scientists seek trial of 'mitochondria-boosting' IVF technique 1 February 2016 Appeared in BioNews 837 UK fertility doctors are seeking permission to trial a new IVF treatment that involves transferring additional mitochondria into egg cells before fertilisation. Care Fertility, a clinic based in Nottingham, has applied to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) for a licence to conduct a trial involving around 20 IVF patients using the technique, known as Augment.
Fertility takes up to eight months to return after stopping contraception
Fertility takes up to eight months to return after stopping contraception 16 November 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1072 Women may have to wait up for up to eight months for their fertility to return to normal after stopping some forms of contraceptives, new research suggests. Oral contraceptives were, and still are, the most used method of contraception, but long-lasting reversible contraceptives, such as intrauterine devices (IUD) or injectable contraceptives are becoming more popular.
LETTER: Too much traffic from Charlottetown development | SaltWire
My family and I are staying at 20 Massey Dr., Charlottetown. I understand that there is a proposed project of three 20-unit apartment buildings and this will make a big concern for all residents of Southview Estates. I am writing this letter in order to express my objection to the mentioned project for the following reasons. The neighbourhood is not opposed to the apartments, but the neighbourhood already suffers from congestion when trying to exit via Malpeque and Lower Malpeque roads.
Summerside man says someone spray painted homophobic slurs on his car | The Telegram
A Summerside man says he got a shock recently when he found someone had sprayed homophobic slurs on his car. The man, who asked not to be named because of the nature of the incident, said he was getting ready to go to work on April 29 when he walked out to his car where someone had sprayed graffiti on it. He said he didn’t know what to think at first when he saw the words “fag” and “homo” painted on the driver’s-side windows and body.
P.E.I. law enforcement working together to locate two escapees | SaltWire
Law enforcement agencies in P.E.I. are on the hunt for two men who escaped from the Provincial Correctional Centre yesterday. A statement from the Justice Department issued this morning said that at around 11 p.m., Murray James Todd, 31, and Brandon Jeffery Quinn, 22, escaped from the jail where they were serving time for non-violent offences. The statement said the RCMP and municipal police forces were notified immediately and are searching for the two men.
VIDEO: Second case of COVID-19 confirmed in P.E.I. | SaltWire
Chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison has confirmed there is a second case of COVID-19 in P.E.I. Morrison made the announcement at a news conference this afternoon where she said the second case is a man in his 40s who returned from the UK and self-isolated. More details to come later online and in our print and e-editions Dr. Morrison confirming 2nd case of #COVID-19 in PEI. Man is in his 40's. Returned from UK and self-isolated.
WATCH LIVE: P.E.I. Premier Dennis King declares state of public health emergency | SaltWire
Premier Dennis King has declared a state of public health emergency. King made the announcement during a 5 p.m. news conference where chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison along with members of the provincial cabinet provided an update related to the coronavirus (COVID-19). Earlier today, the province announced all library programs have been cancelled Island-wide and all libraries will be closed until further notice.
RYAN ROSS: Aurora moves in the right direction soliciting a chorus of voices on policing
One of the most interesting things I learned in college didn’t come from the classroom; it came from my need to survive. Like many college students before me, I needed resources to live, so focus groups became one of my hobbies.I was just amazed at how the business community could use a focus group as a market resource tool to find out information.
3 Essential Elements To Increase The Viability Of Your Social Venture
By Ryan Ross5 minute Read Our modern world is confronted with daunting 21st-century challenges that impact billions of people across the globe. Environmental degradation, food insecurity, lack of healthcare and access to clean water are just some of the issues requiring a new way of thinking.
IVF changes babies' epigenetics - but these disappear by adulthood
IVF changes babies' epigenetics - but these disappear by adulthood 9 September 2019 A new study has found that children born from assisted reproductive technologies have different epigenetic patterns to those born through natural conception - but that these differences vanish by adulthood.
Australia launches genetic testing moratorium for life insurance
Australia launches genetic testing moratorium for life insurance 8 July 2019 Appeared in BioNews 1005 A new moratorium prevents insurance providers from asking genetic test results be disclosed in applications for life insurance of AU$500,000 or below. Australia's Financial Services Council (FSC) – a professional body of which all companies offering life insurance are members – announced the moratorium which came into effect on 1 July.
Canadian doctor loses licence for using own sperm in IVF
Canadian doctor loses licence for using own sperm in IVF 1 July 2019 Appeared in BioNews 1004 A Canadian fertility specialist, Dr Norman Barwin, has lost his medical licence for using the wrong sperm, including his own, to inseminate a number of IVF patients. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario revoked Dr Barwin's licence and ordered him to pay costs following an investigation that showed evidence of twelve cases of fertility treatment where he had used the wrong sperm.
Transcontinental says SaltWire Network in breach of contract after 2017 sale of media assets | The Telegram
Transcontinental Inc. says it is considering filing a counter lawsuit in a legal battle related to the sale of its media assets in Atlantic Canada. SaltWire Network announced Wednesday it had filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Transcontinental related to the 2017 sale. On Wednesday, a spokeswoman for Transcontinental said the company planned to defend itself and wouldn’t provide any further comment since the matter was before the courts.
Transcontinental says SaltWire Network in breach of contract after 2017 sale of media assets | The Chronicle Herald
Transcontinental Inc. says it is considering filing a counter lawsuit in a legal battle related to the sale of its media assets in Atlantic Canada. SaltWire Network announced Wednesday it had filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Transcontinental related to the 2017 sale. On Wednesday, a spokeswoman for Transcontinental said the company planned to defend itself and wouldn’t provide any further comment since the matter was before the courts.
Transcontinental says SaltWire Network in breach of contract after 2017 sale of media assets | The Guardian
Transcontinental Inc. says it is considering filing a counter lawsuit in a legal battle related to the sale of its media assets in Atlantic Canada. SaltWire Network announced Wednesday it had filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Transcontinental related to the 2017 sale. On Wednesday, a spokeswoman for Transcontinental said the company planned to defend itself and wouldn’t provide any further comment since the matter was before the courts.
The UK courts remain unmoved on commercial surrogacy
The UK courts remain unmoved on commercial surrogacy 2 October 2017 Appeared in BioNews 920 A recent case is noteworthy not only for clinical negligence lawyers but also those interested in surrogacy and the wider public policy debate in the UK. Much of that debate has focused on the lack of regulation provided by the current UK legal framework and the need for the law to be modernised so that it can properly afford protection to those involved in surrogacy arrangements - a view I share.
UK surrogates call for immediate transfer of parenthood after birth
UK surrogates call for immediate transfer of parenthood after birth 7 January 2019 Appeared in BioNews 981 Most surrogates think they should be able to claim reasonable expenses for carrying a child for someone else, a new report from Surrogacy UK has found. They also felt that legal parenthood should rest with the intended parents immediately after birth. The survey was carried out by Kent Law School on behalf of Surrogacy UK's working group on surrogacy law reform.
Pregnant Cambodian surrogates charged with human trafficking
At least 32 pregnant Cambodian women have been charged for involvement in human trafficking. The charges come after five suspected leaders of the surrogacy operation, including Cambodian and Chinese nationals, were charged with human trafficking. The women, who were previously discovered to carry babies for Chinese clients in an illegal surrogacy ring (see BioNews 956), are being held in detention before trial. Some of the women are in their seventh or eighth month of pregnancy.
'Energising' patients' eggs for ICSI has no effect
A controversial technique to 'super-charge' patients' eggs with the patients' own mitochondria does not improve assisted conception success rates, suggests a new study. Dr Elena Labarta from the IVI clinic in Valencia, Spain presented the pilot results from 57 patients with a poor fertility prognosis at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) annual conference in Barcelona, Spain on Tuesday.
The strongest defence against genetic discrimination
Genetic discrimination, the excessive profiling or negative treatment of individuals based on their genetic characteristics is a recurrent ethical issue and a source of psychological distress for individuals considering undertaking a genetic test. Moreover, similarly to sexual, religious or disability-based discrimination, genetic discrimination is a source of exclusion and effectively limits the social and professional opportunities of its victims (Wauters A and Van Hoyweghen I, 2016).
Acupuncture does not affect IVF success rate
Acupuncture during IVF treatment does not increase the chances of having a baby, according to new research. A study published this week in JAMA and led by Professor Caroline Smith from Western Sydney University, Australia, compared the birth rate in women who received traditional acupuncture during their course of IVF to those who received a sham acupuncture treatment.
'Outdated and inadequate' UK surrogacy laws set for reform
The Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission, have announced that they will review the law around surrogacy and make recommendations for reform. As part of a three-year project, the two bodies tasked with keeping the law under review will examine legal parenthood and the regulation of surrogacy more widely.
Genetic test suggests fertility doctor used his own sperm to treat patients
A US woman is suing her parents' former fertility doctor, after a home DNA test revealed he used his own semen to conceive her. Kelli Rowlette initially thought that the DNA test she submitted to the genealogy website Ancestry.com was inaccurate because it predicted a parent-child match with a stranger. She later realised he was also named as the presiding doctor on her birth certificate.
Three percent of world may be from ART by 2100
A study predicts that nearly 400 million people in 2100 may be alive as a result of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). The figure, which would account for three percent of the world's projected population, includes not only those conceived using ART, but also their descendants. 'These striking projections offer numbers for the first time instead of what was previously guesswork,' say the authors of the study, published in the journal Reproductive BioMedicine Online.
US lesbian couple's parental rights upheld after sperm donor asserts paternity
A New York appeal court has ruled that a man who donated sperm to a lesbian couple has no legal right to demand a paternity test for the resulting child. In 2013, the man voluntarily donated sperm to a lesbian couple to allow them to have a baby. Before the insemination took place, he signed a written agreement waiving any claim to legal paternity but had a change of heart seven months after the child was born. The mothers married prior to the birth, and both are named on the birth certificate.
Lesbian couple sue hospital after being 'refused IVF'
Two women claim to have been refused IVF treatment on the NHS at St Mary's Hospital in Manchester on the basis of their sexuality. The women, who are in a civil partnership, say they were told by a nurse and then by a doctor at the hospital that they were not entitled to IVF treatment because they were in a same-sex relationship, reports the Manchester Evening News. The women, who are both 38, had previously tried to have a baby through a private donor.
NJ police brutality: Secret settlements keep bad cops on street, public in danger
Killed. Beaten. Stalked. More than 200 citizens across the state have been victimized in recent years by out-of-control rogue cops. In many cases, the cops kept their jobs, even got promoted – while tens of millions of your tax dollars kept the abuses quiet. Until now. New Jersey governments across the state, from the smallest towns to some of the largest cities, have spent more than $42 million this decade to cover-up deaths, physical abuses and sexual misconduct at the hands of bad cops.
NJ police brutality: Secret settlements keep bad cops on street, public in danger
Killed. Beaten. Stalked. More than 200 citizens across the state have been victimized in recent years by out-of-control rogue cops. In many cases, the cops kept their jobs, even got promoted – while tens of millions of your tax dollars kept the abuses quiet. Until now. New Jersey governments across the state, from the smallest towns to some of the largest cities, have spent more than $42 million this decade to cover-up deaths, physical abuses and sexual misconduct at the hands of bad cops.
NJ police brutality: Secret settlements keep bad cops on street, public in danger
Killed. Beaten. Stalked. More than 200 citizens across the state have been victimized in recent years by out-of-control rogue cops. In many cases, the cops kept their jobs, even got promoted – while tens of millions of your tax dollars kept the abuses quiet. Until now. New Jersey governments across the state, from the smallest towns to some of the largest cities, have spent more than $42 million this decade to cover-up deaths, physical abuses and sexual misconduct at the hands of bad cops.
Philip Seidle, killer cop: Ex-wife 'did not become a victim until I killed her'
The former Neptune police sergeant spends his days mostly alone, locked in a maximum-security cell at New Jersey State Prison, the facility for the state's toughest inmates.
Philip Seidle, NJ killer cop: Ex-wife 'did not become a victim until I killed her'
The former Neptune police sergeant spends his days mostly alone, locked in a maximum-security cell at New Jersey State Prison, the facility for the state's toughest inmates.
NJ police brutality: Secret settlements keep bad cops on street, public in danger
Killed. Beaten. Stalked. More than 200 citizens across the state have been victimized in recent years by out-of-control rogue cops. In many cases, the cops kept their jobs, even got promoted – while tens of millions of your tax dollars kept the abuses quiet. Until now. New Jersey governments across the state, from the smallest towns to some of the largest cities, have spent more than $42 million this decade to cover-up deaths, physical abuses and sexual misconduct at the hands of bad cops.
UK Parliament considers law change on single-parent surrogacy
A remedial order has been laid before the UK Parliament which, if passed, will give single people the same rights as couples to become the legal parents of their surrogate-born children. Under UK law, the woman who gives birth to a child is automatically considered the child's legal parent. In cases of surrogacy a parental order is required to transfer the legal parenthood to the intended parents. However, current law only permits couples to apply for parental orders.
Illumina wins NIPT patent case in UK High Court
The UK Patents Court has ruled that two separate non-invasive prenatal tests infringe patents licensed by the US firm Illumina. Illumina successfully claimed that the Iona test offered by Premaitha Health was in infringement of five patents, and a gender testing component of Ariosa Diagnostics' Harmony test infringed one patent. Unless the judgement is successfully appealed, both tests may be subject to restrictions limiting their sale on the UK market.
Shared motherhood IVF for lesbian couples is gaining acceptance in the UK
In 2008, parliament voted to scrap the controversial 'need for a father' requirement from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act; a consideration for 'supportive parenting' took its place. Alongside legislation giving rights to civil partnership (2004) and to marriage (2014) to same-sex couples, this provided the basis for a sudden surge in fertility treatment options for single and lesbian women.
Eight questions for Anne Wojcicki, CEO and co-founder of 23andMe
For the 800th issue of BioNews, we put eight questions to 23andMe CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki. Anne is a trained biologist who worked for ten years in health investment analysis before co-founding 23andMe in 2006. The company specialises in home genetic testing and says its aim is to 'help people access, understand and benefit from the human genome'.
US fertility doctor accused of using own sperm changes plea
A retired US fertility doctor who last year was accused of using his own sperm to inseminate women he treated at his clinic in Indianapolis in the 1970s has indicated he will plead guilty to misleading investigators. Dr Donald Cline was charged with two counts of obstruction of justice in 2016, to which he pleaded not guilty. However, in a hearing scheduled for December 2017, it is understood that he will change that plea.
Broad Institute responds to Berkeley CRISPR patent appeal
The Broad Institute has filed arguments ahead of the upcoming CRISPR patent appeal hearing. This marks the latest development in ongoing dispute over the US patent for CRISPR/Cas9 between the University of California at Berkeley (UC), and the University of Vienna and Professor Emmanuelle Charpentier, against the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, regarding who has the right to a patent on the eukaryotic application of CRISPR/Cas9 technology.
Book Review: Bioinformation by Bronwyn Parry and Beth Greenhough
Since 2011, Polity Books has published a number of books in its 'Resources Series', which have focused on subjects like diamonds, oil and timber. Yet its forthcoming volume marks something of a shift, for its focus is bioinformation – that is, data from or about biological organisms, created for a variety of functions (e.g., to identify particular genes or people), and which includes medical records and DNA databases, along with archived pathological samples and the results of clinical trials.
The UK courts remain unmoved on commercial surrogacy
A recent case is noteworthy not only for clinical negligence lawyers but also those interested in surrogacy and the wider public policy debate in the UK. Much of that debate has focused on the lack of regulation provided by the current UK legal framework and the need for the law to be modernised so that it can properly afford protection to those involved in surrogacy arrangements - a view I share. This case was heard in June 2017 in the High Court, London, the judgment followed in September.
Australian insurance inquiry to consider genetic discrimination
A parliamentary inquiry in Australia is examining the impact of life insurance discrimination based on genetic test results. Under current law, genetic testing could result in increased life insurance premiums or exclusion from life insurance coverage altogether. This differs from rules governing health insurance which protect patients from such discrimination.
EPO awards CRISPR patent to European biotech
German-based company MilliporeSigma has announced that the European Patent Office (EPO) intends to approve its CRISPR patent for use on eukaryotic cells. The firm, a subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Merck KGaA, said the EPO has issued a 'Notice of Intention to Grant' a broad patent for the company's CRISPR technology. 'This is a significant and exciting decision by the EPO.
Australian nurse jailed for illegal Cambodian surrogacy
An Australian nurse has been given a prison sentence after being found guilty of running an illegal surrogacy service in Cambodia. Tammy Davis-Charles and two Cambodian colleagues were arrested a fortnight after authorities banned commercial surrogacy in November 2016. (see BioNews 879).
CRISPR patent dispute ramps up with filing of court appeal
The University of California has moved to appeal a decision of the US Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) over the use of CRISPR in eukaryotic cells.
Key CRISPR players agree to patent pool
The Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard will take part in an initiative to simplify licensing CRISPR genome editing technology to other organisations and institutions. If all the major CRISPR patent holders join, the pool could facilitate the licensing of CRISPR patents to parties interested in using the technology, making it a 'one-stop-shop'.
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