As you know from TN&V and alerts from the NRLC Federal Legislation Department, the Senate will begin debating a package of three bills dealing with the use of human embryos and fetuses in stem cell research and other medical research before the August break. [For an overview of the measures and how you can contact your two U.S. Senators go to www.nrlc.org/News_and_Views/July06/nv070706part1.html].

In today's edition of TN&V, we talk about two topics: still another breakthrough using stem cells that do not come from human embryos; and the Chinese government's continued persecution of a man who has exposed its forced abortion and coerced sterilization programs.

The Sunday Times reports that a Vatican-sponsored conference will hear from a Northern Ireland-born professor who will tell them in September "that it is possible to use stem cells from the umbilical cords of living babies to produce insulin in diabetics and to grow blocks of human tissue for use in drug tests." Colin McGuckin, professor of regenerative medicine at the University of Newcastle, will unveil his research at the Augustinian Institute in Rome, which include members of the College of Cardinals.

In addition to producing insulin-secreting cells from cord blood stem cells, McGuckin told the Times they've been able to produce "many different tissues." His team is now growing "blocks of liver and brain tissue for use in drug testing," according to the Times.

Using cord blood stem cells not only means no human embryos are killed, it also avoids the considerably problem of tissue rejection. "Some 100 m[illion] children are born every year, that is an awful lot of stem cells if you want to find a tissue type that matches you," McGuckin told the Times.

We will keep you updated, both on the Senate debate and on ongoing progress associated with the use of stem cells found in sources other than human embryos.

To its immense credit the Los Angeles Times yesterday profiled Chinese human rights activist Chen Guangcheng. The self-taught lawyer, who is blind, has paid the price for courageously exposing China's brutal policy of forced abortion and involuntary sterilizations in China's Shandong province.

Despite international pleas for his release and "an acknowledgment from national officials that many of his disclosures were accurate," the 35-year-old Chen remains in custody a year after his arrest.

Not only is Chen still in the hands of authorities, one of his lawyers told the Times that authorities continue to attempt to intimidate Chen and his supporters "for exposing forced abortions and sterilization under China's one-child campaign."

The extent of the human rights violations is staggering. Linyi, a municipal area of some 10 million people, has been the scene of tens of thousands of women and men who've been subjected to forced abortion and compulsory sterilization, according to villagers, Chen, and his lawyers. Naturally, family planning authorities denied that violations are widespread and hailed the one-child policy for curbing the nation's population growth by 400 million since the policy was instituted in 1979.

Abuses continue because the national government continues to place pressure on local authorities, the Times reports. To be sure, when it comes to forced abortion, villagers in Linyi are hardly unique.

But what is "unusual," according to the Times, is that "local authorities took villagers within the area hostage. When women fled to avoid losing their babies, lawyers and residents say, officials seized their parents, nephews or cousins as leverage, hoping to force the women to return."

One woman explained how her husband was kept for almost a week by family planning authorities trying to track down one of her husband's relatives who had gotten pregnant last year in hopes of having a boy. The woman already had two girls.

"They beat him with a leather stick until he couldn't breathe," she told the Times. "He was beaten so hard he could barely walk, but the officials propped him up and forced him to go looking for his relatives anyway. He still feels pain in his waist on cloudy or rainy days."

The dastardly plan worked. The pregnant relative returned and, although eight months pregnant, submitted to the abortion to save her relative.

Although Chen has secured international recognition for his courageous stand, "officials went on the offensive," according to Chen's friends. He was put under house arrest and beaten, the Times reported. Chen was not allowed to receive medical attention.

"Chen released a statement from prison via his lawyers last month saying police had repeatedly threatened and abused him and warned him that he could die in detention if he didn't confess to the charges," according to the Times.

There are further details of injustice and cruelty but also expressions that Chen might be released, given enough media attention and a plan that emphasizes to the central authorities that the blame rests with zealous local officials.

You can read the full story about this courageous man at http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-chen11jul11,0,3124167.story?coll=la-home-world.

If you have any comments or questions, write Dave Andrusko at dandrusko@nrlc.org.