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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsscience8mos ago

Should the government fund research into genetic engineering for disease prevention and treatment?

Genetic engineering involves modifying the DNA of organisms to prevent or treat diseases. Proponents argue that it could lead to breakthroughs in curing genetic disorders and improving public health. Opponents argue that it raises ethical concerns and potential risks of unintended consequences.

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 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...8mos8MO

Yes

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...8mos8MO

No

 @ISIDEWITHasked…5mos5MO

How would you feel if genetic engineering could allow you to choose certain traits in your future children?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…5mos5MO

Do you think altering genes to eliminate diseases crosses an ethical line, or is it just a natural progression of science?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…5mos5MO

Would you want to know if your DNA had been engineered, or do you think the results matter more than the process?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…5mos5MO

How might society change if everyone could eliminate health risks or enhance abilities using genetic engineering?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…5mos5MO

Is there a trait or characteristic you would want to change about yourself if genetic modification were available?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…5mos5MO

What fears come to mind when you think about modifying the DNA of living organisms, and are those fears valid?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…5mos5MO

Should all people have equal access to genetic engineering, or is it okay if only those who can afford it use it?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…5mos5MO

How do you think genetically modified humans would be treated in society—is it more likely to bring equality or division?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…5mos5MO

Would you support genetic engineering if it were only used for medical purposes, or does that still raise concerns for you?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…5mos5MO

Is it more dangerous for us to not explore the benefits of genetic engineering, or to take the risk of using it without fully understanding the consequences?

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2mos2MO

AOC Sparks Backlash After Ditching Gender Pronouns

Famously progressive Democrat congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez raised eyebrows by removing her pronouns from her X account. The move from Squad lawmaker, 35, seen as one of the most liberal members of Congress, was seen by some as a sign that the cultural tide is turning following Donald Trump's election win. Journalist Benjamin Ryan said records showed AOC removed her 'she/her' pronouns sometime between August 3, 2023, and May 28, 2024. Critics branded her a hypocrite, and noted that just two years ago AOC apologized to followers for not having pronouns in her Instagram bio, claiming they 'fell off' and she didn't realize. Conservatives were quick to mock AOC after it was realized that she had removed the pronouns from her account bio. Some also noted that she changed her moniker from the genderless 'Representative' to 'Congresswoman' as she removed her pronouns. Ocasio-Cortez has long been a supporter of transgender rights, including so-called gender-affirming care for children, and transgender girls competing in female sports.But the Democrats more extreme stances were blamed as a massive vote loser for Kamala Harris in the recent election.An advert showing her supporting taxpayer-funded gender reassignment surgeries for illegal migrant prisoners was played on repeat by Team Trump.Many Dems' insistence that opposing hormones for trans children or banning trans girls from joining female sports teams was transphobic further alienated centrists.Immigration and inflation were the issues that ultimately swung the election for Donald Trump, but the Dems' unpopular trans stance has now forced a reckoning within the party.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2mos2MO

America’s Housing Market Is Crushing First-Time Buyers

It takes more money than ever to buy a home in America right now. And nearly a third of home buyers navigating the high mortgage rates, rising home prices and low inventory are somehow buying their homes entirely in cash.The share of home buyers paying all cash reached 33 percent through August this year, according to data from Redfin — one of the highest rates since the years following the Great Recession.As cash purchases have become more common, the median age of home buyers has been ticking up and now stands at 56 years old, according to NAR’s data from July 2023 to this June. Even for first-time buyers, the median age has risen to 38 compared to 35 last year.Many of the all-cash buyers are selling previously owned homes to fund their moves. But the rise of cash buys is making it even harder for first-time home buyers. Between July 2023 and June 2024, the share of first-time home buyers in the market was only 24 percent — a historic low.“If it’s a multiple offer situation, it’s likely going to be hard to beat an all-cash offer,” said Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist for the National Association of Realtors. Cash offers often move quicker and are seen as less risky for the sellers.And the struggle to break into the housing market may not ease anytime soon — property experts surveyed by Reuters expect affordability to get worse for first-time buyers over the next year.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…3mos3MO

No One’s Safe: Trump’s ‘Border Czar’ Homan Promises Sweeping Deportation Operation

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…3wks3W

Trump plans to invite entire GOP Senate to Mar-a-Lago bash

President-elect Trump is preparing to invite the entire Senate Republican conference to Mar-a-Lago for a mega-MAGA party in the coming weeks, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.Trump is keen to celebrate a victory he sees as historic and fete the senators who helped him achieve it. He also wants to build trust with the lawmakers he needs to pass his sweeping legislative agenda."Mar-a-Lago is special to the president. He's at ease there. Everyone is," a Trump adviser told Axios."So it's a good place to get everyone together outside of Washington. It's team bonding. Trump is very much the player-coach."Final details have not been locked down, but the big bash could come before Trump's inauguration.It will serve as an informal and more fun follow-up to his meeting Wednesday evening with GOP senators at their weekly policy get-together.Trump is also hosting governors at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday night, Politico reported.Also this week, Trump will welcome three House groups to his Florida club. There'll be separate meetings scheduled for the Freedom Caucus, committee chairs and the so-called SALT lawmakers from high-tax blue states.Zoom out: Trump likes to play the role of DJ at his Palm Beach club, but the background music will likely be dominated by the same talk that has consumed D.C. these last few weeks.Republicans are in a heated internal conversation on whether to use one — or two — legislative vehicles to implement Trump's immigration and tax reform policies.Trump isn't entirely indifferent, but he's indicated he can live with either approach."I like one, big, beautiful bill," Trump said at a press conference on Tuesday. "But if two is more certain, it does go a little bit quicker because you can do the immigration stuff early.""I can live either way," he added.Zoom in: This winter, Mar-a-Lago has been the warm-weather retreat for Trump's court — once in exile, but now preparing to return to power. (Mar-a-Lago was dubbed the "Winter White House" long before Trump bought it).Government leaders and high-profile executives have all visited Trump in Palm Beach, both to pay their respects, but also to understand Trump's intentions and shape his views.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2mos2MO

Trump Appoints Controversial Covid Critic Bhattacharya To National Institute of Health

President Trump announces the nomination of Dr Bhattacharya to Director of the National Institutes of Health.Bhattacharya has called for shifting the agency’s focus toward funding more innovative research and reducing the influence of some of its longest-serving career officials, among other ideas.Trump earlier this month selected Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees NIH and other health agencies. Kennedy has played a central role in choosing top health-care staff and deputies for the next administration, including Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon and writer whom Trump announced to lead the Food and Drug Administration, and Dave Weldon, an internal medicine physician and former GOP congressman whom Trump selected to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Bhattacharya emerged as a prominent critic of the federal government’s covid-19 response, co-writing an October 2020 open letter known as the Great Barrington Declaration that called for rolling back coronavirus-related shutdowns while keeping “focused protections” for vulnerable populations, such as older Americans. The proposal won support from Republican politicians and some Americans eager to resume daily life but was rebuked by public health experts, including then-NIH Director Francis S. Collins, as premature and dangerous as the covid-19 virus continued to spread and vaccines were not yet available.Bhattacharya has called for rolling back the power of some of the 27 institutes and centers that constitute NIH, saying that some career civil servants wrongly shaped national policies at the height of the pandemic and did not tolerate dissent. Bhattacharya and other critics have singled out Anthony S. Fauci, the infectious-disease expert who led one of NIH’s centers for 38 years and helped steer the nation’s coronavirus response before leaving the federal government in December 2022.Trump Appoints Controversial Covid Critic Bhattacharya To NIH

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…3 days3D

Democratic Party Panics as Social Media Gap Widens

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