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Dear group, list, advocates, activists, people with Parkinson's, caregivers, et al, The following story details a government award that was announced just before the weekend. I understand that I am a newbie and I do not have much experience in this political arena but I can recognize that this is a well worn political ploy to work against us in the larger sense. This story was released just-in-time to be a picked up all weekend by the cable news shows, possibly even the Sunday shows, and will be in this weekend print media. Thereby reaching millions of Americans who follow the separate media on the weekends. What I'm talking about is this announcement deflects or diverts attention from the current Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer debate. This affords the opposition to say "We have given them this, what else to they want?" This is a way to confuse the general public who is for the most part ill-informed about these subjects. Now is the time (this weekend) that we must redouble our efforts to explain up front this grant is separate from the current debate of SCNT. The opposition is expecting us to be scattered and taking some time off over the weekend. Which gives the opposition all weekend to exploit this news story. And while we welcome this great news this is just one facet of a multi dimensional puzzle We must keep the pressure on to defeat the criminalization of research and therapeutic treatment of SCNT. Respectfully submitted for your consideration, Terry Bowers ### ABC News - Government Awards Stem Cell Grants Government Gives $3.5 Million in Grants for Embryonic Stem Cell Research The Associated Press MADISON, Wis. April 26 - The government Friday awarded its first grants for embryonic stem cell research since President Bush gave approval for limited federal funding. The $3.5 million given to four institutions will help them make stem cell lines available to researchers worldwide and train them how to handle and reproduce the cells, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said Friday. Bush said last summer he would allow federal funding for research on certain embryonic stem cell lines, or cell colonies. The grants from the National Institutes of Health were awarded to Cellsaurus, a subsidiary of Bresagen of Athens, Ga.; ES Cell International Pte Ltd. of Melbourne, Australia; the University of California, San Francisco; and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation in Madison. Embryonic stem cells are the basic building blocks of the body. They form within days of conception and are the ancestral cells from which all of the organs and others cells develop. Scientists believe that research could lead to using the cells to replace or restore failing organs, treating such conditions as heart disease, spinal injury, diabetes and Parkinson's disease. The use of embryonic stem cells is controversial because extracting the cells kills a living human embryo. Last summer, Bush struck a middle ground, saying federal money could support this research but only on stem cell colonies in existence on Aug. 9, the date of his speech. The four institutions who were given grants Friday have 17 of the 78 stem cell colonies eligible for funding. Thompson, who made the announcement at a Madison biotechnology company, said more grants would be awarded in the coming months. "It is in keeping with the president's vision and my own personal commitment," Thompson said. "We must do the research in the ethical framework laid out by the president." On the Net: National Institutes of Health Stem Cell Registry: http://escr.nih.gov U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: http://www.hhs.gov/ SOURCE: ABC News / The Associated Press http://www.abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20020426_2023.html * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn