Free Republic

An English boy with limited mobility formed a special bond with a three-legged dog nobody else wanted, and now their story is becoming a book. Owen Howkins, 7, suffers from Schwartz-Jampel syndrome, a rare genetic condition that leaves his muscles in a permanent state of tension. Owen's mother learned about Haatchi online. The Italian shepherd had been tied to a railroad track where he was hit, and his tail and one leg had to be amputated. Owen's family adopted the dog, and Haatchi and Owen formed a bond straight away.

A pill that can correct a wide range of faulty genes which cause crippling illnesses should be available within three years, promising a revolution in the treatment of thousands of conditions. The drug, known as PTC124, has already had encouraging results in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis. The final phase of clinical trials is to begin this year, and it could be licensed as early as 2009. As well as offering hope of a first effective treatment for two conditions that are at present incurable, the drug has excited scientists because research suggests it should also work...

A loss for true conservatism (David Shuster)• November 7, 2004 | 2:26 p.m. ETOn Tuesday, eleven different states outlawed gay marriage. The basic argument I heard was not about marriage (more on that below) but about being gay. And a majority of voters seem to believe that homosexuality is an "immoral lifestyle choice." Hmmmm. The problem is that anybody who has a relative or friend who is gay also knows it is not a "choice." It is something wired into the genes of approximately 3 or 4 percent of the human population in every single culture on the planet. Secondly,...