http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/prop71/ en-us Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:47:14 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2294467/posts Bioethics: The former director of the National Institutes of Health, once an enthusiast for embryonic stem cells, now says their future has "dimmed." So why is the administration bailing out research into such therapies while troubled states like California have committed billions?Aside from creating or saving a few research jobs, the administration's decision to federally fund embryonic stem cell research is, as we've noted, a bailout of bad science. It throws money at an avenue of research that time and adult stem cell progress have passed by. Applauding the administration's move was Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., who echoed the claims... IBD Editorials http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2294467/posts#comment Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:47:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2203134/posts LOS ANGELES, March 9 (Xinhua) -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday applauded President Barack Obama for lifting funding ban on stem cell research. "President Obama's executive order is a huge win for the millions of people who suffer from spinal cord injuries, diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis and many other illnesses," Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "Californians were the first in the nation to support and fund embryonic stem cell research and we are big believers in the power of this revolutionary science to not only improve but to save lives." Earlier on Monday, Obama abolished contentious Bush-era restraints... chinaview.cn http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2203134/posts#comment Tue, 10 Mar 2009 07:49:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2192866/posts California's stem-cell agency will stick to its plan of incurring debt by selling bonds to private investors despite an agreement hashed out by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state legislative leaders aimed at plugging a $42 billion shortfall over 17 months in the state's budget, an official for the agency said last week. "It will actually improve, we think, the ease with which we'll be able to do the private placements. It won't eliminate the need for them," California Institute for Regenerative Medicine spokesman Don Gibbons told BioRegion News last week. CIRM announced earlier this month it plans to privately sell... Genomweb http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2192866/posts#comment Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:41:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2164444/posts Charges of an ethics lapse by a stem cell scientist seeking a California research grant have been resolved with a "warning letter" from the state's Fair Political Practices Commission. The controversy arose more than a year ago when Dr. John Reed, chief executive officer of the Burnham Institute for Medical Research in La Jolla (San Diego County), wrote a letter to the chief scientist of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine urging the agency to reverse its rejection of a $630,000 grant to one of the institute's scientists. Reed is a member of the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee, the state-sponsored... SFGate.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2164444/posts#comment Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:26:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2144339/posts Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has expressed “deep concern” about the state stem cell institute's plans to set the salaries for the chairman and vice chairman of its board, two positions for which no one has accepted pay in three years. With the state facing a possible $28 billion deficit, Schwarzenegger sent a letter Thursday to the stem cell institute's board urging it “to ensure that compensation for these positions is offered only if and to the extent absolutely necessary to implement its mission.” Setting a salary for the chairman of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine is on the agenda for... San Diego Union-Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2144339/posts#comment Sun, 7 Dec 2008 05:31:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2012620/posts California's stem cell institute has granted nearly $271 million to 12 universities and research centers to build new research laboratories. In 2004, Californians approved Proposition 71, a measure that created the California Institute for Regernerative Medicine, a $3 billion stem cell research agency. The institute says the new labs are needed to house the glut of researchers who flocked to the state to study stem cells. The largest grant announced Wednesday for a single campus will be $43.6 million for Stanford University. Nearly $137 million in funding will be divided between eight University of California campuses, with UC San Francisco... AP on Bakersfield Californian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2012620/posts#comment Wed, 7 May 2008 20:19:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1931501/posts California Controller John Chiang on Tuesday joined a consumer group in requesting an investigation of a board member of the state's $3 billion stem-cell institute and said he will audit the institute to ensure it is spending its money appropriately. Chiang said he has asked the Fair Political Practices Commission to investigate John Reed, chief executive of the Burnham Institute of La Jolla and a board member with the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. A similar complaint was lodged against Reed last week by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "I want a full review," Chiang said during a... Mercury News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1931501/posts#comment Wed, 28 Nov 2007 02:57:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1930130/posts Tuesday's announcement that scientists had found a noncontroversial way to make cells equivalent to human embryonic stem cells did not just change the scientific and ethical landscape. It generated economic and geopolitical tremors through California, New York and about half a dozen other states that have invested -- in some cases heavily -- in embryonic stem cell programs and research centers. Washington Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1930130/posts#comment Sun, 25 Nov 2007 04:50:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1929480/posts A prominent member of the governing board for California's stem cell agency may have violated state conflict-of-interest rules last summer when he tried to reverse a decision rejecting a grant proposal by a scientist who works for him at the Burnham Institute of Medical Research in La Jolla (San Diego County). The miscue has prompted calls for Burnham Institute chief executive Dr. John Reed to resign from the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee, the board that governs the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. "If indeed Dr. Reed has violated the law, then I think he ought to consider resigning," said Jeff... SFGate.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1929480/posts#comment Fri, 23 Nov 2007 04:08:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1844378/posts Schwarzenegger: "I am a Catholic and a very dedicated Catholic, but" I support Research on Human Embryos TORONTO, June 1, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Speaking at a press conference at the MaRS Discovery District research centre in Toronto yesterday, actor-turned California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger defended his support for embryonic stem cell research seen as controversial in light of his self-professed Catholic faith. "I always said that you should not have your religion interfere with government policies or with the policies of the people," said Schwarzenegger. "I am a Catholic and a very dedicated Catholic, but that does not interfere with my... LifeSiteNews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1844378/posts#comment Mon, 4 Jun 2007 06:57:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1802201/posts California's stem cell agency announced Friday that it will hand out about $75 million in research grants to a dozen universities and nonprofit laboratories, only a month after doling out $45 million for studies. The grants far exceed the federal government's annual outlay. "As of today, California is the largest and most stable source of funding for human embryonic stem cell research in the world," said Robert N. Klein, chairman of the oversight committee that governs the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Some of the money will go to researchers looking for ways to fight Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Lou Gehrig's... AP on Bakersfield Californian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1802201/posts#comment Sat, 17 Mar 2007 02:38:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1792383/posts State auditors Tuesday criticized California's $3 billion stem-cell institute for lax travel and entertainment rules that let its officials sometimes get chauffeured rental cars, pricey meals and first-class air fare. The report by California State Auditor Elaine Howle also faulted the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine for using questionable data in justifying its salaries, which in some cases seemed excessive to the auditors. In addition, the report said, the institute offered vague reasoning for its policies governing how much revenue and other benefits the state should receive from those who develop products from the institute's stem-cell grants. Moreover, the report... Mercury News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1792383/posts#comment Wed, 28 Feb 2007 03:22:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1791681/posts A state appeals court upheld California's $3 billion stem cell agency Monday against attacks by anti-abortion and tax advocates who claimed the agency's managers had conflicts of interest. The 1st District Court of Appeal upheld a decision by a lower court judge who last year ruled in favor of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which was created when Proposition 71 was passed by 59 percent of the electorate in 2004. The California Family Bioethics Council argued that the stem cell agency is rife with conflicts of interest, saying officials from three university systems who sit on the board overseeing... AP on Bakersfield Californian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1791681/posts#comment Tue, 27 Feb 2007 01:28:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1772971/posts A University of California Berkeley economics professor has done an analysis of the financial returns likely to come to California from stem cell research--and he said they will likely be a small fraction of what proponents of state-funded stem-cell research have estimated. Dr. Richard Gilbert originally published his report--titled "Dollars for Genes: Revenue Generation by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine"--in the Berkeley Technology Law Journal in June. It finds that the state will likely make only minimal financial returns on any stem cell research it funds via the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). "The study finds that stem... Capitol Weekly http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1772971/posts#comment Wed, 24 Jan 2007 18:31:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1769812/posts SAN DIEGO – The First District Court of Appeals in San Francisco announced Thursday that it would hear oral arguments Feb. 14 in the case challenging the constitutionality of the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act, known as Proposition 71. Under the California Constitution, the Appeals Court must render a decision in the case within 90 days of the hearing, absent additional briefings required by the court. The plaintiffs in the case – People's Advocate and the National Tax Limitation Foundation (represented by the Life Legal Defense Foundation), and the California Family Bioethics Council – are appealing an April... San Diego Union - Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1769812/posts#comment Thu, 18 Jan 2007 23:56:30 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1749994/posts IRVINE -- The president of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine resigned his post today, citing "almost entirely personal reasons" for leaving the controversial $3-billion stem-cell research venture created in 2004 by the passage of Proposition 71. Zach W. Hall, at a meeting at UC-Irvine of the agency's governing board, noted that he had recently turned 69. "I find myself looking ahead," he said. Hall and his wife, a recently retired musician, own a home in Wyoming. "We're looking forward to reinventing ourselves," he said. Hall said the institute was in good shape, and that it has $181 million in... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1749994/posts#comment Thu, 7 Dec 2006 19:14:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1747845/posts The meeting was almost over when Roman Reed steered his wheelchair to the microphone. On the table before him sat a 149-page book of budget charts and timetables, the first concrete outline of what California's voter-approved stem cell institute plans to accomplish in its 10-year lifespan. "I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart," Reed said to the institute's staff and 29-member oversight board in October. "I promised my son that one day I would be able to walk, stand next to him and go hold my wife's hand. And seeing this road map to cures, I... LA Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1747845/posts#comment Sun, 3 Dec 2006 17:46:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1747078/posts SAN FRANCISCO California voters, wooed by an aggressive, multimillion dollar campaign that promised cures to myriad diseases, overwhelmingly approved the nation's most ambitious stem cell research center two years ago. Now, $181 million is set to flow to cash-starved scientists struggling in a field financially and politically hamstrung by Bush administration opposition and lawsuits filed by conservative organizations against the center. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine managed to push out $14 million in "training grants" for young researchers last year, but much of the money it doles out in 2007 will finally go to senior scientists eager to push... ap on Riverside Press Enterprise http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1747078/posts#comment Fri, 1 Dec 2006 19:39:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1741845/posts SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California officials approved on Monday a $150 million loan offered by the state to fund its stem-cell research institute in San Francisco. In addition to the loan, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has sold $31 million worth of bond anticipation notes to raise money for research into medical applications of stem-cell technology. Many scientists believe stem cells, either adult cells or ones from embryos, may be used to find treatments and cures for serious diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Voters approved the creation of the institute by passing a statewide measure in 2004 that... Reuters on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1741845/posts#comment Tue, 21 Nov 2006 01:27:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1729671/posts A highly publicized $150 million state loan that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger promised California's cash-strapped stem cell agency in July has yet to materialize, a delay apparently caused by red tape and election year politics. Schwarzenegger's announcement on July 21 that "they need the money now" came the day after President Bush vetoed legislation that would have expanded federal funding of stem cell research, which many political conservatives oppose because days-old embryos are destroyed. At an emotional August meeting of the committee that manages the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, members praised Schwarzenegger for his political courage and were told by... AP on Bakersfield Californian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1729671/posts#comment Wed, 1 Nov 2006 05:05:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1713777/posts To the dismay of some advocates for the disabled and sick, a draft report issued today by California's $3 billion stem-cell institute says the agency is unlikely to develop cures for diseases or other ailments any time soon. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine's proposed strategic plan, written by a group that included two Nobel scientists, methodically sets out a detailed blueprint for eventually turning stem cells into treatments for a variety of health problems. But the plan -- which must be approved by the institute's board -- cautions that stem cell science remains in its infancy and that much... Mercury News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1713777/posts#comment Wed, 4 Oct 2006 21:28:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1690387/posts Supposed New Embryonic Stem Cell Research Technique Killed All Embryos by Steven Ertelt LifeNews.com Editor Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A supposedly new method of obtaining embryonic stem cells for research without destroying any human embryos appeared to be untrue. Upon further examination of the research paper making the claims, it appears all of the 16 human embryos Advanced Cell Technology used to come up with the process died during the procedure. The biotech firm made amazing claims that produced a media sensation around the world when it said it had developed a morally ethical method of obtaining the cells. Pro-life... LifeNews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1690387/posts#comment Sat, 26 Aug 2006 14:25:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1672337/posts Biotech company executives in the Bay Area met Tuesday to begin working with California's sputtering stem-cell research institute, which was jump-started last week by the $150 million boost it got from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. ``I feel we are at a very important point in history here,'' said Michael West, chairman and chief scientific officer of Advanced Cell Technology of Alameda. He added that it was essential ``do do everything we possibly can to see that money is well spent.'' Still, the executives who met in San Francisco with officials at the stem-cell institute, created in 2004 when California voters passed... Mercury News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1672337/posts#comment Wed, 26 Jul 2006 04:45:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1669376/posts President Bush's veto of a bill to ease restrictions on federally funded embryonic stem-cell research will hinder California's $3 billion voter-approved effort to turn stem cells into cures, backers of the state-funded research effort said Wednesday. Bush's rejection of the legislation -- his first-ever veto in his 5 1/2 years in office -- shows his continued support for those who oppose, on moral grounds, destroying human embryos to create stem cells in research intended to develop new treatments for grave conditions such as Parkinson's, diabetes and spinal cord injuries. --snip-- The veto was a crushing blow for advocates who hoped... Mercury News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1669376/posts#comment Thu, 20 Jul 2006 20:15:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1669333/posts SACRAMENTO A day after President Bush vetoed a measure that would have expanded federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday authorized a $150 million loan to fund the state's moribund stem cell institute, which has been stalled by lawsuits. The move has distinct political benefits for the governor who is seeking to put as much distance as possible between himself and the deeply unpopular president as he seeks re-election this year. Schwarzenegger said the state cannot afford to wait to fund the critical science associated with stem cells. "I remain committed to advancing stem... ap on Riverside Press Enterprise http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1669333/posts#comment Thu, 20 Jul 2006 18:56:46 GMT