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Human Behavior

Single and ready to mingle? Texas third best state for singles – Times Record News

Claire Kowalick, Wichita Falls Times Record News Published 9:00 a.m. CT Feb. 8, 2020

If youre looking for love this Valentines Day, you might not be alone in the Lone Star state.

A recent study by WalletHub found Texas was the third best state for singles.

Using 29 key indicators of dating-friendliness, they found the state favorable in many areas including topping the list for the most restaurants and movie theaters per capita.

Florida topped the list in 2020 as best for singles, followed by California.

With about 34 percent of U.S. adults reporting that they have never been married, living in the right place might make all the difference.

Texas also ranked:

In this file photo, a young couple take a selfie during the annual lighting of the MSU-Burns Lights. Texas was listed in a recent study as the third best state for singles.(Photo: Christopher Walker/Times Record News)

Subject expert Paul Rose, Ph.D., associate dean, School of Education, Health and Human Behavior, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, saidstrong, fulfilling relationships are a key factor in human happiness. He believes people should consider living in places that they are most likely to find strong friendships and other human connections.

Singles in the dating world should not feel like they have to spend a great deal of money on a date to have a good time, Rose said.

Many of the activities that bring joy to people and set the stage for enjoyable conversations cost little or nothing, he said.

Some examples include going for a walk in a beautiful place, cheap or free concerts, plays and lectures, picnics or meals at home.

If youre frugal or are trying to establish better financial habits, planning inexpensive outings not only saves you money but also helps you assess whether you and your date are a good match, Rose said.

Diana T. Sanchez, professor at Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, said when people are single and moving to a new location, they should look at the male-to-female ratio and see if people living there match up to your values.

More than beauty and attraction, we like those who are similar to us. So, if you care about a certain cause, lifestyles, or political attitudes, you should live in a place that reflects those values or has access to those lifestyles because it will be easier to find someone who shares your passion," Sanchez said.

For the full report, visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-singles/31667/.

Claire Kowalick, a senior journalist for the Times Record News, covers local government, military and MSU Texas. If you have a news tip, contact Claire at ckowalick@gannett.com.

Twitter: @KowalickNews

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Human Behavior

Are Insects Capable of Moral Behavior? – JSTOR Daily

Are insects conscious, capable of a subjective experience of the world? And, if so, can they be moral actors, or victims of immoral acts (like, say, being flushed down the toilet)? These questions interest modern scientists. And, as Jeanette Samyn writes, they also mattered to nineteenth-century naturalists who asked questions about behavior and morality in relation to the nonhuman world.

Writing in the 1810s and 1820s, British entomologists William Kirby and William Spence presented parasites as tools of God. To them, lice represented a punishment for both personal uncleanliness and for oppression and tyranny.

Still, Kirby, Spence, and other biologists wrestled with whether insects could be moral actors. Were they driven purely by instinct or capable of some sort of reason? And how could their more disgusting behaviors be reconciled with a universe ordered by God? Charles Darwin wrote that it was difficult to believe that a beneficent & omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of caterpillars. Instead, he wrote, he preferred to look at everything as resulting from designed laws, with the details, whether good or bad, left to the working out of what we may call chance. Not, he added somewhat glumly, that this at all satisfies me.

Other naturalists presented insects as moral beings. Some chose to focus on a few charismatic speciesnotably bees, which had long been admired as sociable, productive creatures who were helpful to humans. But Samyn points to a different take on the value of insect life presented by Louis Figuier, a French writer who interpreted science for a popular audience. His 1868 book The Insect World fascinated and repulsed readers with descriptions of astonishing insect behavior. He ascribed conscious choice, industriousness, and sociality to the bugs. In some cases, he did this by anthropomorphizing themdescribing a flea laying eggs as a foreseeing mother, for example. But often, the value he found was totally independent of human ethics, lying simply in their status as living creatures that play a part in the web of natural life. For example, he praised the marvelousindustry, patience, and dexterity and biological intelligence of parasitic fleas, ticks, and lice.

To some readers, this approach was horrifying. Cultural critic John Ruskin wrote that The Insect World made him sick with disgust by its descriptionsof all that is horrible in insect life. Ruskin wasnt just grossed out. Samyn writes that he was describing moral revulsion at the way Figuier and other naturalists celebrated what he considered mindless, instinctive behavior. To Ruskin, humans were completely distinct from other animals in that they have both instincts and consciousness, and it was only conscious effort that made human action valuable or praiseworthy.

Ultimately, of course, science can only go so far in answering questions about values and morality. But knowing whether insects really have an experience of the world might still influence how we humans think about our own values and actions.

JSTOR is a digital library for scholars, researchers, and students. JSTOR Daily readers can access the original research behind our articles for free on JSTOR.

By: Jeanette Samyn

Nineteenth-Century Literature, Vol. 71, No. 1 (June 2016), pp. 89-114

University of California Press

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Are Insects Capable of Moral Behavior? - JSTOR Daily

Biochemistry

‘An exceptional broadcaster who will be sorely missed’ – RTE.ie

Working as an anchor on Six One News is one of the most high-profile positions in Irish broadcasting.

But from the moment Keelin Shanley sat in the presenter's chair, she looked as if she had been doing the job for years.

A tenacious interviewer and warm communicator, she was the ideal choice for this prestigious role.

And with over 20 years experience as a journalist and broadcaster, Keelin quickly became the much-loved presenter of the countrys main news bulletin.

Born in CountyDublin, Keelin studied biochemistry at Trinity College and worked for a while as researcher in the Department of Pharmacology in the University of Bologna.

After presenting a number of science and technology RT programmes in the late 1990s, her skill in front of the camera quickly became apparent and she made the switch to mainstream current affairs. It was a field in which she was to excel.

Read more:RT broadcaster Keelin Shanley dies following illness'Keelin was the best of us, we are poorer for her loss'

She also worked for broadcasters including Radio France International and CNN World Report, but she would spend the majority of her career with RT where her flexibility and breadth of knowledge saw her present a wide variety of shows.

Although she was incredibly comfortable in a studio environment, she was just as skilled as a reporter out on the road.

From 1999 she was a popular and dynamic member of the Prime Time team as a reporter and presenter. In her time there she made a number of acclaimed documentaries, many of which focused on social issues and gave voice to people on the margins of society.

She also reported from a number of developing countries for the Far Away, Up Close strand, including documentaries on the plight of child soldiers in the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda and the rebuilding of Liberia.

In 2002, she pioneered the Prime Time Investigates strand with Saturday Night, Sunday Morning, an hour-long Prime Time special on binge-drinking culture.

Keelin went on to make further Prime Time Investigates on health inequality, cocaine abuse, homelessness, people trafficking, deportations and teenage criminality among other subjects.

In more recent times, Keelin presented Morning Edition, The Consumer Show, Crimecall and The Irish Book Awards on RT One. She also worked as a radio presenter across several programmes on RT Radio 1 - Morning Ireland, News at One, Today with Sean O'Rourke and Late Debate.

She won many awards for her work including IFTAs, a Law Society Award and a Radharc award.

Keelin took the reins of Six One News in January 2018. It was a position she hugely enjoyed.

In a newsroom environment that can often be busy and stressful, she was a calm and reassuring presence, easy to work with, helpful and encouraging of other colleagues.

She was a warm and compassionate broadcaster but also an incisive interviewer and a role model for women starting out in the business. But her time on the bulletin was brought to a premature end as she faced cancer.

Keelin was an exceptional broadcaster, a fiercely intelligent reporter and a much-loved presence in RT, where she will be sorely missed.

Above all she will be missed by her family, her husband Conor, children Ben and Lucy, her wide family and a large circle of friends.

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'An exceptional broadcaster who will be sorely missed' - RTE.ie

Anatomy

Duke University Medical School – Anatomy

Date

Pre-lab exercise

Introduction

Lab 1

Tues, Aug 13

EXAM 1

Mon, Aug 19

Lab 2

Wed, Aug 21

Lab 3

Wed, Aug 28

Lab 3 Pre-lab video

Laminectomy video

EXAM 2

Tues, Sept 3

Lab 4

Wed, Sept 18

TA

Fri, Sept 27

EXAM 4

Mon, Sept 30

Lab 5

Wed, Oct 2

Lab 6

Mon, Oct 7

Lab 7

Wed, Oct 9

EXAM 5

MON, OCT 14

Lab 8

Lab 9

Wed, Oct 23

Lab 9 pre-lab video

Perineum video

Lab 10

Fri, Oct 25

EXAM 6

MON, OCT 28

(Written) Lecture: Pelvis, autonomics, GI and UG Embryology

Lab 11

Mon, Oct 28

Lab 12

Wed, Oct 30

Lab 13

Fri, Nov 1

Lab 14

Mon, Nov 4

Lab 15

Wed, Nov 6

TA

Thur, Nov 7

Lab 16

Fri, Nov 8

Lab 16a pre-lab video

Lab 16b pre-lab video

EXAM 7

Mon, Nov 11

Lab 17

Mon, Nov 18

Lab 17 pre-lab video

Skull Osteology Video

Lab 18

Wed, Nov 20

Lab 19

Fri, Nov 22

Mastication and Infratemporal Fossa 1

EXAM 8

Mon, Nov 25

Lab 20

Mon, Nov 25

Mastication and Infratemporal Fossa 2

Lab 21

Mon, Dec 2

Lab 22

Wed, Dec 4

Lab 23

Fri, Dec 6

Lab 24

Mon, Dec 9

Lab 25

Tues, Dec 10

Lab 25 pre-lab video

Larynx video

TA

Wed, Dec 11

Lab 26

Wed, Dec 11

Lab 27

Thur, Dec 12

Lab 28

Fri, Dec 13

EXAM 9

Mon, Dec 16

Click here to submit questions or comments about this site.

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Duke University Medical School - Anatomy

Anatomy

Internal Organs | Anatomy System – Human Body Anatomy …

Primary menu Posted in Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged digestive, digestive anatomy, digestive system, digestive system anatomy, digestive system diagram Posted in Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged heart, heart anatomy, heart chart, heart diagram, heart with labels, human heart, human heart anatomy, parts of the heart Posted in Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged digestive, digestive anatomy, digestive system, digestive system anatomy, digestive system diagram Posted in Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged heart, heart anatomy, heart chart, heart diagram, heart with labels, human heart, human heart anatomy, parts of the heart Posted in Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged digestive, digestive anatomy, digestive system, digestive system anatomy, digestive system diagram Posted in Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged heart, heart anatomy, heart chart, heart diagram, heart with labels, human heart, human heart anatomy, parts of the heart Posted in Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged digestive, digestive anatomy, digestive system, digestive system anatomy, digestive system diagram Posted in Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged digestive, digestive anatomy, digestive system, digestive system anatomy, digestive system diagram Posted in Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged heart, heart anatomy, heart chart, heart diagram, heart with labels, human heart, human heart anatomy, parts of the heart Posted in Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged heart, heart anatomy, heart chart, heart diagram, heart with labels, human heart, human heart anatomy, parts of the heart Posted in Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged heart, heart anatomy, heart chart, heart diagram, heart with labels, human heart, human heart anatomy, parts of the heart Posted in Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged heart, heart anatomy, heart chart, heart diagram, heart with labels, human heart, human heart anatomy, parts of the heart Posted in Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged heart, heart anatomy, heart chart, heart diagram, heart with labels, human heart, human heart anatomy, parts of the heart Posted in Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged heart, heart anatomy, heart chart, heart diagram, heart with labels, human heart, human heart anatomy, parts of the heart Posted in Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged human stomach, stomach, stomach anatomy, stomach chart, stomach diagram Posted in Cancer, Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged cancer, cancer chart, cancer diagram, cancer explained, human stomach, stomach, stomach anatomy, stomach chart, stomach diagram Posted in Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged heart, heart anatomy, heart chart, heart diagram, heart with labels, human heart, human heart anatomy, parts of the heart Posted in Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged digestive, digestive anatomy, digestive system, digestive system anatomy, digestive system diagram Posted in Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged human stomach, stomach, stomach anatomy, stomach chart, stomach diagram Posted in Diagrams, Internal Organs | Tagged human stomach, stomach, stomach anatomy, stomach chart, stomach diagram Post navigation

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Anatomy

Grey’s Anatomy: 20 BTS Pics That Will Make You Wish For Another 16 Seasons – TheThings

Since 2005, we have been completely obsessed with Grey's Anatomy. Creator Shonda Rhimes has clearly figured out the exact recipe for compelling television. While she of course has a catalogue of other popular series, there is nobody out there who could possibly deny that Grey's Anatomy has been the most successful. The show is a masterpiece and the longer it stays on, the more people seem to enjoy watching it. Seriously though, when does that ever happen?

While it's been confirmed that there will be a 17th season coming next fall, for all we know that could be the last we see of our beloved hospital and its surgeons (the show does have to end at some point, right?). Instead of stressing on that, let's look at some totally heartwarming behind-the-scenes pics of our favorite team of doctors! Who's ready to start scrolling?

This one is a heartbreaker. As happy as our girls are looking in this BTS pic, it does make us miss April Kepner and Arizona Robbins. For so many seasons they were such a big part of the series and then they were both written off in one fell swoop.

After 16 seasons, we have certainly seen our fair share of Grey's Anatomy weddings. While most of the marriages have not survived the length of the series, there are a couple who are still going strong today. This BTS shot was taken duringseason 14's double-wedding episode. Imagine this crew showing up on your big day!

Here is a treat for all of the fans who have been watching since season 1. As we can see, George O'Malley and Derek Shepherd are still alive and well in this BTS shot. Our cast looks like they're taking a well-deserved break from filming, though Cristina does still seem to be picking on George...

Over the course of her many years on the show, Ellen Pompeo's business card has changed significantly. As well known as she is for acting on Grey's Anatomy, she has also picked up credits as a producer and as a director. From the look on Kelly McCreary's face, Pompeo is a great boss!

If there is one thing the cast of Grey's Anatomy loves more than an emotional season finale, it's taking cast selfies. This crew is always posing for pics together and honestly, we're living for it! Here we see our day 1 Richard Webber with a few ofthe show's newer additions.

Ellen Pompeo is our star and the rest of the cast has done a spectacular job over the last 15 years. However, without Shonda Rhimes, there would be no Grey's Anatomy. Without the Queen of Television, we also wouldn't have Private Practice, Station 16 or any of her other hits.

Once we lost Derek, Arizona, April and Callie, the show was in desperate need of some permanent faces. Maggie, Jo and Amelia have definitely been picking up some slack in the more recent seasons. Even though they've been around for a while now, their storylines have definitely been beefing up.

Station 19 has been on the air since 2018. It is a Shonda Rhimes original of course and since it takes place in Seattle and even features Miranda Bailey's husband Ben Warren, we see quite a bit of cross-over between the two series. That being said, the casts werebound to sneak a selfie eventually.

Even though it's not uncommon in the show to see our doctors in their regular clothing, this does happen to be a very different look for Richard Webber than what we are used to seeing. This one has got us super nostalgic with Callie Torres and April Kepner looking happier than ever!

Here is a great shot of actress Sandra Oh getting into her character. She played everyone's favorite cardio surgeon Cristina Yang for 11 seasons and to be honest, most fans are still not over the fact that she's left the show. We're all pretty much just crossing our fingers at this point that she makes an appearance in the series finale.

Looks like Ellen Pompeo is not the only star who's been given the chance to sit in the director's seat! Jesse Williams, who plays plastic surgeon Jackson Avery, has also stepped up to direct. They've both certainly been with the show for long enough now to know what needs to happen.

Related:15 Grey's Anatomy Characters We Wish Would Come Back

We love seeing this cast taking breaks, but all the while still rocking their classic surgeon's outfits. Imagine going to take a coffee break, but having to do so in an x-ray vest? Definitely not something everyone has to deal with. However, these guys don't seem to mind at all.

Spoiler ahead! For fans who are up to date with season 16, you'll already know the heartbreaking news. Justin Chambers, who plays master pediatric surgeon Alex Karev, has officially announced he will not be returning to the series. The loss of Alex Karev has to be the second hardest, after Cristina Yang, of course.

Related:5 Grey's Anatomy Actors Who Were Fired From The Show (And 10 We Wish Would Join)

Lexie Grey was an A+ character. Even though when she first arrived, everyone including Meredith Grey herself was unsure about the young intern, it didn't take too long for her to win us over. Once she and Mark fell in love, it was game over. We miss them both so much!

Just a quick snap before heading off to surgery! Maggie Pierce was the third surprise sister for Meredith Grey, but she's quickly become an important character with her own hefty storylines. There is no two ways around it, her and Jackson Avery are just too adorable to be allowed!

Here we are looking at a hilarious BTS picture of Ellen Pompeo and Camilla Luddington (Jo Wilson). They are obviously channeling their innerMiranda Priestly. They've got the sunglasses, the Starbucks and the perfect "I'm too important to look at you" expression. We know who to call for aThe Devil Wears Prada sequel!

Let's face it, seeing Meredith paired up with anyone after Derek was going to be near impossible. Their love story was one of the best to ever be featured on a television series, so following that up is no easy feat. However, Andrew DeLuca is a respectful, handsome and charming fellow, so if we have to see her with someone else, we guess he's ok.

Related:Here's Why These Popular Couples From Grey's Anatomy Are Actually The Worst

We are loving these matching jumpsuits! Even though this probably wasn't planned, their outfits and smiling faces make for one of the best BTS shots ever. While we know that these women run the show at Seattle Grace, it's nice to see that they're slaying outside of the hospital as well!

Ok, so we get that there is just no possible way for Derek Shepherd to make a comeback at this point, but there could still be hope for Callie Torres. She was never killed off the series and as far as we know, she is still living in New York with Arizona Robbins and their daughter Sophia.

When thinking of shows like Game of Thrones, it's easy to imagine how uncomfortable the sets must be. Afterall, most of that cast did spend a lot of time of horseback. However, in terms of Grey's Anatomy, there is always a comfortable bed nearby. The perfect set for adorable BTS pics like this one!

Next:20 Surprising Things You Didn't Know Happened On The Set Of Grey's Anatomy

NextDuck Dynasty: 15 Things We Didn't Know About The Robertsons And The Show

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Grey's Anatomy: 20 BTS Pics That Will Make You Wish For Another 16 Seasons - TheThings

Anatomy

Patrick Dempsey Says This is His Favorite Episode of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Diehard fans of ABCs hit seriesGreys Anatomy still feels the loss of Dr. Derek McDreamy Shepherd, portrayed by Patrick Dempsey. The character was killed off the show after 11 seasons of playing the handsome neurosurgeon and lifelong love of Meredith Grey (played by series matriarch Ellen Pompeo).

After serving in the role for years and being in countless episodes, theGreysalumselected this one episode as his top pick.

Dempsey became an instant heartthrob when the show launched in 2005, quickly becoming a fan favorite. While he acknowledged the fame the medical drama brought him, Dempsey revealed that there was a downside to the demanding time commitment.

Im very grateful forGreys Anatomy, the father of three told People in 2016. Its given me the opportunity to do everything. But at the same time, there was a cost. I think after a certain period of time, no matter how much money you make, you want control out of your own schedule.

Due to the popularity of his character and the challenge of writing the favorite doctor off the show in an acceptable manner, the end of McDreamy was kept under wraps. It was clear we were both ready. But we kept it very quiet, Dempsey revealed. I knew he was going to be gone, but I didnt know how she was going to handle it. Shonda just said, Im going to do it in a really good way and she did her thing.

Despite being sad to leave his co-stars, the actor knew it was time for a new challenge. It had been long enough. It was time for me to move on with other things and other interests, Dempsey said. I probably should have moved on a couple of years earlier. I stayed a bit longer than I should have.

Dempsey and his wife Jill Fink briefly separated after 15 years together in January 2015. They soon decided to stay together and work on their marriage.

Youve got to keep at it.Youve got to communicate, and stay open and not get lazy, Dempsey said in 2016, according to Cosmopolitan U.K. And not give up And we both wanted to do that work. Thats where it started. Its always destabilizing when youre potentially breaking up a family or you have a big section of your life thats ending.

With the help of marriage counseling, the couple was able to give their relationship the attention it needed. I [learned] to prioritize. Our union has to be the priority. I wasnt prepared to give up on her and she wasnt either. We both wanted to fight for it, the Greys alum said. Jill and I decided it was time to work on our issues and improve. We wanted to be role models for our kids like, okay, if you have differences, you can work them out.

The actor is clearly enjoying his life post-Greys, spending more time with his wife and children. I was so happy to be riding a chair life in a snowstorm with my kids, Dempsey told People of an earlier ski trip in 2016 with his family. I was really grateful to have the time to just sit down and enjoy stuff like that. Im definitely more relaxed now. And happier too.

When promoting his film Bridget Jones Baby in 2016, Dempsey was asked to pick his favorite episode of the long-running medical drama. Thats hard, he saidduring a Facebook Live interviewwithCosmpolitan U.K.There were 250 episodes I was in over 10 years.

Dempsey revealed the very first episode was first in his heart. I have to say my favorite really was the pilot because we didnt know what was going to happen, and then there was that sense of discovery, he said. When I saw it for the first time, I thought the music was incredible and it was fun to be a part of such a strong ensemble. That was special. That first season was really remarkable.

According to Entertainment Weekly, he expressed the same sentiment the prior year right after his last episode on the show. The pilot was great, he said in April 2015. And then just the discovery of what was happening. I couldnt believe how it came together. And the bands that came on, and the emotional impact the music had on the show. Everybody had great moments. You realize how powerful an ensemble can be, and it was the collective that made it successful, not one individual.

After reading Dempseys comments, Greys Anatomy fans may find themselves revisiting the episode that kicked off one of todays hottest shows!

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Patrick Dempsey Says This is His Favorite Episode of 'Grey's Anatomy' - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Anatomy

The anatomy of a cover-up – The Jerusalem Post

It happened less than 10 minutes after Ukrainian Airlines flight 752 left Tehrans airport heading for Kiev on January 8, 2020. Two missiles 30 seconds apart hit the commercial jetliner destroying the aircraft and killing all 176 passengers and crew members on board. This was initially believed to be a crash due to mechanical failure. However, in light of the tense, war-like atmosphere following Irans attack on an Iraqi military base housing US forces, there was speculation from the outset that the aircraft was downed by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) missiles. Theories on the IRGCs complicity was not only advanced by Western intelligence agencies, but also by the general public; particularly members of the Iranian diaspora.Many videos taken on mobile phones began to surface on social media within hours of the incident. Some of them clearly showed objects believed to be missiles colliding with the aircraft. One of the very first pieces of evidence supporting the destruction of the jetliner by missiles was provided by an Iranian-American social activist in Northern California, Ashkan Monfared. Monfared posted on Twitter the image of an object that astoundingly resembled missile wreckage and added the following caption in Persian: This piece was found in the area of the Ukrainian Airlines plane crash that had fallen in front of a house. Does an airplane have anything like this? Is it not the tip of a missile? The image quickly went viral on social media.Almost immediately after posting his tweet, Monfared was attacked by what appeared to be a wave of pro-regime Iranian bloggers on Twitter. They accused Monfared of spreading disinformation aiming to tarnish the image of the Islamic Republic. They also dismissed the image as a hoax. Many of the accounts that attacked Monfared were based in the US or Canada and followed the approach of the National Iranian American Council, a Washington-based organization highly suspected to lobby for the Iranian regime. A seemingly coordinated effort was then made to completely silence Monfared on Twitter. Subsequently, less than 24 hours after his initial post, Monfareds Twitter account was suspended.Displaying an image of Monfareds tweet, a known Iranian regime supporter based in Canada, Hossein Derakhshan, tweeted in Persian on January 9, Almost concurrent with suspension of Ashkan Monfareds account, which of course was due to dissemination of fake news, numerous [other] Iranian accounts linked to Saudi Arabia and Israel [were also suspended]. DERAKHSHAN INSINUATED that Twitter accounts suggesting the regimes complicity or showing evidence of it were Saudi or Israeli agents promulgating disinformation. His tweet raised the probability that a large, coordinated group of pro-regime individuals were reporting Monfareds account to trigger Twitters suspension algorithm.The campaign to silence Iranian dissidents seemed to have originated from within the highest echelons of power in Tehran. On January 9, Hesameddin Ashena, a senior advisor to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, wrote a tweet effectively threatening Western-based journalists of Iranian descent to stay quiet about the tragedy. He wrote, Warning! Persian-language media outlet personnel of Iranian origin are warned to refrain from participating in the psychological warfare over the Ukrainian aircraft and working with the enemies of Iran.Ashenas warning seems to have resonated with pro-regime journalists. In spite of the growing evidence of foul play by the IRGC, pro-regime Persian and English-language media outlets remained silent, limiting their coverage to merely a plane crash due to technical malfunction. Meanwhile, many more Twitter accounts that raised the possibility of the regimes involvement were mysteriously shut down. The Twitter account of London-based British-Iranian attorney Daniel Rasteen was suspended after he wrote several tweets accusing the IRGC of shooting down the jetliner.For three days, the regime kept the details of the crash concealed. Inspectors from Ukraine as well as other countries arrived in Tehran to begin investigating the incident. Among the wreckage, they found debris similar to the object displayed by Monfared. The regime eventually and perhaps reluctantly admitted that the plane was unintentionally shot down by IRGC air defense.By this time, Monfareds Twitter account had been reinstated. As soon as it became evident that the crash was not accidental, the same individuals who had attacked Monfared began blaming the Trump administration for the mishap. To this day, some regime apologists still claim that the initial campaign accusing the IRGC, before the militant group admitted to their role in the tragedy, was merely anti-Iran propaganda.A recent New York Times article claimed the regime found itself compelled to tell the truth about the incident after President Rouhani threatened resignation. There is no evidence to substantiate this other than the authors claim that she received that information from her sources inside Iran. What did, however, force the regime to admit guilt was pressure from the international community, which was partly triggered by outpouring of visual evidence provided by Iranians inside the country and disseminated by people like Monfared. In an era where social media connects people from around the world, it is becoming increasingly difficult for totalitarian regimes and their henchmen to conceal their atrocities.Kaveh Taheri is an Iranian free-lance journalist and sociopolitical activist based in Turkey. Dr. Kamran Ayazi is an Iranian dentist, musician and sociopolitical activist based in Turkey.

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The anatomy of a cover-up - The Jerusalem Post