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The Obama-loving mainstream media have stopped at nothing in their attempts to trash the presidency of Donald Trump, Barack Obama's successor, before the new President's agenda can take hold. Trump has promised a health care overhaul, immigration reform, tax reform, to leave the Paris climate agreement, and to hold America's interests first on the world stage. Some of these goals have been achieved; others have not. But what remains clear is that the overwhelming majority of mainstream journalists and other Obama supporters alike see Trump as a threat to Obama's legacy items of health care, climate change and Iran, to name a few.
And the press has gone all out to criticize Trump in whatever way possible. A recent Shorenstein Center Harvard study found that CNN and NBC had given Trump 93 percent negative coverage. The study, according to the researchers, followed the reporting of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, "CBS Evening News, CNN's The Situation Room, Fox's Special Report, and NBC Nightly News," and "three European news outlets."
Accuracy in Media Editor Roger Aronoff was a guest on "Cavuto Coast to Coast" on June 26 on the Fox Business Network to discuss reasons for the public's lack of faith in the press.
Kyle Courtney, a Donald Trump supporter from Texas, placed an ad on a billboard criticizing ABC News for its slanted reporting on alleged Russia collusion. "Kyle Courtney is speaking for a lot of people," said Aronoff on Cavuto's show. "Accuracy in Media has been around nearly 50 years talking about the liberal bias in the media. So we're very familiar with it."
"And recently this Harvard Shorenstein study that shows the first hundred days or so of the Trump administration, how the coverage has been—particularly CNN and NBC—93 percent negative," said Aronoff, who questioned those results because he still hasn't "seen seven percent positive coverage on either network."
While the media are enjoying what they say is Republican hypocrisy over their process to pass a Senate version of a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, there is little attention being paid to the substance of the debate. President Donald Trump didn't help matters when he muddied the waters, first saying that the House version of the bill, which he had enthusiastically supported, was too "mean," and now saying he wants the Senate version to have "more heart." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has promised reporters a "discussion draft" of the bill later this week. In the meantime, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and many Democrats are blasting the bill as heartless and cruel. The toxic political atmosphere is not making matters any easier.
When former President Barack Obama spoke before a Berlin audience last month, he defended his signature legislative achievement, Obamacare, as having helped to insure 20 million people previously uninsured, and allegedly bettering the lives of millions of Americans. The media continue to portray such progress, of course, as imperiled by Congressional Republicans in league with an uncaring Trump who are currently locked in a debate over the merits of—and possible reforms for—a law that progressives believe must be protected.
The media remain outraged over President Donald Trump's decision last week to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, a boondoggle which would have cost the U.S. an estimated $3 trillion and 6.5 million industrial-sector American jobs by 2040 with no actual effect on the climate. But the narrative at The New York Times is that the coal miners and oil industry elites have struck a grand bargain with Republicans to ignore, if not further, the destruction of the planet.
Other media themes suggest that Trump is somehow ceding power and influence to China by withdrawing from this unratified and toothless treaty. However, "China has serious air quality issues (not from carbon dioxide), and Beijing has repeatedly falsified its coal consumption and air monitoring data, even as it participated in the Paris Agreement," reports The Heritage Foundation's Daily Signal. "There is no environmental comparison between the U.S. and China."
The anti-Trump venom from the mainstream media has become so virulent that broadcasters and reporters alike risk becoming little more than extensions of the late-night "comedic" lineup, bashing the President without regard for truth or factual accuracy. And above all, most of these journalists realize, and sometimes admit, that they want to help the Democrats win the next election.
The comparison between late night show hosts and the news media becomes stark when one compares Joy Reid's new segment on MSNBC, "Flip This House," to Bill Maher's "Flip A District" on HBO in the run-up to the 2014 elections. The goal for both of them was to try to help Democrats win elections, with Maher admitting on his website that he was "outright meddling with the political process."
Following President Donald Trump's generally well-received speech in Saudi Arabia to an audience that included the heads of 55 Muslim-majority countries, the concern on the part of many in the media was whether or not this would relieve some of the pressure he is under back home. Bob Schieffer of CBS News acknowledged on CNN's "Reliable Sources" that Trump sounded "presidential" during his speech. But even that was challenged by substitute host John Berman, who questioned whether Schieffer might somehow be "normalizing" President Trump.
Schieffer responded that that wasn't his intention, but that he was just doing what a reporter does: "I'm not trying to normalize him in any way. I'm trying to do what reporters do…report and try to emphasize what I think was important here."
Before FBI Director James Comey was fired on Tuesday, there weren't many politicians on either side of the aisle who were pleased with him or would have been sorry to see him go. Hillary Clinton recently blamed him for her defeat in last year's presidential election by having re-opened the investigation into her mishandling of classified material less than two weeks before the election. Comey had confirmed in March that the FBI was investigating connections between advisors to President Donald Trump and representatives of the Russian government, both prior to the election last year and in the period between the election and the inauguration in January.
But as soon as the bombshell announcement was made late Tuesday afternoon, the Democrats and their allies in the media had found their latest "Watergate" scandal. Trump's firing of Comey was compared to Watergate's "Saturday Night Massacre." Trump was said to be Nixonian because, they argue, he is attempting to shut down Comey's investigation into his supposed collusion with the Russians.
The New York Times recently published a lengthy postmortem on the effects that the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails and the bureau's investigation into Donald Trump's alleged ties to Russia had on the 2016 election. The paper casts blame because FBI Director James Comey went public with the Clinton investigation, but didn't expose the Trump inquiry during the election.
"For all the attention on Mrs. Clinton's emails, history is likely to see Russian influence as the more significant story of the 2016 election," concludes the Times. "Questions about Russian meddling and possible collusion have marred Mr. Trump's first 100 days in the White House…Despite Mr. Trump's assertions that 'Russia is fake news,' the White House has been unable to escape its shadow."
Recent comments by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warning that Iran could follow North Korea's path of nuclear belligerence, and the Trump administration's certification, in turn, that Iran is complying with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), seem to send mixed messages. However, any guarantee of Iran's compliance must grapple with the fact that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors can only inspect declared, and not military or undeclared, nuclear development sites.
"An unchecked Iran has the potential to follow the same path as North Korea and take the world along with it," said Tillerson at the State Department. "The United States is keen to avoid a second piece of evidence that strategic patience is a failed approach."
The progressive media, and their left-wing allies, have been on an endless binge of Trump-bashing that began even before Donald Trump took office as president. This Trump derangement syndrome results from the fact that during the campaign, and later when he was elected, Trump took firm hold of the national debate and reshaped it in his image. But progressives have their own dueling national narrative, one which they are trying to reassert through the use of allegations of Russian collusion and through a war on "fake news."
Nicholas Kristof, in an opinion piece for The New York Times, argues that progressives need to show a greater respect for the citizens who elected Trump. "The blunt truth is that if we care about a progressive agenda, we simply can't write off 46 percent of the electorate," he writes. "So by all means stand up to Trump, point out that he's a charlatan and resist his initiatives. But remember that social progress means winning over voters in flyover country, and that it's difficult to recruit voters whom you're simultaneously castigating as despicable, bigoted imbeciles."
The leftist mainstream media are outraged that President Donald Trump appears to be sticking to his campaign promise to "cancel" U.S. participation in the Paris climate accord. The headline in The Washington Post is "Trump's energy review blocks Group of Seven from consensus." Politico's headline is "Trump's climate demands roil U.S. allies." This follows Trump's recent actions to rescind the foundation of Barack Obama's climate change obsession.
Once again President Trump is being called a radical, when he is, in fact, restoring common sense to government policy. As Forbes reports, Trump's recent seven-page executive order "lays the groundwork for rescinding" Obama's Clean Power Plan, which is currently "suspended by the Supreme Court while a Washington appeals court considers its fate." While Obama was known for his executive overreach (he lost in the Supreme Court more than any other president, including a record number of unanimous defeats), Trump is scaling back government interference in the marketplace that had been justified in the name of battling climate change.
The Washington Post's fact-checker, Glenn Kessler, recently gave Susan Rice four Pinocchios for a false and misleading statement regarding Syria's chemical weapons stockpile. But what is notable about this story is not that Rice lied. She has done that many times. Rather, the remarkable part of this story is that the Post took so long to wake up to this Obama administration falsehood.
After all, Kessler's evidence that Syria still had a chemical weapons capability reaches back two years, to a period during President Obama's tenure. Why not, then, issue a fact check sooner? In 2016, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper assessed that "Syria has not declared all the elements of its chemical weapons program." In addition, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) reported in 2015 and 2016 that it was "finding traces of sarin and VX nerve agent at Syrian facilities that had not been declared to inspectors or previously visited."
What started out last year as an investigation by the Obama administration into Russian interference in our presidential elections has turned into the latest scandal involving both former President Barack Obama and his national security adviser, Susan Rice. The media are in full panic mode, attempting to keep the focus of the investigation on President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans, while trying to shield Obama and Rice from the consequences of their actions.
What has become clear during the past week is that the focus of the investigation should clearly be shifting from alleged collusion between President Trump's associates and the Russian government, in order to influence the election—for which no evidence has emerged—to the role of the Obama administration in surveilling, incidental or otherwise, unmasking and leaking information about the Trump campaign and transition teams, for which all sorts of evidence has emerged.
In a recent opinion column for The Washington Post, former United Nations ambassador and national security advisor to Barack Obama, Susan Rice, had the temerity to lecture President Donald Trump about telling the truth. She writes that "our friends must be able to trust the word of the U.S. president."
This extends far beyond hypocrisy coming from a person who visited five Sunday talk shows to peddle administration falsehoods about the 2012 terror attacks in Benghazi, Libya. In addition, she served in those positions during a period of other disastrous foreign policy decisions—deceptively sold to the American people—such as the Iran nuclear deal and the entire Libyan debacle.
President Donald Trump fared much better in the House Intelligence Committee hearing on Monday than the left-wing, establishment media would have you believe. The American Spectator's George Neumayr captured the essence of the findings: "…the core claim underlying Trump's tweets is true: people acting on the authority of Obama opened an investigation into Trump's campaign, then criminally leaked mention of it to friendly news outlets in an attempt to derail his election. When is Obama going to apologize for that?"
But for weeks now, CNN and MSNBC have been calling Trump a liar, saying that there is no evidence to support his tweets, and demanding that he back down and apologize for his accusations against former President Barack Obama.
A recent Washington Post article by media reporter Paul Farhi raises the alarm that the White House Correspondents' Association has not once, but twice, assigned a Daily Signal employee, Fred Lucas, to be the pool reporter, i.e., the reporter who serves as the "proxy for the rest of the press corps." The Daily Signal is the "news and commentary site" founded by the conservative Heritage Foundation, he reports, labeling it an "advocacy organization."
"In other words," writes Farhi, "the news that reporters received about the vice president came from a journalist employed by an organization with a vested interest in the direction of White House and federal policy."
The media continue to publish and broadcast stories about how Donald Trump won the election with the help of the Russians, calling this "collusion," though no such evidence has surfaced. Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has stated that he had "no knowledge of evidence of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign." Assertions of Russian influence have been latched onto by Democrats and a liberal media with the sole intention of delegitimizing the Trump administration.
After all, the media, and Democrats, clearly would prefer to return to the age of Obama. While hearings are planned for March 20 by the House Intelligence Committee to look into the issue of Russian influence in the presidential election, as well as President Trump's claim that Obama ordered wiretaps and surveillance on parts of his campaign—charges that have repeatedly been called "baseless"—there are other tracks that I have suggested that investigators and journalists should probe.
Once again the dominant media narrative has shifted overnight. Last week the media exploded with stories about Attorney General Jeff Sessions' admitted contacts with the Russian ambassador to the U.S., the latest attempt to somehow derail and delegitimize the Donald Trump presidency. It is part of the narrative concocted by the Democrats and their allies in the media to claim that Trump won the election thanks in part to help from Russia. Collusion has been the word of choice, though no evidence has surfaced to support it.
The narrative changed over the weekend when President Trump sent out a series of tweets asserting that former President Barack Obama had wiretapped him "during the very sacred election process," and that it was "Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!"
Accuracy in Media Editor Roger Aronoff recently appeared on The Daily Ledger on the One America News Network to discuss how the mainstream media are attempting to delegitimize Donald Trump's presidency.
The media, along with Democrats, have concocted the story that Russians influenced the election. "So then it became the Russians, the Russians did it," said Aronoff. "Does anybody believe that if Hillary had won the election, Obama would have expelled 35 Russian diplomats and put these sanctions on? No, of course he wouldn't have."
Wednesday, March 1 marks the fifth anniversary of the death of conservative icon Andrew Breitbart. We think it is important to remember his legacy, as his name is heard often these days, and his influence looms large. For those not familiar with him, Andrew was a larger than life character who figured in the establishment of several prominent media institutions that play significant roles in today's journalistic landscape. He was first associated with the Drudge Report, famous for scooping Newsweek on its Monica Lewinsky story; The Huffington Post, the very popular leftwing blog; and Breitbart News, from which came the left's chief bogeyman, and Donald Trump's chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon.
Five years after his untimely death, we at Accuracy in Media want to remind people who Breitbart was, and why he is so influential in an age of so much fake news by the mainstream media. AIM presented Andrew with the Reed Irvine Award for Excellence in Journalism in 2010, and he gave an historic speech before a packed room that called out the media for its dishonesty.


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The Mormon-Utah-depression-prescription drug use meme seems to be everywhere these days. In some cases, it appears as a legitimate and serious concern, and occasionally as a farce (see second paragraph, third line).
My own issue in this post is not Mormons and prescription drugs, by prescription drugs in general, and more specifically how we come to obtain them. I recently wrote a student note for a forthcoming issue of the Duke Journal of Comparative and International Law on the international ethical codes which apply to pharmaceutical companies and CROs (contract research organizations) as they conduct human clinical trial all over the world. Most of these codes and the principles contained therein are inspired by the Nuremberg Code that emerged from the Nazi War Crimes trials following WWII. I will not go into further detail about the codes, but will point you to my forthcoming article if you want to know more. However, the most important of these codes has historically been the World Medical Association's (kind of like an international AMA) Declaration of Helsinki.
Earlier this month, the FDA announced that it would no longer follow the Declaration of Helsinki. The likely effect of this change will be to push more pharmaceutical clinical trials abroad, to areas with large populations of the poor and sick, such as Eastern Europe, Africa, and India. Anyone who has seen the movie The Constant Gardener is probably familiar with this phenomenon. Americans are notoriously unwilling to undertake the risk of clinical trials, even though the drugs produced are primarily for their consumption. The pharmaceutical companies and researchers are being given more leeway to self-regulate the conduct of these trials with very little oversight either at home or abroad. The FDA does not conduct its own ethical review of such studies, and medical personnel in foreign countries are generally not equipped or educated to conduct such a review; further, the financial incentives given to them by the drug companies and CROs puts the objectivity of any such review seriously in doubt.
More specifically, any tests of improved treatment protocols may now be tested against a placebo rather than against the best existing treatment, which is what the Helsinki Declaration would have called for. That means people in the Third World who believe that they are receiving treatment for serious illnesses may in fact be receiving…sugar pills. The use of a placebo is designed to make the comparative results of clinical trials clearer and more impressive. But at what moral cost? All this so that Americans can enjoy the fruits of such research. (Pharmaceutical companies are under no obligation, and generally do not, provide the tested drugs to the former test subjects once the clinical trial is concluded.) The moral distributive economics of this situation are unacceptable to me- one party bears all the risk (primarily chosen because of their poor health status, poverty, and accessibility) while another enjoys all of the benefit.
As Latter-day Saints, we acknowledge that all of us are God' children. The life of my American neighbor ought not to be preferred over that of an African, Indian, Pole, Czech, or Vietnamese. The use of these people to provide members of rich and privileged societies with life-saving drugs, while the risks and long-term consequences to their health are ignored, is a moral outrage and a sad continuing legacy of imperialism. It needs to stop. So, at the very least, Mormons (and everyone else) should say a prayer for the Third-worlders when you pop those pills tonight.
If anyone is interested in learning further about this topic, see Sonia Shah's book, The Body Hunters, which was a major jumping-off point for my own research and writing. Ms. Shah posted on another blog about this development here.

subset: commoncrawl


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New York Sen. Charles Schumer says five major airlines have agreed they aren't going to charge passengers for their carry-on bags.
Schumer says he's gotten commitments from American, Delta, JetBlue, United and US Air. He reached out to the companies' CEOs after Spirit Airlines recently announced it would charge up to $45 for passengers who bring a bag on board and put it in the overhead compartment.
The senator says he hopes other carriers will follow. He said he plans to meet with the leadership of Spirit Airlines in the coming week.


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"The similitude of an organization applying best practices in fundraising for a worthy cause versus one that is just fundraising is like that of someone preparing for an exam versus one who just wings it"
The need for Masjids, Islamic Centres, and Islamic Schools in the West is growing and often the biggest challenge is financing them. At ANFIQ, we help organizations reach their financial targets by coaching them with the best practices in fundraising, using both online and offline means.
- A fundraising consultancy service
- Specialized in coaching Masjids, Islamic Centres, and Islamic Schools raise funds for their projects
- Two broad categories of services:
- Fundraising consultancy including campaign strategy and planning, ambassador training, fundraising coaching, and campaign project management
- Content Development including devising a story, producing videos to showcase the story, and designing multi-media
Do you have an upcoming fundraising dinner? Why not turn it into a fundraising campaign! Don't limit your donations to just one evening. Expand your appeal and target those not able to make it to the dinner. If your goal is to raise, for example $100K, you may not be able to raise that whole amount in one evening. You have a much higher chance of reaching your financial target by running a 2 or 3-week campaign that starts off with a fundraising dinner.
Do you have a big payment to make before a specific deadline? Perhaps it's for the closing date of a new property, a contractor bill to pay, or a loan to repay. There are many organizations that have been in a similar situation and have managed to raise enough money to make the payment in time, Alhamdulillah. There is a fundamental principle in fundraising that when applied properly helps greatly in coming out victorious in such bids. The principle is simple, 'Ask and Thy Shall be Given'!
Contact us and see how we can help with these endeavours, bi-ithnillah.


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Mindy Kaling is 'Feeling Inspired' After 'Made with Code' Event!
Mindy Kaling takes a phone call outside a building in the Soho neighborhood of New York City on Thursday afternoon (June 19).
The 34-year-old actress braved the rain to head out and even got a little help carrying her umbrella.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Mindy Kaling
That same day, Mindy attended an event held by Made with Code, "an initiative to champion creativity, girls, and code, all at once."
"Feeling inspired by the women I met last night at #madewithcode. Seriously amazing stories. Check 'em out! http://madewithcode.com," she tweeted.


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This post contains affiliate links. For my full disclosure, click here.
Reading is a form of self-care for me. When my first son was a baby, I found that I was physically busy with endless nursing, but I wasn't mentally busy. A certain level of mental stimulation was required to keep me from feeling like nothing more than a milk machine.
My list is in the order that I read the books. I'd say all of them are equal in the quality of the content.
I do most of my reading on my Kindle Paperwhite. I've had it for a year and a half now and I love it! With the exception of Everyday Hope, all of the books on this list are available in both print and ebook format.
- A Retrospect: The Story Behind my Zeal for Missions – J. Hudson Taylor
When I was young, my mom read the Hero Tales books to us as part of our homeschooling. They are collections of short stories about missionaries. Hudson Taylor was one of my favorites. The founder of the China Inland Mission, he placed an emphasis on evangelism. He chose not to be distracted by cultural differences if they weren't based in immorality. To this end, he chose to dress like Chinese men did. Even as a little girl, his priorities impressed me.
2. Treasuring Christ When Your Hands are Full by Gloria Furman
I've read a lot of books on my Kindle. This is the only one that I've loved enough to purchase a print edition as well. If you only read one book about motherhood, it should be this one.
Gloria Furman never strays from her laser focus on the Gospel and how it shapes everything we do. Particularly when you have all little children, it's easy to lose sight of the greater picture and of how what you're doing matters.
Even moms who haven't thrown a tantrum in a while can relate to feeling that they've had enough as they limp to the end of the day, emotionally drained and exasperated. For many of us, the frustration stems from the unreasonable expectations we have for ourselves. Instead of the sweet relief and satisfaction that come from a long day of good, hard work, we stew over the mistakes, missed opportunities, and foibles. 'There are no perfect moms,' we quip, but we'll die trying to prove we might be the exception. – Gloria Furman
Can you relate to that? I know I do. In the age of Pinterest, it's easy to feel like everyone is doing all the things. But they're not.
And a lot of those things don't even matter anyway. Your child isn't going to remember how he was born or what he was fed as a baby. He's going to remember that you loved him.
3. Everyday Hope by Kayse Pratt
I stumbled upon this book by accident. It was a part of the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle this year. While the 2017 edition of the bundle is no longer available, Everyday Hope can still be purchased by itself by clicking on the image below.
While our circumstances were different, I could relate to a lot of Kayse's thoughts on when having babies doesn't go as planned. It's easy to get discouraged when something that we think should be "easy" turns into a medical crisis. Her words were a balm to my weary soul at a time when I was struggling.
God has given your child to you, and given you to your child. Your place as his momma is a divine appointment, and you can trust that He didn't make a mistake! – Kayse Pratt
4. Compared to Who by Heather Creekmore
Compared to Who was my first book launch team ever. It far exceeded my expectations, going far beyond the typical Christian cliche answers to comparison issues. Heather Creekmore doesn't just say "Jesus made you perfectly" and move on. This is a book with depth and with sections that will make you stop and think.
I actually re-read it recently. As I write this, I'm in my third trimester with a boy who is on track to be as large as his nine pound brother was. When you're built the way I am, there's no getting around the fact that the disproportionate bump looks ridiculous. And I hear comments on the ridiculousness. Frequently. It's like people think I don't already know.
The comparison starts to creep back in…how come she gets to have normal sized kids? Why can't my placenta go where it's supposed to be? Why is my tummy the size of a mountain?
Comparison is poison. It's a trap. It's a joy-killer. It's not okay.
I'll probably be re-reading this book every so often for a long time. I'm glad His mercies are new every morning!
Friend, if you claim Christ as your Savior, if you say you are saved, I want you to ask yourself, honestly, if you've really allowed Him to rescue all of you. Do you believe He can help you with your body image issues? Do you believe He can replace your affections with a greater affection for Him? Do you believe that you can find true and transcendent joy and peace in Him alone, or do you still think that maybe one of your idols will deliver? – Heather Creekmore
5. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus was a recommendation from my brother-in-law. Nabeel Qureshi died earlier this year from stomach cancer, but his legacy lives on in his book about his conversion from Islam to Christianity.
Nabeel's story is compelling. I learned a lot about Muslim beliefs and religious practices. His family took their faith very seriously. When the author converted, he wasn't just changing religions. It required sacrificing the approval of his parents. He wrote the following passage about the emotional fall out from his conversion:
While I was wallowing in self-pity, focused on myself, there was a whole world with literally billions of people who had no idea who God is, how amazing He is, and the wonders He has done for us. They are the ones who are really suffering. They don't know His hope, His peace, and His love that transcends all understanding. – Nabeel Qureshi
All of these books challenged me in one way or another. While no book is more important of a read than the Bible itself, other books can also encourage us in our faith. I hope these are a blessing to you as well!
What is the best book you've read this year?
More from Homemaking for His Glory
8 comments on "The 5 Best Books I Read in 2017"
This sounds like a great list of books. Thank you for sharing!
Those books look really good! And Seeking Jesus Finding Allah is definitely on my to read list. I heard of Nabeel Qureshi's story around the time his health started to really deteriorate. What an incredible testimony he has!
I've heard of a few of these books but not of others. They all sound amazing! I think I'll have to add them to my list!
I wrote all these books down! I really want to read the first two books!
Thanks for sharing this list! Pinning and Tweeting this!
I've heard that Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full is really good! I'm currently reading Missional Motherhood by her! 🙂
I thought for sure that I would know all the books that you would have on this list, but I only recognized two of them! Do you prefer ebooks or print? Pinning!
I love the recommendations you give. I have heard of some of these but not all so adding them to my to read list!! 🙂 pinning this one to keep my eye on when I look for my next book!


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Scheimpflug image of right eye (top) and left eye (bottom) showing anterior lenticonus and central posterior subcapsular cataract.
Transmission electron microscopy of lens capsule. Top, Peripheral capsule is left and central capsule is right. Note the marked difference in their thickness (original magnification ×5400). Bottom, Detail of lens capsule disruptions spanned with filamentous connective bridges, vacuolar spaces with adjacent dense osmiophilic spheres (original magnification ×28,500).
Customize your JAMA Network experience by selecting one or more topics from the list below.
Junk AK, Stefani FH, Ludwig K. Bilateral Anterior LenticonusScheimpflug Imaging System Documentation and Ultrastructural Confirmation of Alport Syndrome in the Lens Capsule. Arch Ophthalmol. 2000;118(7):895–897. doi:10-1001/pubs.Ophthalmol.-ISSN-0003-9950-118-7-ecs90242
© 2018
Copyright 2000 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved. Applicable FARS/DFARS Restrictions Apply to Government Use.2000
Alport syndrome is a combination of proteinuria, hematuria, and neurosensory high-frequency deafness. Bilateral anterior lenticonus may be a late sign. Diagnosis relies on characteristic electron microscopy changes of glomerular basement membranes in renal biopsy specimens.
A 38-year-old man was seen for progressive visual acuity loss (20/400 OU; best-corrected visual acuity, 20/60 OD and 20/50 OS). Findings from slitlamp examination included bilateral anterior lenticonus and central posterior subcapsular cataract, documented using a modified Scheimpflug imaging system. Retinal pathology was not present. On detailed questioning, a history of microhematuria and proteinuria since childhood and progressive high-frequency deafness for years were discovered. The family history was negative for nephropathies, deafness, or eye diseases. Cataract extraction rehabilitated the patient's vision.
Electron microscopy of a fragile capsulorhexis specimen showed typical thinned basal lamina with basement membrane disruptions.
Anterior lenticonus is a rare bilateral progressive developmental anomaly. More than 90% of cases are associated with Alport syndrome. For diagnosis of Alport syndrome, the presence of 3 of 4 criteria is required: family history positive for Alport syndrome, progressive intra-auricular deafness, characteristic eye anomalies, and positive findings from glomerular ultrastructural examination. We believe that ultrastructural proof of anterior lenticonus may also be provided in the lens capsule.
ALPORT SYNDROME is a hereditary progressive disease that afflicts the kidneys and the auditory and visual systems. In 1927, Alport1 was the first to recognize a link between progressive nephropathy and hearing disability. Although anterior lenticonus was observed as early as 1891,2 Jaworski3 was the first to describe the association of anterior lenticonus and nephropathies in 1910. In 1966, Arnott et al4 reported anterior lenticonus as a specific sign of Alport syndrome. Several mutations affecting the α-5-chain of type IV collagen, which is predominantly present in basement membranes, are associated with the complex disease.5 Atkin et al6 distinguished 7 phenotypes, differing in type of inheritance (autosomal dominant, recessive, or X-linked), age of onset of renal insufficiency, and additional complications such as anterior lenticonus and thrombocytopenia. According to Atkin and colleagues, Alport syndrome types I, II, and VI, also known as the Sohar phenotype, present the triad of nephropathy either with juvenile-onset gross hematuria or essential microhematuria, both of which eventually lead to renal insufficiency, progressive high-tone sensorineural deafness, and ocular anomalies. The ocular changes most frequently affect the lens in the form of anterior lenticonus, posterior subcapsular cataract, and spherophakia. Retinal involvement is seen as albipunctatus fundi. The 3 types of Alport syndrome differ in age of onset of renal insufficiency (before or after age 30 years) and type of inheritance. In 1978, Nielsen7 reviewed all reported cases of anterior lenticonus and found that it is exclusively described in patients with Alport syndrome. Typically, diagnosis of Alport syndrome is based on electron microscopic changes in the glomerular basement membranes of biopsy specimens.
A 38-year-old man was seen for progressively decreasing visual acuity during recent years. He reported normal visual acuity in childhood. Findings from eye examinations obtained at age 18 years did not reveal a need for glasses when driving. Since age 24 years, he wore glasses with increasing corrective power. His family history was negative for any kind of ophthalmological diseases. His visual acuity at initial examination was 20/400 OD, counting fingers OS; best-corrected visual acuity was 20/60 OD and 20/50 OS. Retinal acuity was determined at 20/40 OD and 20/30 OS.
Findings from slitlamp examination revealed bilateral anterior lenticonus and distinct central posterior subcapsular lens opacities. The lens findings were documented using a modified Scheimpflug imaging system (Topcon SL-45; Topcon Corp, Tokyo, Japan) (Figure 1). Except for the described lens, ophthalmologic findings were within normal limits.
On detailed questioning, the patient revealed a history of persistent microhematuria and proteinuria since childhood. He had been admitted to the hospital several times owing to renal colic since age 20 years. The cause of the renal disease was unknown to the patient. A renal biopsy had never been requested. He also had progressive high-frequency deafness. To correct his hearing disability, he was scheduled to receive prosthetic transplants. His family history, including his parents, 3 brothers and sisters, and 2 children, was negative for renal disease and deafness. He declined genetic diagnostic testing for himself and his children.
The patient felt restricted in his daily life by poor visual performance, and for visual rehabilitation, an extracapsular cataract extraction was performed. During the capsulorhexis, a remarkably thin and fragile anterior capsule was recovered for electron microscopy. The patient's postsurgical course was unremarkable. He achieved a corrected visual acuity of 20/30 OU.
The capsulorhexis fragment recovered during cataract surgery was fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde and processed in epoxy resin for transmission electron microscopy. Capsule thickness varied from 5 µm to 12 µm (reference range, 16-18 µm) with the thinnest diameter in the center and the thickest at the periphery of the specimen. The central parts of the capsule showed multiple striking disruptions extending through the whole thickness of the capsule and at times joining other such disruptions. In the thinnest areas, the disruptions were 3 µm to 10 µm apart. Their width varied from 0.25 µm to 1.50 µm. In the thicker peripheral parts of the capsule, these disruptions were less frequent and smaller (Figure 2, top). Most of the disruptions were filled with low-density materials. Filamentous connective bridges spanning the disruptions and vacuolar spaces with adjacent dense osmiophilic spheres were seen with a higher magnification (Figure 2, bottom).
Our patient had typical signs of Alport syndrome type VI (Sohar phenotype). More than 90% of the currently described patients with anterior lenticonus had Alport syndrome. In the case of this rare ophthalmological diagnosis, Alport syndrome should always be suspected. The thinness of the capsule and the disruptions shown in transmission electron microscopy explain the observed fragility during capsulorhexis and anecdotally reported spontaneous capsule ruptures in the natural course of anterior lenticonus.
Though less severe, our ultrastructural findings are consistent with those described by Streeten et al,8 who examined lens capsules of patients with Alport syndrome confirmed by findings from renal biopsy. The difference in the degree of severity may reflect different stages of the progressive disease. The consistency of findings, however, strongly supports our hypothesis that ultrastructural analysis of the lens capsule may also serve to prove the diagnosis of Alport syndrome. Thus, it may replace the necessity of conducting a renal biopsy in some patients. To date, the diagnosis of Alport syndrome requires the presence of at least 3 of 4 clues: family history positive for Alport syndrome, progressive intra-auricular deafness, characteristic eye anomalies, and ultrastructural proof of glomerular changes. We believe that ultrastructural changes of the lens capsule can be considered as an alternative diagnostic criterion to glomerular basement changes.
Accepted for publication January 5, 2000.
We would like to thank Elisabeth Messmer, MD, for her valuable advice in the preparation of the transmission electron microscopic figures.
Corresponding author: Anna K. Junk, MD, Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, Eye Radiation and Environmental Research Laboratory (ERERL), Room 211, 630 W 168th St, New York, NY 10032 (e-mail: email@example.com).


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- Home
- About the Program
- Faculty
- Milena Neshkova
Milena Neshkova
PhD, Indiana University, Public Management and Policy Analysis, 2008
Areas of Expertise
Political and Organizational Theories, Bureaucracy and Democratization, Administrative Reforms in Emerging Democracies
Courses Taught in MAGA
PAD 6306: Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation
Phone: 305-348-0486 | Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Milena I. Neshkova is an assistant professor of Public Administration at the School of International and Public Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences at Florida International University. Dr. Neshkova earned her Ph.D. from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) Indiana University in 2008. She also holds MPA from Indiana University and MA in Journalism from Sofia University.
Dr. Neshkova maintains an active research agenda and involvement in academic community. Her research interests focus on the issues of bureaucracy and democracy, and how to achieve a more responsive, fair, and accountable public administration. Dr. Neshkova's dissertation dealt with the process of inclusion of local interests in supranational regulation, drawing on the example of the European Union as the most sophisticated system of supranational governance. Her more recent work examines how citizens' participation in administration impacts efficiency and effectiveness of public service delivery. Milena is a recipient of competitive grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Kauffman Foundation, European Union Centers of Excellence at Indiana University and University of Miami/Florida International University. She is currently the Principal Investigator on an NSF-funded project assessing the level of professionalization of bureaucracy in the nascent democracies of Eastern Europe. Her work has appeared in Public Administration Review, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Policy Studies Journal, American Review of Public Administration, Journal of European Public Policy, among other journals.


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Balearic Retreats are experts in holistic yoga and meditation holiday experiences.
Taking pride in organising retreats ranging from 1 – 7 days, we cater for anyone wanting to advance their yoga practice, including corporate organisations, those that already have a more advanced practice, and those that are just starting their yoga journey. During the retreats we offer daily yoga classes adapted to suit all levels of practitioners, as well as workshops and specialty events. From time to time we also bring renowned teachers from all over the world to our retreats, to share their knowledge with us as they partake in all that Mallorca has to offer.
The retreats are all located at stunning countryside fincas, where we serve delicious Mediterranean vegetarian meals and we will always ensure that the schedule leaves plenty of time to explore the beautiful surroundings of Mallorca.


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Featuring original music from Justin Timberlake, and soon-to-be classic mash-ups of songs from other popular artists, the film stars the voice talents of Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Russell Brand, James Corden, Kunal Nayyar, Ron Funches, Icona Pop, Gwen Stefani, and many more.
The main character will be Moana Waialiki, a sea voyaging enthusiast, and the only daughter of a chief in a long line of navigators. When her family needs her help, she sets off on an epic journey. The film will also include demi-gods and spirits taken from real mythology.
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Download best ringtones for iphone. The New Jersey rock crew regroups in fiery fashion. Following the sudden departure of founding guitarist Richie Sambora, the veteran outfit sounds reborn on This House Is Not For Sale.
Download best ringtones for iphone. The R&B dynamo lets her guard down like never before.
A phenomenally successful instrumentalist whose recordings routinely made the pop, R&B, and jazz charts during the 1980s and '90s, Kenny G's sound became a staple on adult contemporary and smooth jazz radio stations.
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Download best ringtones for iphone. Norah at her evocative best. With support from jazz luminaries like Wayne Shorter and Lonnie Smith, Jones weaves subtle musicianship into a set that's uniformly stylish.
With a deeply personal touch, Amy Winehouse melds torchy doo-wop era ballads, soul, and girl-group slammers.The title track brings the real pain, one more in an album of performances that certified Winehouse as an undeniable master.
Download best ringtones for iphone.On her most personal LP to date, Gaga aims for authenticity. Named after the superstar's late aunt, Joanne pivots away from the conceptual disco of 2013's ARTPOP for a set of lived-in folk, wild-eyed rock, and windswept country.
Download best ringtones for iphone. As Game rediscovered his inner fire throughout 2016, he used personal memories of 1992 to create this cinematic autobiography.
Few operatic tenors of the 20th century were more honored than Luciano Pavarotti, and none were as popular; his fame went far beyond the usual boundaries of classical music and his music was as widely embraced as any pop star.


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The fiscal 2016 omnibus budget bill lawmakers unveiled late Tuesday night will lift the ban on using Russian rocket engines for U.S. satellite launches.
Section 8048 of the more than 2,000-page bill states that awards for the country's space launch program "may be made to a launch service provider competing with any certified launch vehicle in its inventory regardless of the country of origin of the rocket engine that will be used on its launch vehicle, in order to ensure robust competition and continued assured access to space."
After the Russian invasion of Crimea, Congress banned U.S. space launch companies from using Russian-made RD-180 rockets in all launches after 2019. Of the two private contractors competing for the Pentagon's space contracts, SpaceX has its own engine system made in America while United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin and Boeing, still relies on the Russian systems.Read more on WashingtonExaminer.com


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Come see some my contemporary folk ballads live and in the flesh! My energetic performances add another dimension to my tunes and to the traditional folk songs I have in my repertoire. Here are shows I have coming soon…[table "2" not found /]
If you don't see a town or a venue near you, let me know where you'd like me to play in the comment section below or my contact page. Thanks and I hope to see you soon!


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Location, location, location. Long before estate agents invented their mantra, the best music festivals knew the value of combining special places with strong programmes, giving listeners a chance to recharge away from the big metropolitan centres.
Yet, few manage it with such refreshing originality as the East Neuk Festival, whose ninth edition has just drawn its loyal audience back to the picturesque kirks, gardens and even potato barns on the Fife coastline – truly an eastern nook, or corner, of Scotland.
Usually, chamber and contemporary music dominate the programmes, but this year's festival showcased works drawn from six centuries, and artists included the Tallis Scholars, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, pianist Christian Zacharias and the Tokyo Quartet (in its last European concert before retiring). In tandem with art and literature strands, much of the music reflected the overall theme of birds and birdsong.
No one was better placed to do that than the featured composer, John Luther Adams, one of America's most original voices and an "environmental" musician, in that his work is always rooted in the earth. But while his music has often taken nature indoors, Inuksuit is a large-scale work designed for the outdoors, and its European premiere in the walled garden of the Cambo Estate was a highlight.
Drawing its title from the Inuit idea of "acting in the capacity of the human", Adams's 70-minute score was brought to life here by 30 percussionists scattered around the garden, armed with everything from conch shells and sandpaper to tam tams.
Directed by the American percussionist Steven Schick, they began with mystical whispers on the wind and ended with the tinkling of little bells, building up a roar in the middle. Exactly what each individual listener heard, though, will have depended on the paths they took while roaming around the garden.
Composers have been imitating birds at least since the time of Rameau's Le Rappel des Oiseaux, but few have done so as literally as Adams in songbirdsongs for two flautists in antiphonal dialogue, plus percussion. This was given indoors – in advance, one plein air performance must have looked risky enough – but last weekend even Fife was bathed in glorious sunshine.
The Elias Quartet, a festival favourite, was back for several concerts. Beethoven's Op. 130, complete with the Grosse Fuge finale, showed the ensemble's striving side, and Schumann's First and Third Quartets displayed its warmly lyrical sound.
Best of all, in their seaside concert at St Monans, was the intense rapture of the Intimate Letters of Janácek – a composer never far away from nature.
The Elias Quartet opens its three-year residency at Glasgow Concert Halls, Sept 27-29 (eliasstringquartet.com)