Gemini research reveals 2 in 5 crypto investors in the UK are women – PR Newswire UK

Posted on by

National survey finds 13.5% of UK population are current or previous investors in digital assets, up 152% from previous studies

LONDON, Jan. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- New data from Gemini, the cryptocurrency exchange and custodian, presents the demographic profile of existing and potential crypto investors in the UK market. The results of a nationally representative survey of 2,000 respondents challenge certain long-held stereotypes about consumer engagement with digital assets, while reinforcing other past research.

The most significant trends are outlined in the Gemini State of Crypto Report 2021. The Report builds a picture of how factors such as gender, age, family status, educational attainment, income, location, technology usage, and the COVID-19 pandemic impact crypto investment.

Key findings include:

Blair Halliday, Head of UK at Gemini, said, "This new data demonstrates an increasingly diverse base engaging with crypto and indicates how the market is likely to evolve over the longer term. As the industry develops, there are more safe, secure, and regulated platforms available for trading and investing, meaning crypto has never been more accessible. We expect the reach of crypto to widen further, particularly as the 9.0% who are interested in crypto enter the market. The sector has a huge opportunity to educate the 38.7% of respondents who either do not know anything at all about crypto, or do not know enough to invest."

For more insights, download the full report athttps://www.gemini.com/state-of-uk-crypto

About Gemini Europe

Gemini Europe has offices in London and Dublin and is registered as an e-money institution in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority. Gemini Europe provides individuals and institutions with trusted products and tools to buy, sell, and store cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Basic Attention Token (BAT), Dai, Ethereum, Litecoin, ChainLink (LINK) and Orchid (OXT).

SOURCE Gemini

Go here to see the original:

Gemini research reveals 2 in 5 crypto investors in the UK are women - PR Newswire UK

How to buy bitcoin in a IRA: Rules, benefits, risks, and where to buy – Business Insider – Business Insider

Posted on by

Not a day goes by without bitcoin being in the news. And given the cryptocurrency's phenomenal price rise, from zero to approximately $32,000 in a little over a decade, you like many other individual investors may be tempted to buy in. But how?

Actually, you can invest in finance's newest asset via one of its most familiar vehicles: the IRA. Yes, you can buy bitcoin for a good old individual retirement account.

Cue the excitement? Maybe. In many ways, bitcoin investments are well-suited to an IRA. But, as with any investment strategy, there are pros and cons to consider.

Bitcoin is a type of cryptocurrency (sometimes called a digital or virtual currency) the oldest, and most popular of the dozen varieties available for trading and investment. So a bitcoin IRA is a type of investment retirement account that includes bitcoin within its portfolio.

Although these accounts may carry the name "bitcoin," they also allow you to invest in other cryptocurrencies, like ethereum, litecoin, and bitcoin cash.

You can't put bitcoin into a pre-existing, regular IRA that holds your stocks, bonds, ETFs, or mutual funds. Instead, you have to set up a special one, technically known as a self-directed IRA (SDIRA). The reason: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) deems cryptocurrencies like bitcoin a type of property, which is off-limits to regular IRAs.

"A self-directed IRA has a little bit looser IRS rules, so you can hold things like property," or other alternative investments, confirms Victoria Bogner, a certified financial planner and chief executive officer of McDaniel Knutson.

In some ways, bitcoin IRAs work like regular IRAs. While you can set one up with any amount of funds, they have annual contribution limits set by the IRS: You can only contribute $6,000 a year for 2020 and 2021 (or $7,000 a year if you're age 50 or older). Any returns, income, or gains generated by the investments within them grow tax-free.

You can also establish a bitcoin IRA as either a traditional account (for which contributions are tax-deductible, and funds taxed upon withdrawal) or a Roth account (no tax break on contributions, but distributions are tax-free).

Of the two, the Roth version might have an edge, says Bogner, especially "if you are of the mindset that Bitcoin is going to explode" in price in the future. Roth IRAs are preferred by investors who project they'll be in a higher tax bracket when they retire and start withdrawing money from the account. Since the Roth is funded with after-tax dollars, they won't owe anything on their bitcoin gains even if the currency has gone up 10 or 20 times.

Bitcoin IRAs do operate differently in a few ways, though.

As the "self-directed" implies, these IRAs are directly managed by the account holder (as opposed to a financial advisor or money manager). And your regular brokerage, bank, or investment app probably doesn't handle them. Self-directed IRAs are only available through firms that specialize in the type of asset you're interested in.

So, to open a bitcoin IRA, you'd work with special custodians that can hold and deal in cryptocurrency. Some custodians require an application, walking you through the process. If you move forward, you can then fund these accounts via a rollover of funds from an existing IRA or another tax-advantaged account, or contribute new funds.

Some of the better-known, established companies that let you set up bitcoin IRAs include:

This is still a young field, and information on a firm may be hard to come by. Frankly, some are little more than sales platforms. So, no matter which custodian you're considering, be sure to do your due diligence on it.

Visit its website or call its customer service line to confirm and compare its fee structure, operations. Ask how your bitcoins will be stored, exactly, and about security procedures and measures you don't want your account holdings vulnerable to hackers.

There are plenty of positives to consider with bitcoin IRAs.

No investment is without risk. Potential issues also exist with bitcoin IRAs.

Quick tip: An IRA custodian should never promise your account is protected against losses due to a drop in your holdings' price or value. It's not. Protection against literal loss, due to theft or the firm going bankrupt, possibly. Protection from investment loss, never.

Bitcoin IRAs can offer an opportunity for investors who believe in the crypto's future, but who want some tax savings along with their gains. Plus, the ease of dealing with a familiar type of account.

But there can be higher fees and account minimums when compared to other IRAs, so determine whether the trade-off is appropriate for you. Bear in mind that there are other ways to hold bitcoin, in regular accounts on crypto trading platforms like Coinbase and Binance US.

If you decide to open a bitcoin IRA, choose a custodian carefully. And only commit to bitcoin an amount that you can afford to lose, and think long term. Says Bogner: "Twenty years later, hopefully it's worth more than what you put in."

Continue reading here:

How to buy bitcoin in a IRA: Rules, benefits, risks, and where to buy - Business Insider - Business Insider

Bitcoin Holds Steady Above USD 30K, Ethereum and Altcoins Gain Traction – Cryptonews

Posted on by

Bitcoin price is stable above USD 30,500 and USD 31,000. BTC is currently (13:00 UTC) attempting an upside break above USD 31,800 and USD 32,000. A close above USD 32,000 could open the doors for a larger increase in the coming sessions.

Besides, most major altcoins are showing signs of a fresh increase, including ethereum, EOS, XRP, XLM, LINK, BNB, OMG, NEO, TRX, bitcoin cash, DOT, litecoin, and ADA. ETH/USD is back above USD 1,300 and it seems like the bulls are aiming for a break above USD 1,350. XRP/USD is trading above USD 0.255 and it is likely to climb towards USD 0.285 or USD 0.292.

Total market capitalization

In the past two sessions, bitcoin price traded in a range above the USD 31,000 support zone. BTC is slowly moving higher towards the USD 32,000 resistance level. The next key resistance is near the USD 32,400 level, above which the bulls are likely to target a 5%-8% move in the near term.

If there is no clear break above USD 32,000 and USD 32,400, there are chances of a fresh decline. An initial support is near the USD 31,000 level. The main support is now forming near the USD 30,000 level, below which the price could dive towards USD 29,200.

Ethereum price is slowly gaining bullish momentum above USD 1,280. ETH even surpassed the USD 1,300 level and it is likely to continue higher. The next key resistance sits near USD 1,350. A close above USD 1,350 may possibly spark a sharp rally in the coming sessions.

If ETH fails to stay above USD 1,300, it could correct lower. An initial support is near USD 1,285. The key support for the current wave is near the USD 1,250 level.

Bitcoin cash price is struggling to clear the USD 400 and USD 405 resistance levels. If BCH settles above USD 405, there could be a slow and steady rise towards the USD 432 and USD 435 levels. On the downside, the USD 385 level is a short-term support, followed by the USD 370 level.

Litecoin (LTC) is up 4% and it is testing the USD 130 level. An immediate resistance is near USD 132. If there are more upsides, the bulls might aim a test of the USD 140 resistance level. On the downside, the USD 125 level is a decent support, followed by the USD 118 zone.

XRP price remained stable and it recovered above the USD 0.255 level. If it clears the USD 0.265 resistance, there could be a drift towards the USD 0.285 and USD 0.292 resistance levels. The main hurdle on the upside is still near the USD 0.300 level.

In the past few hours, many altcoins gained over 10%, including DOGE, 1INCH, LUNA, EGLD, CHSB, ZEN, RUNE, QNT, ALPHA, KSM, SC, ATOM, LINK, and FTM. Out of these, DOGE grabbed the market's attention with a massive rally above USD 0.014.

To sum up, the bitcoin price is stable above USD 31,000, but it must clear the USD 32,000 and USD 32,500 resistance levels. If not, there is a risk of a fresh drop to USD 30,000._____

Go here to read the rest:

Bitcoin Holds Steady Above USD 30K, Ethereum and Altcoins Gain Traction - Cryptonews

US Court Sentences ICO Fraudster to 6 Months in Jail: Orders the Accused to Pay Over $4 Million in Restitution Regulation – Bitcoin News

Posted on by

A U.S. court has sentenced Jerry Ji Guo, a resident of San Francisco, to an effective six months in prison for his role in a fraudulent initial coin offering (ICO). In addition to the prison term, the court ordered Guo to pay over $4 million in restitution. Further, Guo will also cooperate with the government in the identification and return of the stolen property.

In a statement, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) says Guo, who pleaded guilty on August 26, 2019, had presented himself as an ICO consultant and promised his clients he would perform marketing and publicity services. However, instead of fulfilling his promises, Guo embezzled the clients cash and cryptocurrency.

As court documents show, a U.S. grand jury initially indicted Guo on November 15, 2018, charging him with eight counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343. However, the statement says Guo only pleaded guilty to one count while the rest of the charges were dismissed.

Meanwhile, in his remarks, the United States Attorney David L. Anderson, suggests that the countrys law enforcement has now caught up with crypto criminals. He says:

Some criminals believe mistakenly that cryptocurrency is beyond the reach of law enforcement. This case shows we can use criminal forfeiture to compensate fraud victims even when cryptocurrency is used in the fraud.

According to the DOJ statement, after Guos indictment, the government went on to obtain a stipulated application for a preliminary order of forfeiture on November 14, 2019. Further, the government also obtained warrants to seize the stolen cash and cryptocurrency while a final order of forfeiture against the stolen property was obtained on February 26, 2020.

In the meantime, the DOJ statement goes on to say that the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, a component of the DOJs Criminal Division will use the victim restoration process to return stolen property to victims.

Do you think the DOJ will enjoy similar success in other ICO fraud cases? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

View original post here:

US Court Sentences ICO Fraudster to 6 Months in Jail: Orders the Accused to Pay Over $4 Million in Restitution Regulation - Bitcoin News

Bitcoin On Bearish Momentum: 11.62% Down In The Last 12 Hours – Via News Agency

Posted on by

Bitcoin is currently on bearish momentum. At 20:03 EST on Friday, 29 January, Bitcoin is at $34,357.20 and down by 11.62% in the last 12 hours.

Over the last six hours, Bitcoins higher value was $34,688.99 and the lower value was $33,967.74.

Over the last twelve hours, Bitcoins higher value was $38,347.86 and the lower value was $33,967.74.

About Bitcoins daily highs and lows, its 6.549% up from its trailing 24-hour low of $32,245.49 and 10.406% down from its trailing 24-hour high of $38,347.86.

Regarding Bitcoins yearly highs and lows, its 736.556% up from its 52-week low and 18.093% down from its 52-week high.

Bitcoins last day, last week, and last months average volatility was 4.00%, 0.38%, and 0.26%, respectively.

Bitcoins last day, last week, and last months high and low average amplitude percentage was 6.22%, 8.55%, and 10.22%, respectively.

Skybridge's anthony scaramucci talks up new Bitcoin fund, crypto's 'exponential liftoff'. According to Business Insider on Wednesday, 27 January, "Its already happening," he said, citingBlackRock Inc.s adding Bitcoin futures as an eligible investment to two of its funds.", "The SkyBridge Bitcoin Fund LP aims toprovidemass-affluent investors with an institutional-grade vehicle to gain exposure to Bitcoin. "

Cryptos young believers stoke a craze for Bitcoin penny stocks. According to Bloomberg Quint on Wednesday, 27 January, "And the fact that Bitcoin miners tend to be unprofitable or just barely in the black isnt much of a deterrent.", "While Bitcoin prices tend to move in the realm of 5% to 10% a day, its not uncommon for the mining stocks to swing 20%. "

Bitcoin tumbles back below $30,000 as record momentum fades. According to Bloomberg Quint on Wednesday, 27 January, "Companies such as MicroStrategy Inc., Square Inc., and crypto miner Marathon Patent Group Inc. have all added some of their companys cash reserves into Bitcoin amid the rally."

Bitcoin might break down altogether, BIS head carstens warns. According to Bloomberg Quint on Wednesday, 27 January, "Investors must be cognizant that Bitcoin may well break down altogether," because the system becomes vulnerable to majority attacks as it gets close to its maximum supply of 21 million coins, BIS General Manager Agustin Carstens said in a speech for the Hoover Institution on Wednesday."

Microstrategy bond buyers rewarded with win-tie Bitcoin play. According to Bloomberg Quint on Thursday, 28 January, "The founder had become a big bull on Bitcoin and invested its very large cash pile in it," he said. ", "King estimates the value of the companys Bitcoin in the range of $800 million to $1.4 billion, assuming proceeds of the convertible offering were used to fund more buying. "

Ray dalio calls Bitcoin one hell of an invention, considers it for new funds. According to Bloomberg Quint on Thursday, 28 January, "Dalio said he thinks of Bitcoin as a "long-duration option on a highly unknown future" and investing in it means recognizing the potential to lose about 80%.", "Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio said Bitcoin is "one hell of an invention" and hes considering cryptocurrencies as investments for new funds offering clients protection against the debasement of fiat money."

Bitcoin investors May lose everything, central banker warns. According to Bloomberg Quint on Friday, 29 January, "On Friday, Bitcoin rallied above $35,000, with brokers attributing the move to Elon Musk mentioning the cryptocurrency in his bio page on Twitter.", "Still, Makhlouf doesnt see "financial stability issues at the moment arising from Bitcoin itself."

Bitcoin has leapt 17% after billionaire Elon Musk changes his twitter bio to '#Bitcoin'. According to Business Insider on Friday, 29 January, "Clearly the move is being cheered by the Bitcoin bulls," he said, and called the markets feverish trading around hot securities like Bitcoin and GameStop "risky."

Evolve files preliminary prospectus for Bitcoin ETF. According to Business Insider on Friday, 29 January, "TORONTO, Jan. 29, 2021 /CNW/ EvolveFunds Group Inc.("Evolve")is pleased to announce that it has filed a preliminary prospectus with the Canadian securities regulators for the Bitcoin ETF ("EBIT" or "the Fund"). ", "The Funds holdings will be priced based on the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate, a once-a-day benchmark index price for bitcoin denominated in U.S. dollars."

Continued here:

Bitcoin On Bearish Momentum: 11.62% Down In The Last 12 Hours - Via News Agency

How to Build Narrative Power and Co-Create a Just Future – Resilience

Posted on by

This article is based on content fromSeeds, Stories, Strategies: A Climate Justice Web Series, which took place in July 2020 as part of a collaboration between the Center for Cultural Power, Center for Story-Based Strategy, Movement Generation, Movement Strategy Center, and Race Forward.

Before we can set to work tearing down old systems and building up better ones, we first have to imagine where we want to go. Material liberation requires a mental liberation, and imagination is a powerful tool to free ourselves from repressive cultural narratives and social power structures.

Heres an exercise you can try for yourself: Imagine youre in the year 2030 looking back on 2020 and remembering societys response to the twin crises of the pandemic and systemic racism. Then describe what happened by starting with, Remember when and follow it with a sentence about a challenging moment from 2020. For the next step, imagine how these issues were overcome, again using the Remember when framing. Some examples include: how people demanded change, communities organized and protested, politicians enacted policy solutions to climate crises, and companies incorporated social and environmental impact into their bottom lines.

Once youve started imagining, you can begin building a narrative strategy. The framing of a narrative is an intentional and strategic choice, determining who is in and who is out of the stories we tell and the approaches we propose. It is important for social movements to introduce their own framing because if we dont tell our own stories, others will create them for us.

For a pertinent example of the importance of framing, we can look at media coverage of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, when articles labeled individuals as looters or survivors depending on race. In this way, framing provides a casting of characters and impacts how audiences name movements and their actions. A more concrete organizational case is the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, which made an explicit choice to move away from a narrow anti-pipeline focus toward the more general environmental justice and water is life narrative.

ByPax Ahimsa Gethenvia Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Leveraging the importance of framing enables us to reach beyond using magic words in a vacuum, and focus instead on so-called points of intervention. This, in turn, gives us a framework for understanding where to take action in a system we are trying to change, and is necessary in recognizing the structure of our problem rather than just analyzing a single issue. Points of intervention help us determine how to be strategic in deploying our stories. They provide insight about how and where we can challenge the dominant narratives that shape social mythologies, such as the bootstrap myth of capitalist ethics. More practically, they are points of vulnerabilities where dominant narratives are already weak.

At points of intervention, its useful to show stories rather than tell them, and to use storytelling to disrupt and reframe existing narratives. Dominant narratives can be further broken down in terms of their points of production, points of decision, points of destruction, points of consumption, and points of assumption and we can use our analysis to shape strategies for optimal effect.

Humans are narrative driven, and the currency of narrative is meaning, not facts. Take the Big Dipper, a stellar constellation that is not actually shaped like a pan but nonetheless assigned meaning by humans, making it useful for navigation and cultural memetics. Activists often focus on facts, but ultimately it is our human connection with meaning that moves people.

Narrative power is the power to dictate norms and values in society. This includes the ability to shape whats possible and determine whats politically realistic, and even to stretch beyond the possible and establish what is inevitable.

If a story is an individual star, a narrative is a constellation an aggregate of stories that show us a pattern. To continue the analogy, culture is like a galaxy, featuring a wide range of complexity and movement and also the context that allows us to make sense of our stories. The purpose of narrative and cultural strategy for justice is to build power for impacted communities. While social movements generate narratives, the work of cultural strategists is to make these narratives sustainable for long-term cultural change.

The Big Dipper byjpstanleyvia Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Narratives and culture are epistemic in that they frame how we know things. The real praxis of narrative and cultural strategy work therefore involves teaming up with cultural producers in order to re-shape perceptions of reality. This brings us back full circle to the power of radical imagination: narrative and culture are essential to shifting material conditions.

To do so, we have to strategize at each level of story, narrative, and culture. A good example is the #MeToo movement, which can be thought of as an aggregate of narratives coupled with a social proliferation mechanism (the internet) that enables pressure from social action over multiple spheres of society including politics, law, media, and entertainment.

The true power of storytelling lies in our ability to bring our audience into a shared vision of change. As Antoine de Saint Exupry wrote: If you want to build a ship, dont drum up people to collect wood and dont assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.

Crafting powerful stories requires a solid understanding of the common elements of story-telling: conflict, characters, imagery, foreshadowing, and underlying assumptions. These elements can be used to show how power is upheld or how countervailing power can be built up.

These fundamental elements can be aligned to construct a narrative pyramid composed of a message, a story, a narrative, and a deep narrative. While messages are ephemeral, humans connect and remember stories and narrative thanks to the basic elements of story-building. Stories make sense through the context of a narrative which ultimately proposes responsibility and action, bringing our audience into a shared vision sustaining a deeper narrative to change underlying assumptions.

Find out more about thePost Growth Institute on our website.

See original here:

How to Build Narrative Power and Co-Create a Just Future - Resilience

ClearPoint Neuro, Inc. Announces Expansion of Pre-Clinical and Translational Development Team to Support Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Partners -…

Posted on by

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClearPoint Neuro, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLPT), a global therapy-enabling platform company providing navigation and delivery to the brain, today announced that Ernesto Salegio, PhD will join the Company as Vice President, Segment Leader Translational and Pre-Clinical Research as part of ClearPoints Biologics and Drug Delivery team on March 1, 2021. Dr. Salegio brings over 19 years of experience in translational neuroscience with direct pre-clinical central nervous system (CNS) expertise in the delivery of therapeutics to the brain and spinal cord, including over 16 years of gene therapy experience working with adeno-associated viral vectors (AAV).

ClearPoint Neuros Biologics and Drug Delivery team was established in 2020 to provide turn-key medical device innovation, therapy delivery development and clinical services customized for both pharmaceutical and academic partners working on gene and stem cell therapies to the brain. This team also offers comprehensive services to help its partners navigate existing regulatory guidance and stay abreast of anticipated changes to guidance that will inevitably come.

Our current and prospective partners working on gene and stem cell therapies have an enormous unmet need for pre-clinical support, commented Jeremy Stigall, Vice President, Biologics & Drug Delivery Development. Ernestos extensive pre-clinical expertise in the intraparenchymal administration of therapeutics under image-guidance, as well into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), will allow ClearPoint to add crucial translational consulting services for our biologics partners. When we establish relationships with pharmaceutical partners well before the clinic, ClearPoint products and services can be incorporated throughout the entire development process, delivering consistent, predictable performance, and providing government agencies assurance that the navigation and delivery platform will remain constant from bench-to-bedside. We aim to become their comprehensive medical device partner, allowing them to focus on more traditional pharmaceutical challenges, while ClearPoint delivers state-of-the-art medical device and therapy delivery.

I am thrilled to become a member of the ClearPoint team, commented Dr. Salegio. After spending almost two decades focusing on translational research, image-guided delivery protocols, complex surgical procedures and in the development of CNS therapies, I am delighted to drive the expansion of ClearPoints capabilities. I am eager to leverage their current pre-clinical and clinical portfolio, as well as to their pipeline of innovative tools on the horizon, to provide customized solutions to current and future ClearPoint pharmaceutical partners.

About ClearPoint Neuro

ClearPoint Neuros mission is to improve and restore quality of life to patients and their families by enabling therapies for the most complex neurological disorders with pinpoint accuracy. Applications of the Companys current product portfolio include deep-brain stimulation, laser ablation, biopsy, neuro-aspiration, and delivery of drugs, biologics, and gene therapy to the brain. The ClearPoint Neuro Navigation System has FDA clearance, is CE-marked, and is installed in over 60 active clinical sites in the United States and the EU. The Companys SmartFlow cannula is being used in partnership or evaluation with 25 individual biologics and drug delivery companies in various stages from preclinical research to late-stage regulatory trials. To date, more than 4,000 cases have been performed and supported by the Companys field-based clinical specialist team which offers support and services for our partners. For more information, please visit http://www.clearpointneuro.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements herein concerning the Companys plans, growth and strategies may include forward-looking statements within the context of the federal securities laws. Statements regarding the Company's future events, developments and future performance, as well as management's expectations, beliefs, plans, estimates or projections relating to the future, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of these laws. Uncertainties and risks may cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by forward-looking statements. Particular uncertainties and risks include those relating to the impact of COVID-19 and the measures adopted to contain its spread; future revenues from sales of the Companys ClearPoint Neuro Navigation System products; the Companys ability to market, commercialize and achieve broader market acceptance for the Companys ClearPoint Neuro Navigation System products; and estimates regarding the sufficiency of the Companys cash resources. More detailed information on these and additional factors that could affect the Companys actual results are described in the Risk Factors section of the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, and the Companys Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended September 30, 2020, both of which have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31 2020, which the Company intends to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or before March 31, 2021.

Go here to see the original:

ClearPoint Neuro, Inc. Announces Expansion of Pre-Clinical and Translational Development Team to Support Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Partners -...

Cell Therapy Market 2020 Industry Size, Share, Segmentation, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast by 2025 KSU | The Sentinel Newspaper – KSU | The…

Posted on by

Global Cell Therapy Market 2020 by Company, Type and Application, Forecast to 2025 released at MarketQuest.biz offers widespread assessment and emphasizes fundamental synopsis of the global industry, embracing categorizations, applications, explanations, and manufacturing chain structure. The report discloses the overview of the market and then analyzes the market size (in terms of value and volume) and forecast by type, application/end-user, and region. The report contains a market competitive landscape and company profile between vendors, as well as market price analysis and value chain characteristics. The global Cell Therapy market research report sheds light on the assessment of its diverse segments and main geographies.

NOTE: Our analysts monitoring the situation across the globe explains that the market will generate remunerative prospects for producers post COVID-19 crisis. The report aims to provide an additional illustration of the latest scenario, economic slowdown, and COVID-19 impact on the overall industry.

Competitors Analysis:

The competitive landscape offers a corresponding detailed analysis of the major vendors/manufacturers in the global Cell Therapy market. The report examined the key drivers influencing market growth, opportunities, challenges, and the risks faced by key players and the market. It also assesses key emerging trends and their impact on present and future development. This research study assists users to evaluate company shares analysis, emerging product lines, pricing strategies, innovation possibilities, and much more.

DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLE REPORT: https://www.marketquest.biz/sample-request/26120

The competitive terrain of the market, as per the report, is inclusive of numerous companies such as: Gilead Sciences, Beike Biotechnology, Vericel Corporation, Novartis, JCR Pharmaceuticals, Osiris, Guanhao Biotech, Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics, Vcanbio, Golden Meditech

In market segmentation by types, the report covers: Stem Cell, Non-Stem Cell

In market segmentation by applications, the report covers the following uses: Hospital, Clinic

Regionally, this report focuses on several key regions: North America (United States, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy, Spain, Benelux, Nordic), Asia (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia, Australia and Taiwan), South America (Brazil, Argentina), MENA (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey)

The report also specifies the computed expected CAGR of the market estimated on the basis of the existing and previous records concerning the global Cell Therapy market. Besides, the report covers various tactics to discover the weaknesses, opportunities, risks, and strengths having the potential to impact the global market expansion. The report helps to evaluate and understand the market and its applications on a global level.

Key Deliverables In The Study:

ACCESS FULL REPORT: https://www.marketquest.biz/report/26120/global-cell-therapy-market-2020-by-company-type-and-application-forecast-to-2025

Moreover, the report is assumed as the keeping source for market profitability in the research that is expected to raise the business potentials. In addition, the global Cell Therapy market report provides innovative strategies towards the SWOT study, examination of the industrial development. Also, the report delivers breakdown and data triangulation, consumer needs/customer preference change, research findings, market size estimation, and data source.

Customization of the Report:

This report can be customized to meet the clients requirements. Please connect with our sales team (sales@marketquest.biz), who will ensure that you get a report that suits your needs. You can also get in touch with our executives on +1-201-465-4211 to share your research requirements.

Contact UsMark StoneHead of Business DevelopmentPhone: +1-201-465-4211Email: sales@marketquest.bizWeb: http://www.marketquest.biz

More:

Cell Therapy Market 2020 Industry Size, Share, Segmentation, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast by 2025 KSU | The Sentinel Newspaper - KSU | The...

Stem Cell Therapy Market 2021 Industry Size, Trends, Global Growth, Insights And Forecast Research Report 2026 NeighborWebSJ – NeighborWebSJ

Posted on by

This report of the global , Stem Cell Therapy Market systematically focuses on various factors such as current and past situations, developments, noteworthy business skills, preferences, and player strategies directly chosen by key market players to ensure stable revenue generation and long-term stability. Sure probability. With this report, research analysts and industry experts also aim to provide ample light on additional essential determinants such as scrutiny review and assessment of opportunities for analysis, as well as the threats and challenges that continue to curb the growth spike in the Stem Cell Therapy Market. The report provides a useful overview highlighting various aspects that encourage conservative business decisions in the Stem Cell Therapys market.

The market scope segment provides revenue to the electronic equipment market, predicting significant growth and future of the market. Stem Cell Therapy Market separation breaks down the major sub-areas that make up the market. The weekly segmentation section provides the biological market size. The modest background explains the competitive nature of the market, the market dividends and the description of the major players. Significant financial transactions that have shaped the market over the past few years are recognized.

Request For Sample PDF @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/691?utm_source=re

Various workable inputs on ongoing market competition, growing intensity and relevant details about new product and technology development are included in the Stem Cell Therapy Market report. Additional details on M&A, commercial agreements and technology enhancements are also incorporated in the report. This section of the report draws attention towards competition analysis of the highlighted players and prominent vendors. Each of the mentioned players company and business overview with details on revenue generation, objectives and profit margin have been duly addressed in the report to encourage thoughtful business decisions amongst market aspirants as well as established players alike.

The report provides ample light on several market components such as key trends, ongoing challenges, as well as barriers and threats that significantly limit the growth of the global Stem Cell Therapy Market. This carefully written research report takes into account all the dominant regional and country-specific developments in the global Stem Cell Therapy Market. This report mainly focuses on key developments in North and South America, Europe, APAC and MEA regions

Complete Summary with TOC Available @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/industry-reports/stem-cell-therapy-market?utm_source=re

Global Stem Cell Therapy Market 2020-26: Competitive Landscape Analytical Review

Compilation of this latest research report drives readers to have ongoing market developments, including paralyzing business and industrial development in numerous ways, including unprecedented advances such as the COVID-19 outbreak. The report is structured to highlight effective clues to growth-oriented business decisions, enabling manufacturers and stakeholders in the Stem Cell Therapy Market to come up with growth-friendly strategies and tactics.

Stem Cell Therapy Market Segmentation

Type Analysis of Stem Cell Therapy Market:

Based on cell source, the market has been segmented into,

Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal SCsBone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal SCsEmbryonic SCsOther Sources

Applications Analysis of Stem Cell Therapy Market:

Based on therapeutic application, the market has been segmented into,

Musculoskeletal DisordersWounds & InjuriesCardiovascular DiseasesGastrointestinal DiseasesImmune System DiseasesOther Applications

Systematic Guide to Report Investment

The report presents market size dimensions based on value and volume estimationsThe report demonstrates details on major dynamic alterations initiating growth diversionsThe report illustrates a touchpoint description of emerging segments and lucrative regional growth spots

What to expect from the Stem Cell Therapy Market report

1. The report investigates and makes the best forecasts related to market size and value estimation.2. A thorough evaluation to investigate material source and downstream purchasing development is reflected in the report.3. This report aims to characterize and segment the Stem Cell Therapy Market as a whole for the best reader understanding.4. Detailed references to buyer needs, barrier analysis and opportunity assessment are also taking root.

Market Report Highlights:

Chapter1. Executive SummaryChapter2. Research MethodologyChapter3. Stem Cell Therapy Market OutlookChapter4. Global Stem Cell Therapy Market Overview, By TypeChapter5. Global Stem Cell Therapy Market Overview, By ApplicationChapter6. Global Stem Cell Therapy Market Overview, By RegionChapter7. Company Profiles

Ask our Expert if You Have a Query @: https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/691?utm_source=re

About Us :

Adroit Market Research is an India-based business analytics and consulting company incorporated in 2018. Our target audience is a wide range of corporations, manufacturing companies, product/technology development institutions and industry associations that require understanding of a markets size, key trends, participants and future outlook of an industry. We intend to become our clients knowledge partner and provide them with valuable market insights to help create opportunities that increase their revenues. We follow a code Explore, Learn and Transform. At our core, we are curious people who love to identify and understand industry patterns, create an insightful study around our findings and churn out money-making roadmaps.

Contact Us :

Ryan JohnsonAccount Manager Global3131 McKinney Ave Ste 600, Dallas,TX75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: USA: +1 210-667-2421/ +91 9665341414

See the rest here:

Stem Cell Therapy Market 2021 Industry Size, Trends, Global Growth, Insights And Forecast Research Report 2026 NeighborWebSJ - NeighborWebSJ

Researchers use patients’ cells to test gene therapy for rare eye disease – National Institutes of Health

Posted on by

News Release

Thursday, January 28, 2021

Approach could provide new path for difficult-to-treat forms of Leber congenital amaurosis.

Scientists at the National Eye Institute (NEI) have developed a promising gene therapy strategy for a rare disease that causes severe vision loss in childhood. A form of Leber congenital amaurosis, the disease is caused by autosomal-dominant mutations in the CRX gene, which are challenging to treat with gene therapy. The scientists tested their approach using lab-made retinal tissues built from patient cells, called retinal organoids. This approach, which involved adding copies of the normal gene under its native control mechanism, partially restored CRX function. The study report appears today in Stem Cell Reports. NEI is part of the National Institutes of Health.

Our treatment approach, which adds more copies of the normal gene, could potentially treat autosomal-dominant LCA caused by a variety of mutations, said Anand Swaroop, Ph.D., chief of the NEI Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory and senior author of the report.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Luxturna in 2017 for the treatment of LCA patients with mutations in a gene called RPE65. Although hailed as a major advance in gene therapy, Luxturna is ineffective against other forms of LCA, including those caused by autosomal-dominant mutations in CRX.

The CRX gene encodes a protein (also called CRX) that binds to DNA and instructs the retinas photoreceptors to make light-sensitive pigments called opsins. Without functional CRX protein, photoreceptors lose their ability to detect light and eventually die.

Disorders like autosomal-dominant LCA are tricky to treat with gene therapy, because adding more of the normal gene does not always restore function. People with autosomal-dominant mutations still have one normal copy of the gene, but the mutant version of the protein interferes with the normal protein. Sometimes, instead of restoring normal function, simply adding more of the normal protein can enhance the disease in unpredictable ways.

To explore how gene augmentation adding copies of the normal gene would affect autosomal-dominant LCA, Swaroops team, developed retinal organoids from two volunteers with LCA and from their unaffected family members. Led by Kamil Kruczek, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in Swaroops lab, they built the complex retina-like tissues in several stages, starting with skin cells, inducing the production of mature photoreceptors and other retinal cells with the genetic profile of each volunteer. As expected, patient organoids made far less light-sensing opsin than the organoids made from unaffected family members.

To carefully control how much CRX gene would be expressed by the recipient photoreceptors, the team re-engineered the CRX promoter so it could be delivered with the CRX gene as part of the gene therapy. A promoter is a neighboring sequence of DNA that controls when and how genes are expressed. The researchers packed the gene and their engineered promoter inside a virus that shuttled them into the organoid photoreceptors.

The teams gene augmentation strategy restored some CRX protein function for organoids from both patients, driving expression of opsins in both types of photoreceptors: rods and cones.

The fact that this strategy worked for both CRX mutations was pretty exciting, said Swaroop. Gene augmentation may be a viable therapy for LCA caused by other autosomal-dominant mutations.

This proof-of-concept gene therapy study is the first step toward a potential treatment for a rare form of LCA, said Brian Brooks, M.D., NEI clinical director and co-author on the study. Its a great example of bench-to-bedside science, when researchers in basic and clinical science collaborate.

The current study was funded through the intramural programs of the NEI and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, both part of NIH. Patient samples were collected at the NIH Clinical Center, clinical trial number NCT01432847.

NEI has protected intellectual property around this technology which is available for licensing and or co-development. Details can be found on the NIH OTT Licensing website: Gene Therapy for Treatment of CRX-Autosomal Dominant Retinopathies | Office of Technology Transfer, NIH or by contacting NEI Office of Translational Research mala.dutta@nih.gov

Additional authors include: Zepeng Qu, James Gentry, Benjamin Fadl, Linn Gieser, Suja Hiriyanna, Zacahry Batz, Mugdha Samant, Ananya Samanta, Colin Chu, Laura Campello, and Zhijian Wu.

NEI leads the federal governments research on the visual system and eye diseases. NEI supports basic and clinical science programs to develop sight-saving treatments and address special needs of people with vision loss. For more information, visit https://www.nei.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

NIHTurning Discovery Into Health

Kruczek K. Qu Z, Gentry J, Fadl BR, Gieser L, Hiriyanna S, Batz Z, Samant M, Samanta A, Chu CJ, Campello L, Brooks BP, Wu Z, and Swaroop A. Gene therapy of dominantCRX-Leber congenital amaurosis using patient stem cell-derived retinal organoids.Stem Cell Reports, January 28, 2020.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stemcr.2020.12.018

###

Continued here:

Researchers use patients' cells to test gene therapy for rare eye disease - National Institutes of Health

Exacis Biotherapeutics Announces Key Addition To Its Executive Leadership Team With Dirk Huebner MD Joining As Chief Medical Officer – PRNewswire

Posted on by

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Exacis Biotherapeutics, Inc., a development-stageimmuno-oncology company working to harness the immune system to cure cancer,today announcedthe addition of Dirk Huebner,MD,as its Chief Medical Officer. Exacis launched in 2020 to develop next generation mRNA-based cellular therapeutics to treat liquid and solid tumors.

Exacis CEO Gregory Fiore MD said, "Dirk is a wonderful addition and a great fit for our management team. His extensive experience in oncology drug development, including antibody related therapies will be instrumental as we build our pipeline to include high performance stealth edited NK and T cells, with and without CARs (ExaNK, ExaCAR-NK and ExaCAR-T). We look forward to Dirk's insights and medical leadership as we build the company and advance our portfolio."

Dr. Huebner joins Exacis from Mersana Therapeutics where he wasthe Chief Medical Officer,oversaw their clinical developmentand helped build thecompany'sclinical infrastructure. Dr Huebnerhas worked in oncology and immuno-oncology drug development and academiafor more than 25 yearsand brings a deep understanding of the needs in the oncology space as well as the ability to successfully deliverproducts to meet those needs.

Commenting on the new role, Dr. Huebner said, "I am thrilled to join the Exacis team and work with best-in-class technology to create innovative, next-generation engineered NK and T cell therapies that have the potential to improve outcomes and treatment experiences for patients with challenging hematologic and solid tumor malignancies."

About Exacis Biotherapeutics

Exacis is a development stageimmuno-oncologycompany focused on harnessing the human immune system to cure cancer. Exacis uses its proprietary mRNA-based technologies to engineer next generation off-the-shelf NK and T cell therapies aimed at liquid and solid tumors.Exacis was founded in 2020 with an exclusive license to a broad suite of patents covering the use ofmRNA-based cell reprogramming and gene editing technologiesfor oncology.

ExaNK, ExaCAR-NK and ExaCAR-T utilize mRNA cell reprogramming and mRNA gene editing technologies developed and owned by Factor Bioscience. Exacis has an exclusive license to the Factor Bioscience technology for engineered NK and T cell products derived from iPSCs for use in oncology and holds all global development and commercial rights for these investigational candidates.

About T and Natural Killer (NK) Cell Therapies

T and NK cells are types of human immune cells that are ableto recognize and destroy cancer cells and can be modified through genetic engineering to target specific tumors.

SOURCE Exacis Biotherapeutics, Inc.

Link:

Exacis Biotherapeutics Announces Key Addition To Its Executive Leadership Team With Dirk Huebner MD Joining As Chief Medical Officer - PRNewswire

Caladrius Biosciences Treats First Patient in the Phase 2b FREEDOM Trial of CLBS16 for the Treatment of Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction – Cath Lab…

Posted on by

Initiation of the Phase 2b FREEDOM trial represents the next step in development of CLBS16 as a potential breakthrough treatment for the millions of sufferers of CMD in the U.S., most of whom are women

Patient enrollment underway atTheChrist Hospital Health Network in Cincinnati (OH) and Mayo Clinic in Rochester (MN) with additional sites across the United States targeted to open soon

Strong investigator and subject interest driven by the positive results of the Phase 2a ESCaPE-CMD trial reported in spring of 2020

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. (January 29, 2021) Caladrius Biosciences, Inc.,a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of cellular therapies designed to reverse disease, announced that it has treated the first patient in its Phase 2b FREEDOM trial of CLBS16 as a therapy for coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) at TheChrist Hospital Health Network in Cincinnati, Ohio. The 105-patient double-blind and placebo-controlled clinical trial is designed to further evaluate the efficacy and safety of intracoronary delivery of autologous CD34+ cells (CLBS16) in subjects with CMD and without obstructive coronary artery disease.

We are very excited about our CLBS16 program as it represents a potential breakthrough in the treatment of CMD, a condition which afflicts millions of patients in the US alone, many of whom are women. As a result, CMD is a womens health issue of emerging importance as currently there are no products with approved labeling for coronary microvascular dysfunction, said David J. Mazzo, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Caladrius. The treatment of the first patient in the FREEDOM trial is an important milestone for our Company and the program and we look forward to completing enrollment by the target of year-end 2021. It is especially noteworthy that even during the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians and patients are active in our trial, denoting the seriousness of the disease and underscoring the lack of available effective treatment for CMD.

Following the outstanding full data results from the ESCaPE-CMD study that I presented at SCAI 2020, we are very excited to participate in the FREEDOM trial, said Timothy D. Henry, M.D., Medical Director of the Carl and Edyth Lindner Center for Research at TheChrist Hospital Health Network. Caladrius CLBS16 program has demonstrated great promise and I am looking forward to seeing how this new therapeutic option can benefit patients with CMD.

For more information on this study, please visitclinicaltrials.gov(identifier: NCT04614467).

If you are a patient or a physician and have questions about eligibility for this study, please visitwww.freedom-trial.com.

About Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction

Coronary microvascular dysfunction is a type of non-obstructive coronary artery disease that causes decreased blood flow to the heart muscle that affects approximately 8.3 million people in the U.S.1,2With common symptoms that include recurring, debilitating chest pain, tiredness, and shortness of breath, many CMD patients are undiagnosed because of the absence of large vessel obstruction. Due to an under appreciation of the disease, patients, the majority of whom are women, often go years without proper treatment. When a diagnosis of CMD is missed, patients are untreated and remain at high risk of heart attack and/or cardiovascular-related death._______________________[1] Mittal, S.R.; Indian Heart Journal, Volume 66, 2014, Pages 678681[2] Cleveland Clinic/AHA (American Heart Association)

About Caladrius Biosciences

Caladrius Biosciences, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of cellular therapies designed to reverse disease. We are developing first-in-class cell therapy products based on the finely tuned mechanisms for self-repair that exist in the human body. Our technology leverages and enables these mechanisms in the form of specific cells, using formulations and modes of delivery unique to each medical indication.

The Companys current product candidates include: HONEDRA (formerly CLBS12), recipient of SAKIGAKE designation and eligible for early conditional approval in Japan for the treatment of critical limb ischemia (CLI) based on the results of an ongoing clinical trial; OLOGO (formerly CLBS14), a Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designated therapy for which the Company has finalized with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the FDA) a protocol for a Phase 3 confirmatory trial in subjects with no-option refractory disabling angina (NORDA); CLBS16, the subject of both a recently completed positive Phase 2a study and a newly initiated Phase 2b study in the U.S. for the treatment of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD); CLBS119, an emergent CD34+ stem cell therapy responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and the potentially permanent damage the virus inflicts on the lungs of many patients; and CLBS201, designed to assess the safety and efficacy of CD34+ cell therapy as a treatment for chronic kidney disease (CKD). For more information on the company, please visitwww.caladrius.com.

Read more here:

Caladrius Biosciences Treats First Patient in the Phase 2b FREEDOM Trial of CLBS16 for the Treatment of Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction - Cath Lab...

Tevogen Bio Secures Funding from Team of Doctors to Support Clinical Trials of Its Investigational Curative T Cell Therapy for COVID-19 – PRNewswire

Posted on by

METUCHEN, N.J., Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tevogen Bio today announced it has secured necessary funding from HMP Partners of New Jersey, an investment firm managed by medical doctors, which will allow Tevogen to support all clinical trials of its investigational, potentially curative COVID-19 treatment. Tevogen's Investigational New Drug (IND) application for its proprietary antigen-specific T cell therapy is under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

All COVID-19 therapeutics utilized to date have sought to slow the progression of the infection and/or moderate its symptoms. These approaches buy time for the patient's own T cells to activate and respond to the infection, which is the mechanism that the body employs to rid itself of viruses such as the SARS-CoV-2.

In the upcoming trials, Tevogen will study its investigational treatment, TVGN-489, allogeneic T cells that have been programmed and grown in the laboratory, for its safety and capability to recognize and destroy COVID-19 infected cells. Lead investigator Dr. Neal Flomenberg, Chair of the Department of Medical Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University, stated his optimism, "We're excited by the purity and potency of the cells we've been able to generate in the lab. Based on prior experience with these sorts of cells in other settings, we're very hopeful that they will be both safe and effective when the clinical trials are launched."

HMP Partners is supporting Tevogen's efforts to develop a curative treatment due to concerns over recent COVID-19 mutations and the current lack of curative options for this deadly infection. HMP CEO Dr. Manmohan Patel, a prominent pulmonary and critical care specialist, said, "We believe it's imperative to create a curative treatment that is not expected to be compromised by mutations." He added, "Unmodified virus specific T cells are well established as being effective and safe at treating viral infections, which is why we are supporting Tevogen's efforts to develop a much-needed COVID-19 cure."

While Tevogen has raised private investment from HMP Partners to launch its clinical trials, the company is seeking government funding to expedite capacity to manufacture at the scale necessary to develop pandemic-level product supply, just as have a number of vaccine and antibody manufacturers.

Tevogen's proprietary solution is designed to enable a single donation from a donor to generate more than a thousand doses of COVID-19 specific cytotoxic T cells.Yale-trained infectious disease epidemiologist Dr. Ryan Saadi is leading Tevogen's efforts and is among those who are financing the trials. Dr. Saadi stated, "We halted our pursuit for an oncology cure in order to focus solely on COVID-19, and our manufacturing efficiencyand agile business model will allow us to deliver a cure that will be affordable and accessible to all."

About Tevogen Bio

Tevogen Bio was formed after decades of research by its contributors to concentrate and leverage their expertise, spanning multiple sectors of the healthcare industry, to help address some of the most common and deadly illnesses known today. The company's mission is to provide curative and preventative treatments that are affordable and scalable, in order to positively impact global public health.

About HMP Partners

HMP Partners of New Jersey is a consortium of medical doctors who are dedicated to supporting the advancement of potentially life-saving technologies. HMP CEO Dr. Manmohan Patel, a prominent pulmonary and critical care specialist, has nearly 50 years of medical expertise in a diverse field of specialties, including pulmonary, internal, geriatric and emergency medicine as well as critical care. Dr. Patel's commitment to community and medical management is demonstrated by his distinguished appointments, including serving as the Director of Post Cardiac Surgery at Saint Michael's Medical Center in Newark, NJ and as Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center in Secaucus, NJ. In 2000, he was appointed by the Governor of New Jersey to the Board of Medical Examiners Executive Committee for the state and served on various other committees, including reviewing malpractice actions, in that capacity.

About Dr. Neal Flomenberg

Dr. Neal Flomenberg is the Chairman of the Department of Medical Oncology and Deputy Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson University in Philadelphia.Dr. Flomenberg launched Jefferson's Blood and Marrow Transplantation (BMT) Program in 1995. Throughout his four decades of practice, he has maintained a longstanding interest in the immunogenetics and immunology of stem cell transplantation, with the goal of making transplantation safer and more widely available. He is board certified in the fields of internal medicine, hematology, and medical oncology.

Media Contacts:

Mark Irion

[emailprotected]

Katelyn Petroka[emailprotected]

SOURCE Tevogen Bio

See original here:

Tevogen Bio Secures Funding from Team of Doctors to Support Clinical Trials of Its Investigational Curative T Cell Therapy for COVID-19 - PRNewswire

Protein identified that may help treat Parkinsons disease – Medical News Today

Posted on by

Scientists have identified a protein that can slow or stop some signs of Parkinsons disease in mice.

The team found that the bone morphogenetic proteins 5 and 7 (BMP5/7) can have these effects in a mouse model of the disease.

This research, which appears in the journal Brain, may be the first step toward developing a new treatment for Parkinsons disease.

This type of brain disorder typically affects people over the age of 60, and the symptoms worsen with time.

Common symptoms include stiffness, difficulty walking, tremors, and trouble with balance and coordination.

The disease can also affect the ability to speak and lead to mood changes, tiredness, and memory loss.

Parkinsons Foundation report that about 1 million people in the United States had the disease in 2020, with about 10 million affected globally.

Despite this prevalence, scientists are still unsure why Parkinsons disease affects some people and not others, and there is currently no cure.

The National Institute on Aging note that some cases of Parkinsons disease seem to be hereditary. In other words, the disease can emerge in different generations of a family but for many people with the disease, there appears to be no family history.

Researchers believe that multiple factors may affect a persons risk, including genetics, exposure to environmental toxins, and age.

Since there is currently no cure for Parkinsons disease, treatments typically focus on alleviating its symptoms.

Existing treatments can help alleviate of Parkinsons disease, such as stiffness. However, they may work less well, or not work, for others, such as tremors or a loss of coordination.

Though researchers are still unsure why some develop the disease and others do not, they understand what occurs in the brain of a person with Parkinsons.

The disease causes the neurons in the part of the brain that controls movement to stop working or die. The brain region, therefore, produces less of the chemical dopamine, which helps a person maintain smooth, purposeful movement, as the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke observe.

Also, Lewy bodies occur in the brains of some people with Parkinsons disease. These bodies are clumps primarily made up of misfolded forms of the protein alpha-synuclein.

In their recent study paper, the scientists refer to research suggesting that neurotrophic factors molecules that help neurons survive and thrive could, in theory, restore the function of neurons that produce dopamine. However, the clinical benefit of these factors had yet to be proven.

The team focused on bone morphogenetic proteins 5 and 7 (BMP5/7). They had previously shown that BMP5/7 has an important role in dopamine-producing neurons in mice.

In the latest study, the scientists wanted to see whether BMP5/7 could protect the neurons of mice against the damaging effects of misfolded alpha-synuclein proteins.

To do this, they injected one group of mice with a viral vector that caused misfolded alpha-synuclein proteins to form in their brains. They used other mice as a control group. The scientists then injected the mice with the BMP5/7 protein.

The researchers found that the BMP5/7 protein had a significant protective effect against the misfolded alpha-synuclein proteins.

According to senior study author Dr. Claude Brodski, of the Israel-based Ben-Gurion University of the Negevs Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, We found that BMP5/7 treatment can, in a Parkinsons disease mouse model, efficiently prevent movement impairments caused by the accumulation of alpha-synuclein and reverse the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. He continues:

These findings are very promising, since they suggest that BMP5/7 could slow or stop Parkinsons disease progression. Currently, we are focusing all our efforts on bringing our discovery closer to clinical application.

The universitys technology transfer company, BGN Technologies, is currently looking to bring the development to the market.

Dr. Galit Mazooz-Perlmuter, the companys senior vice president of bio-pharma business development, notes that There is a vast need for new therapies to treat Parkinsons disease, especially in advanced stages of the disease.

Dr. Brodskis findings, although still in their early stages, offer a disease-modified drug target that will address this devastating condition. We are now seeking an industry partner for further development of this patent-pending invention.

Go here to see the original:

Protein identified that may help treat Parkinsons disease - Medical News Today

Orchard Therapeutics Outlines Comprehensive Presence at 2021 WORLDSymposium – GlobeNewswire

Posted on by

Nine abstracts accepted demonstrating potential of HSC gene therapy to treat multiple neurodegenerative disorders

New clinical data from all eight patients treated with OTL-203 for Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I)

Biomarker data from first three patients treated with OTL-201 for Mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIA (MPS-IIIA or Sanfilippo Syndrome Type A)

Multiple abstracts highlighting clinical and real-world data for OTL-200 and Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD)

Company to host virtual investor webinar to review symposium data on Tuesday, February 9, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. ET

BOSTON and LONDON, Jan. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orchard Therapeutics(Nasdaq: ORTX), a global gene therapy leader, today outlined nine upcoming presentations from its neurodegenerative portfolio to be featured at the 17th Annual WORLDSymposium being held on February 8-12, 2021. Accepted abstracts include clinical data from three of its hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) gene therapy programs OTL-200 for MLD, OTL-203 for MPS-I and OTL-201 for MPS-IIIA as well as data supporting Orchards multi-pronged patient identification and market access strategies for eligible MLD patients in Europe.

Together with our clinical partners, were proud of our presence at the upcoming WORLDSymposium, which for the first time features clinical data on cognitive function and growth in all eight MPS-I patients treated with gene therapy, said Bobby Gaspar, M.D., Ph.D., chief executive officer of Orchard. Alongside emerging data in MPS-IIIA and our extensive body of clinical and real-world data in MLD, our programs are establishing a clear picture of the transformative potential of HSC gene therapy across multiple fatal neurodegenerative conditions.

The presentations are listed below and the full preliminary program is available online on the WORLDSymposium website. The ePosters will open at 2:30 p.m. ET on Monday, February 8, 2021 and will remain open throughout WORLDSymposium 2021.

Orchard is planning to host a virtual investor webinar on Tuesday, February 9th, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. ET to review the data from its neurodegenerative programs presented at the WORLDSymposium. A live webcast will be available under Events in the Investors & Media section of the companys website at http://www.orchard-tx.com and a replay of the webcast will be archived following the event.

Platform Oral Presentation Details:

Ex-vivo autologous stem cell gene therapy clinical trial for mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIA: Update on phase I/II clinical trialPresenting Author: Jane Kinsella, Royal Manchester Childrens Hospital 2021 Young Investigator Award RecipientDate/Time: Tuesday, February 9, 2021, 11:12 a.m. ET

Ex vivo hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy for mucopolysaccharidosis type I (Hurler syndrome)Presenting Author: Bernhard Gentner, San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene TherapyDate/Time: Tuesday, February 9, 2021, 11:24 a.m. ET

Lentiviral hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell gene therapy provides durable clinical benefit in early-symptomatic early juvenile metachromatic leukodystrophyPresenting Author: Francesca Fumagalli, San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific InstituteDate/Time: Wednesday, February 10, 2021, 11:36 a.m. ET

ePoster Presentation Details:

Lentiviral haematopoietic stem cell gene therapy for metachromatic leukodystrophy: Results in nine patients treated with a cryopreserved formulation of OTL-200Abstract Number: 25Presenting Author: Valeria Calbi, San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene TherapyDate/Time: Wednesday, February 10, 2021, 2:30 3:30 p.m. ET

Initial signs and symptoms of metachromatic leukodystrophy: A caregiver perspectiveAbstract Number: 64Presenting Author: Florian Eichler, Massachusetts General HospitalDate/Time: Thursday, February 11, 2021, 2:30 3:30 p.m. ET

Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with metachromatic leukodystrophy in the United Kingdom: Interim results from an observational real-world studyAbstract Number: 110Presenting Author: Simon Jones, Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine Date/Time: Thursday, February 11, 2021, 2:30 3:30 p.m. ET

Quality of life of patients with metachromatic leukodystrophy and their caregivers in the US, UK, Germany and FranceAbstract Number: 186Presenting Author: Francis Pang, Orchard TherapeuticsDate/Time: Thursday, February 11, 2021, 2:30 3:30 p.m. ET

Health-related quality of life in metachromatic leukodystrophy based on a societal utility study in the UKAbstract Number: 187Presenting Author: Francis Pang, Orchard TherapeuticsDate/Time: Thursday, February 11, 2021, 2:30 3:30 p.m. ET

Newborn screening for metachromatic leukodystrophy in Northern Germany - a prospective studyAbstract Number: 269Presenting Author: Thomas Wiesinger, ARCHIMEDlifeDate/Time: Thursday, February 11, 2021, 2:30 3:30 p.m. ET

About Libmeldy / OTL-200Libmeldy (autologous CD34+ cell enriched population that contains hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) transduced ex vivo using a lentiviral vector encoding the human arylsulfatase-A (ARSA) gene), also known as OTL-200, has been approved by the European Commission for the treatment of MLD in eligible early-onset patients characterized by biallelic mutations in the ARSA gene leading to a reduction of the ARSA enzymatic activity in children with i) late infantile or early juvenile forms, without clinical manifestations of the disease, or ii) the early juvenile form, with early clinical manifestations of the disease, who still have the ability to walk independently and before the onset of cognitive decline. Libmeldy is the first therapy approved for eligible patients with early-onset MLD.

The most common adverse reaction attributed to treatment with Libmeldy was the occurrence of anti-ARSA antibodies. In addition to the risks associated with the gene therapy, treatment with Libmeldy is preceded by other medical interventions, namely bone marrow harvest or peripheral blood mobilization and apheresis, followed by myeloablative conditioning, which carry their own risks. During the clinical studies, the safety profiles of these interventions were consistent with their known safety and tolerability.

For more information about Libmeldy, please see the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) available on the EMA website.

Libmeldy is not approved outside of the European Union, UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. OTL-200 is an investigational therapy in the US.

Libmeldy was developed in partnership with the San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget) in Milan, Italy.

About OrchardOrchard Therapeutics is a global gene therapy leader dedicated to transforming the lives of people affected by rare diseases through the development of innovative, potentially curative gene therapies. Our ex vivo autologous gene therapy approach harnesses the power of genetically modified blood stem cells and seeks to correct the underlying cause of disease in a single administration. In 2018, Orchard acquired GSKs rare disease gene therapy portfolio, which originated from a pioneering collaboration between GSK and theSan Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy in Milan, Italy. Orchard now has one of the deepest and most advanced gene therapy product candidate pipelines in the industry spanning multiple therapeutic areas where the disease burden on children, families and caregivers is immense and current treatment options are limited or do not exist.

Orchard has its global headquarters in London and U.S. headquarters in Boston. For more information, please visit http://www.orchard-tx.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Availability of Other Information About OrchardInvestors and others should note that Orchard communicates with its investors and the public using the company website (www.orchard-tx.com), the investor relations website (ir.orchard-tx.com), and on social media (Twitter andLinkedIn), including but not limited to investor presentations and investor fact sheets,U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissionfilings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts. The information that Orchard posts on these channels and websites could be deemed to be material information. As a result, Orchard encourages investors, the media, and others interested in Orchard to review the information that is posted on these channels, including the investor relations website, on a regular basis. This list of channels may be updated from time to time on Orchards investor relations website and may include additional social media channels. The contents of Orchards website or these channels, or any other website that may be accessed from its website or these channels, shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933.

Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains certain forward-looking statements about Orchards strategy, future plans and prospects, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include express or implied statements relating to, among other things, Orchards business strategy and goals, and the therapeutic potential of Orchards product candidates, including the product candidate or candidates referred to in this release. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Orchards control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. In particular, these risks and uncertainties include, without limitation: the risk that prior results, such as signals of safety, activity or durability of effect, observed from preclinical studies or clinical trials will not be replicated or will not continue in ongoing or future studies or trials involving Orchards product candidates, will be insufficient to support regulatory submissions or marketing approval in the US or EU, as applicable, or that long-term adverse safety findings may be discovered; the risk that any one or more of Orchards product candidates, including the product candidates referred to in this release, will not be approved, successfully developed or commercialized; the risk of cessation or delay of any of Orchards ongoing or planned clinical trials; the risk that Orchard may not successfully recruit or enroll a sufficient number of patients for its clinical trials; the delay of any of Orchards regulatory submissions; the failure to obtain marketing approval from the applicable regulatory authorities for any of Orchards product candidates or the receipt of restricted marketing approvals; the inability or risk of delays in Orchards ability to commercialize its product candidates, if approved, or Libmeldy in the EU; the risk that the market opportunity for Libmeldy, or any of Orchards product candidates, may be lower than estimated; and the severity of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Orchards business, including on clinical development, its supply chain and commercial programs. Given these uncertainties, the reader is advised not to place any undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

Other risks and uncertainties faced by Orchard include those identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in Orchards quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter endedSeptember 30, 2020, as filed with theU.S. Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC), as well as subsequent filings and reports filed with theSEC. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect Orchards views as of the date hereof, and Orchard does not assume and specifically disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Contacts

InvestorsRenee LeckDirector, Investor Relations+1 862-242-0764Renee.Leck@orchard-tx.com

MediaChristine HarrisonVice President, Corporate Affairs+1 202-415-0137media@orchard-tx.com

Read more:

Orchard Therapeutics Outlines Comprehensive Presence at 2021 WORLDSymposium - GlobeNewswire

SpaceX: From the Last Frontier to the Final Frontier – KGBT-TV

Posted on by

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (KVEO) SpaceXs Boca Chica launch site will one day send people to the Moon and Mars.

Sending people to infinity and beyond is still a few years away for SpaceX. Right now, the aerospace company is bringing people into the Rio Grande Valley from near and far to watch porotype rocket go through test flights.

SpaceXs Starship SN9 launch was supposed to lift off as early as Monday morning, but that didnt happen due to extremely high winds in the area.

Takeoff was once again delayed Tuesday, this time due to dense fog, disappointing people from all across the country who came to see the latest porotype take flight.

One person who traveled quite a long distance was Mark Stoorza.

Stoorza, a self described snowbird, came down to South Texas from Alaska to watch SN9 take flight.

He told KVEO that watching the launch on TV was fun, and that he is excited to watch history in the making when SN9 finally gets the go-ahead.

That was a big party when we watched it up there.

Were advancing our history, said Stroorza. Our generation gets to do something that my parents generation didnt do, he said. Well, they went to the moon, but were going farther.

Early Monday morning, Stoorza drove down from where he was staying near San Antonio in hopes of witnessing the historic launch. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans.

Well, they went to the moon, but were going farther.

We were out there with everyone, and when the news came in that they scrubbed the launch, that disappointed all of us it seemed like, said Stoorza.

However, the setback was a small blessing in disguise. Because the launch was moved back, Stoorza was able to visit the launch site and see SN9 up close and personal.

I was a little kid in a candy store, said Stoorza. That was so unreal. Being able to come up that close to that machine just blew my mind.

Certainly, there is a lot riding on the success of these rockets. Not just for SpaceX, but for humanity.

Its the future, right? asked Stoorza. My dad grew up during the Apollo ages and I think thats kind of what were in, the new era of the Apollos. Going not only to the moon but to Mars to continue on with our planet.

Continued here:

SpaceX: From the Last Frontier to the Final Frontier - KGBT-TV

‘Abolition’ isn’t a relic of our past. It’s the key to revitalising democracy – World Economic Forum

Posted on by

If youre taken aback by the question, youre not alone. Casual students of US history might recall the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, and figures like Frederick Douglas and Sojourner Truth, John Brown and Abraham Lincoln. Others might think about efforts to end human trafficking and forced labour that still afflicts some 40 million people. But for many, the term 'abolition' connotes the struggles of a bygone era.

Abolition, however, is not a relic of history. It is an ongoing movement to rethink the systems that produce inequity and build a society that values the lives of the most vulnerable. It permeates almost every issue that the World Economic Forum includes on its 2021 Agenda, from COVID-19 to tax policy.

Social innovators address the worlds most serious challenges ranging from inequality to girls education and disaster relief that affect all of us, but in particular vulnerable and excluded groups. To achieve maximum impact and start to address root causes, they need greater visibility, credibility, access to finance, favourable policy decisions, and in some cases a better understanding of global affairs and access to decision makers.

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship is supporting more than 400 late-stage social innovators. By providing an unparalleled global platform, the Foundations goal is to highlight and expand proven and impactful models of social innovation. It helps strengthen and grow the field by showcasing best-in-class examples, models for replication and cutting-edge research on social innovation.

Meet the World-changers: Social Innovators of the Year 2020. Our global network of experts, partner institutions, and World Economic Forum constituents and business members are invited to nominate outstanding social innovators. Get in touch to become a member or partner of the World Economic Forum.

In his seminal 1935 work, Black Reconstruction in America, the black scholar and activist W.E.B. Du Bois coined the term abolition democracy. He used it to describe the post-slavery struggle for a society that offers each member the economic, political, and social capital to live as equal members. In other words, abolition democracy isnt just the fight to destroy oppressive institutions. Its the fight to build just ones in their place.

In that context, the need for abolition has never been more alive than it is today.

Worth saving or burn it all down?

We are in the midst of a global democracy recession. Representative governments have failed to address the existential crises of our time, including runaway economic inequality and climate change. Authoritarians around the world stand emboldened by those failures. Just weeks ago, in the US, a defeated president incited a white supremacist riot that temporarily brought the federal government to a halt.

Young people are asking whether the building blocks of society are meant as a common foundation or as a wall to keep them at bay. They are, fundamentally, thinking about abolition. They are asking whether what we have is worth saving, or if its time to burn it all down.

The people who annually find their way to Davos, myself included, need to ask these questions, too. Whether we come from the private sector or philanthropy, government or advocacy, we need to think about the ways in which our systems are set up to stratify and exclude. If we do not at least take seriously an abolitionist mindset, our solutions will be nothing more than Band-Aids on democracys sucking chest wound.

In my own work as the CEO and Co-Founder of the Center for Policing Equity, that means fundamentally reimagining public safety. It means removing police from enforcing laws meant to punish people without housing and investing in institutions that prevent housing insecurity. It must also mean preventing police from having to show up in the first place, not just improving practices when they do. It means measuring justice along with crime, and aligning our mechanisms of public safety with the values of the communities particularly communities that have historically faced discrimination and disinvestment.

Rebuilding systems with equity at their core

This year illustrated the consequences of our past failure to take abolition seriously. Our inability to redress racial inequities in our essential systems and protect the most vulnerable has fueled the spread of COVID-19, costing more than 420,000 lives in the US alone. In the wake of George Floyds murder, entire neighborhoods went up in flames because of the unpaid debt owed to black communities after generations of white supremacy and neglect.

Do you believe in democracy? If the answer is yes, the best way to revitalise it may be to embrace the work of abolition democracy, from whichever powerful perch you occupy.

Even before the pandemic, the Fourth Industrial Revolution has disrupted the ways we work, learn and live. That disruption is an opportunity to build equity into the base of our evolving systems, from internet access to public education to corporate governance. If we fail, we will have literally built them to burn.

So, ahead of this years forum, ask yourself a different question: Do you believe in democracy? If the answer is yes, the best way to revitalise it may be to embrace the work of abolition democracy, from whichever powerful perch you occupy.

Charity alone, kindness from those who have benefitted most from institutions that marginalise the vulnerable, cannot lead us to justice. Abolition democracy, the working of rebuilding our systems with equity at their core, just might be able to.

After all, in the long view of history, our choices are simple: build systems that empower the least of us, or prepare to watch them torn down until we do.

Read more from the original source:

'Abolition' isn't a relic of our past. It's the key to revitalising democracy - World Economic Forum

Lost and found: The tomb of the Sea Dragon, Brazil’s famous abolitionist – University of Florida

Posted on by

Through the heat of the Brazilian summer, Licinio Nunes de Miranda sweated in the cemetery.

For three years, the University of Florida doctoral student had been searching for the tomb of Francisco Jos do Nascimento, the revered Afro-Brazilian abolitionist known as the Sea Dragon. Nascimentos heroism helped end slavery in Brazil, but despite the Sea Dragons renown, no one knew where to pay their respects. His tomb had been lost for more than a century.

While working on his dissertation on abolition in the northeastern state of Cear, Mirandas admiration for Nascimento grew. He marveled thata fisherman and sailor from a poor family organized the 1881 strike where Cear dockworkers refused to board enslaved people onto ships to be sold throughout the country. Slavery, a cornerstone of Brazils economy for centuries, was outlawed in Cear in 1884 and nationwide in 1888.

It was the first major victory of Brazilians against slavery, said Miranda, who grew up in Brazil and studies history at UF. For someone from his background to have led that strike means a lot. It could have cost far more to him than if he had belonged to the elite.

Miranda became determined to find Nascimentos grave, visiting archives for clues and searching the labyrinthine So Joo Batista cemetery in Cears capital, Fortaleza.

Miranda felt certain So Joo Batista was the right place: It was the capitals only cemetery when Nacimento died there in 1914. Beginning in 2017, Miranda spent day after day exploring the necropolis, systematically scrutinizing the ornate statues and sepulchers of its 12,500 above-ground tombs. Day after day, he found nothing. Then on July 24, 2020, he spotted a three-tiered monument covered in mold, the cross on top broken, its stone crumbling.

DESCANO ETERNO do MAJOR FRANCISCO JOSE do NASCIMENTO.

The eternal resting place of the Sea Dragon.

It was very hot. I was sweating, but I was so happy, I didn't care, said Miranda, who took a selfie at the scene.

Since then, the tomb has been cleaned and restored, its rediscovery celebrated in news articles and events. Miranda, who had since returned to Gainesville, couldnt go back to Brazil for the ceremonies because of the pandemic. But hes gratified to see Nascimentos legacy preserved, not just a footnote to history but as a reminder that in Brazil, as in the United States, racial inequities persist.

We're still learning how to overcome those problems, he said. People can learn about tolerance, freedom and equality from these historical figures who did so much even though they had so little.

Miranda is continuing his work revealing the untold stories of Cears abolitionists, supported by UFs Research Abroad for Doctoral students program. He hopes other students realize that their research can have results beyond academia.

Current times have been so hard for everyone that I felt that we needed and deserved good news, especially concerning a man who had overcome hardships in times just as difficult as ours and all for the sake of the common good, he said. If he did it, so can we.

Alisson Clark January 29, 2021

Here is the original post:

Lost and found: The tomb of the Sea Dragon, Brazil's famous abolitionist - University of Florida

Founded to Exclude: Greek Life, UChicago Theta, and the Push for Abolition – The Chicago Maroon

Posted on by

During the 2019-20 school year,UChicagoschapter of Kappa Alpha Theta (better known as simply Theta) had more than 180 members.Now, inJanuary of 2021, it hasjust over30.

UChicago is one of many universities across the country to see a mass exodus from Greek life in recent months. Hundreds of students reportedlydisaffiliatedfrom Vanderbilt Greek life institutions in July, the University of Richmonds entire Panhellenic Councilresignedover the summer, and Abolish Greek life Instagram accountssprungup at campuses nationwide. The catalysts for these movements have varied from school to school, but one common thread runs through them all: the belief that Greek institutions are rooted in classism, racism, and exclusivity.

According to anop-edpenned by five former members of Thetas leadershipall of whom have since disaffiliated from the sororityUChicago Thetas most recent reckoning began with an incident in the fall 2019 recruitment cycle.

In the fall of 2019, during the tenure of previous leadership, women of color, and dark-skinned women specifically, were excluded from the process of meeting new members from day one and told explicitly to go home throughout the process, the op-ed read. This prevented several women of color, who had signed up to participate in recruitment, from interacting with new members.

These women looked around the room, and they were like, wait a minute, everyone who wasnt assigned was Black or Asian, said M., a former Theta member familiar with the matter who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation or harassment. There were other people getting multiple assignments, whereas they were not [getting assigned to speak with prospective members].

Speaking to new members is the main way in which current sorority members participate in recruitment and, according to the op-ed, the selection of specific members over others sidelined many women of color in this process.

A heated argument ensued when they raised this concern with a member involved in planning the recruitment process. Subsequently,the Monday following recruitment, multiple members recounted a collective experience of exclusion and belittlement at the hands of fellow chaptermembers to our advisorsand present chapter leadership at a Membership Development Committee (MDC) meeting, but no action was taken,the op-ed read. MDC performs a disciplinary function within Theta, adjudicating disputes among members.

It is problematic to not recognize that exclusion from sororities, and feelings of exclusion among Black women, is an issue, M. said.

Members of Theta leadership during fall2019 did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

But according to former Theta leadership, the failure was as much in the aftermath of the recruitment debacle as in the moment. Knowledge of what happened became public in the summer of 2020, amid the racial justice protest movement sparked by the police killing of George Floyd. The leadership posted a letter on Instagramwhich has since been deletedapologizing for the incident on behalf of the chapter, prompting widespread concern and interest in the issue from alumni andotherobservers.

So,in the summer of 2020, Theta's MDC embarked on a fact-finding investigation, holding near-daily interviews with alumni and current members in an attempt to pursue disciplinary measures against those responsible for the incident. We, as new leadership, had to go back through and figure out what happened, said Ella Parker, Thetas former Chief External Affairs Officer.

But they quickly found themselves restricted by certain aspects of Thetas standard disciplinary procedures, which are set by the national organization. The main one, they said, was the wealth of confidentiality policies within the organization, which prevent individual grievances from being shared with the group unless members do so without naming anyone involved. Rather than discuss specific instances of racism within the sorority, the group was only permitted to discuss racism broadly.

As the investigation hobbled along, the leaderships faith in the disciplinary system quickly eroded.

Its like a black hole.You just scream into it, B., a former Theta member,saidin an interview withThe Maroon.(Some former members of Theta leadership spoke toThe Maroon anonymously, as they received threats of legal action for pursuing disciplinary action against certain members.)We have this system thats supposed to adjudicate these different issues and disputes, but it doesnt actually do its job whatsoever. Nothing actually comes out of it in a productive way,in a way that is transparent or addressable, because the word confidentiality gets flung in your face every time.

The fact that the chapter even has a disciplinary committee, B.said, is primarily for show.

Parker said that the members who came forward with the allegations of racial bias and exclusion also lost faith in the disciplinary process.

When women come forward with allegations,"they are told, we will handle this; youve been heard; well take care of this,Parker said. And that was the problem,because then when nothing happened, the time had already passed, and the people who originally brought something up felt disrespected,and didnt want to have anything to do with it anymore.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the leadership singled out one member who had been involved in organizing recruitment and was deemed primarily responsible for the initial incident. The sorority initiated a membership termination vote in an attempt to kick the member out of the chapter. The vote passed almost unanimously.

Several weeks later, however, the leadership learned that this vote was overturned by the chapters panel ofadvisors, a volunteer group of Theta alumni appointed by the national organization to advise and oversee the chapter. As the basis for this decision, the advisors cited procedural shortcomingsthey told us we didnt take good enough notes, B. said. The advisors also claimed that bias against the wrongdoer,may have clouded voting members judgment, as the events from fall recruitment were at that point general knowledge within Theta.

This decision incensed many members of Theta, including Parker, who toldThe Maroonthat the advisors had never voiced these procedural concerns throughout the disciplinary process,andthatthe identity of the person under investigationwas kept confidential. But beyond this, Parker said that the advisors decision undermined the will of the group.

It just says a lot that we voted near-unanimously for this, and our advisors still chose to overturn it, Parker said. They dont think that we know whats best for our chapter.

Several weeks after this controversial decision, a rift formed within thegroupbetween those who wanted the chapter to dissolve entirely and those who wanted to remain in Theta. Per the chapters bylaws, dissolving would require a unanimous vote, which was clearly unattainable. The advisors decision was a pivotal moment, signaling to many members the national organizations opposition to real change.

We realized that any change that we would want to make would be met with the same resistance by, quite frankly, old white women who dont understand why racism is that big of a problem in its manifestations here on this campus, said Allie Salazar, a former Class Representative for Thetas MDC.That was, I think, the moment at which leadership realized anythingwe do is going to be in vain.

Theta is not the only sorority whose efforts at reform have been stymied by an intransigent national organization: anearlyidenticalincident played out atNorthwesterns chapter ofZeta Tau Alpha.

The thing that was really damning was the systems inability to deal with [the initial incident], Salazar said. Being members who were on the administrative side of it, we found that the system was unable to rectify the wrongs that had happened, insofar as it wasnt as explicit as a hate crime.

For former Theta member A., who identifies as a woman of color (and asked to remain anonymous for fear of harassment), it was the response from Thetas national leadership and one ofitschapteradvisorsin particular that erased her faith in the sororitys ability to change.

There were a lot of girls who came toNationalsexpressing their concerns, A. said. It was very obvious to not only the girls [whomThetas advisor] talked to but[to]pretty much everyone in the chapter that she did not care about our chapters women of color,and she did not care how they felt about it. Shefar more caredabout protecting the people who were responsible for the incident rather than the people who were affected themselves.

That was when A. and the majority of Thetas members started disaffiliating in droves. In August of 2020,fewer than 30 members remained.

Thepublic disintegrationof UChicagos chapter ofKappa Alpha Thetawas far from an isolated incident. Following the summers mass mobilization against structural racism, sororities and fraternities on campuses nationwide found their checkered pasts andpresentdiscriminatorypracticessuddenly subjectedto the harsh spotlight of mediascrutiny.

Several past presidents of UChicagos Panhellenic Council(Panhel)havecome outin favor of abolition, and student-led movements to abolish Greek life emerged at collegesacross the country, decimating many chapters membership in a matter of months,just as onedid forTheta.

Social media has played a large role in this wave of activism.There are over 50 Instagram accounts advocating Greek life abolition at different universities, many with hundreds or even thousands of followers.

Months later, however, the question remains whether that movement will keep its initial momentum. Whats more, not everyone who sees a need for change to the Greek system agrees on what form it should take.

In June2020, Hannah Pittock, a former member of the sorority Alpha Omicron Pi (AOII), penned anopen letterto AOII headquarters,arguing that Greek life should be abolished,rather than reformed. While her article received support from many like-minded activists,itwasalso met withvalid resistancefrom women of color who, she said, had been working towards reform for years.

One of the inherent problems with the letter, and with my participation in this piece, is that it engages in the same problematic dynamic Im trying to dismantle, ofwhite women speaking over or for women of color on issues of racial justice,Pittockwrotein a statement toThe Maroon.The reform ideas outlined are not new,nor did I come up with them,theyre reforms women in Greek life,and especially women of color,have been working tirelessly toward for years.This letter failed miserably in acknowledging that,it spoke over them and for them in a really problematic way, and it didnt give credit where it was due.

UChicago Theta did not respond to multiple requests for an interview, and AOII representatives declined to be interviewed.

While the momentum to reform or abolish Greek life is currently driven by the internal pressure of members disaffiliating en masse, observers outside the system have longexertedpressureon Greek organizations to dissolve or reform, especially in the wake ofracist incidentsand in conversations surroundingsexual assaults.UChicagosPhoenix Survivors Alliance (PSA) has been critical of the role Greek life has played in campus sexual assault for years, and the close ties between fraternity social life and sexual assault took center stage in a publicart installationthe group put on last spring.

Since the racial justice protests reachedapeak inthesummerof2020, sororities atUChicago have begun attempting toaddressracial injustice in their pasts. In astatementissued in November, UChicago AOII said that it had created two new leadership positions responsible for diversity, equity, and inclusion within the chapter.Itisalso implementing regular educational chapter meetings on racial justice and allyship, including curriculum aimed specifically at recruitment, andit hasannounced a zerotolerance policy for discrimination and harassment.

Similarly, UChicago Thetaannouncedin October that it was eliminating preferential treatment for applicants who are related to Theta alumnae, known as legacies, among other reforms. Delta Gamma (DG) said in astatementon Instagram thatit isalso abolishing legacy admissions and implementing regular workshops on diversity and inclusion foritsmembers.

In spite of sororities problems, the women who do join their ranks say that they play an important role, serving as a social network, a support system,and more. But the feasibility of a community that preserves the benefits of Greek life without its baggage remains an open question for many.

Parker, for one, is optimistic about the possibilities of a non-Greek space for female-identifying students.I firmly dont believe that the only way to mobilize a group of women is through Greek life, Parker said. I dont think it has to be this problematic to get a group of women together and get them to do really amazing things.

Although she chose to disaffiliate, A. still appreciates some aspects of her time in Theta and wishes that more marginalized students would be able to experience the sense of community she found there.

I wish there were other people coming from backgrounds like me that could have experienced thatthat could have gotten to know so many different kinds of people, from so many places all over the world,and have fun with them and feel like they belonged, she said.

Parker, too, noted that there were aspects of belonging to Theta that she still found appealing, particularly the opportunity to work on philanthropic projects and build a close working relationship with Thetas philanthropic partner, CASA of Cook County.

We dont just do philanthropy because we have to.We actually have an insane[lypositive] relationship with the organization that we do philanthropy for, Parker said. I understand the reason why Greek life philanthropy is problematic, Ive read the abolish Greek life posts on it, but I do think joining Theta that was a really cool thing that I was excited to be a part of.

One former sorority member, who spoke withThe Maroonanonymously for fear of harassment, now runs theInstagram account@abolishgreeklifeuchicago. She said that even on a campus without Greek life, there may still be a need for sorority-like organizations. While several RSOs do cater specifically to women on campus, they are generally oriented toward students interested in particular fields of study, career paths, or political concerns rather than the general interestsocial structure that sororities provide.

I think it would be great to have environments on campus for female-identifying students.Thats one of the main reasons I joined Greek life in the first place, she said. A lot of the same infrastructure could be transferred over to some sort of all-female space on campus thats more inclusive, that doesnt turn people away based on their personality,based on how they look,orif they can pay their dues.

But under these circumstances, such an organization may not be recognizable as Greek life, another moderator of the Instagram account said.

Greek life was founded to exclude, she said. When you start to make a list of all the things that would need to happen for Greek life to be reformedhow do we include people who dont identify within the gender binary? Or people who cant afford to pay dues? How can we make this place more accessible?it starts to unravel all of the things that make Greek life what it is.

This conversation has already begun playing out onUChicagoscampus since the wave of disaffiliations this summer. Some former sorority members have formed a new group for female-identifying students, referred to as the Oak Society, which held recruitment information sessions during the first week of winter quarter and quicklycame under fireon social media for its resemblance to thesororitymany of its members had just left.

Still, some see Greek lifes problems as symptomatic of a deeper issue. A. said she believed that despite the efforts of those running recruitment to bring in primarily rich, straight white women, many of the members of Greek organizations do want to see more students from different backgrounds join. The problem, A. said, was an environment that has long permitted racism to go unquestioneda problem that isnt unique to Greek life.

I think it happens at a lot of RSOs and other organizations on campus, but because its more characteristic of the stereotype of Greek life,were willing to point the finger and say well Im not racist;Im atXXXgroup organization'instead of Kappa Alpha Theta or instead of Sig[ma]Chi, A. said. I think solving this problem doesnt necessarily lie in abolishing Greek life.Itlies in abolishing an environment that allows these things to happen, which is harder work.

A. said she thinks that increased representation from people of color within Greek organizations could lead to a culture shift that makes sororities and fraternities more welcoming places for marginalized students.

I think on aPanhel-wide level there needs to be some checks and balances that place an emphasis on diversity and inclusion across all leadership positions, she said.

During the monthswhenThetas public reckoning played out, members ofUChicagosororities openlydiscussedthe viability and varied historical legacies of Greek life on social media.One AOII Instagram postclaimed that Greek life institutions elitist practices serve to preserve white supremacy within the Greek system.

But UChicagos fraternities largely escaped censure, despite the fact that conversations about University oversight of the Greek system have long centered on fraternities, fueled by a long list of incidents that drew public outcry.

Included in those incidents were examples of overtracism, allegations ofhazing, andsexual assaultat fraternity parties. The University of Chicago, however, refuses to engage questions of regulating Greek organizations because of a long-standing policy of not recognizing Greek organizations.As such, former Theta leadership said that the responsibility for checking fraternity misconduct has commonly fallen toUChicagos Panhellenic Council, to which the sororitiesKappa Alpha Theta, Alpha OmicronPi, Delta Gamma, and Pi Beta Phi all belong. Just as a lack of real self-governing power withheld by the national organization prevented the women of Theta from enacting reforms in their own chapter, sororities lack of power over fraternities can restrict their ability to reform the practices of campus Greek life more broadly.

This arrangement puts sorority women in the position of policing the behavior of fraternity men, with little leverage other than the ability to issue public statements and refuse to participate in social events with fraternities, asthe Panhellenic Councildid with the fraternity Sigma Chi followingallegationsthat it had failed to prevent date-rape drugs from being given to female students at a number of its O-Week parties. This dynamic becomes especially fraught in cases of sexual misconduct, sometimes involving members of thesame sororitieswho are called upon to discipline fraternities for their negligence.

Theres a history at UChicago of [sexual misconduct] not being addressed adequately by fraternities, and I think Panhel has fallen into this role and feels a responsibility, Parker said. Panhel knows better than anyone because its so often women in sororities who are the victims of these types of thingsbecausethey spend the most time atfratsand at parties where sexual assault instances occur.

While declining to say whether this was an accurate characterization of the dynamics between sororities and fraternities on campus, Panhel wrote in a comment toThe Maroonthat our chapters want to provide safe spaces for women to support and empower one another. Members of Fraternities Committed to Safety (FCS) declined to comment.

Looking back on her time in Thetas leadership, Salazar said that she was bothered by how much of sorority social life depended on the cooperation of fraternities, particularly given that UChicago sororities have no houses andare technically prohibited fromserving alcohol.

Because we werent supposed to do anything related to alcohol at all and college kids, for better or for worse, bond over alcohol, we became socially dependent on fraternities for that bonding,for this experience of going out, this experience of partying, Salazar said. They became the holders of the social capital.

That dependence, B. added, limited the ability of sorority leadership to sanction fraternities for bad behavior and to a certain extent ensure the safety of theirown sisters.

The fact that we have to use parties as a bargaining chip to say hey, youve done something wrong is absurd, she said. Its all-around bad that women are being put in this weird position where we have to interact with them, but also police them, but also ask them for money for the philanthropy event.

The situation is made worse, A. said, by the fact that fraternities have no governing body equivalent tothesororities Panhellenic Council empowered to issue regulations across campus. While10campus fraternities (oneof which, Sigma Phi Epsilon,isnow defunct),signed a pledge in2016,formingFCSand agreeing to abide by certain sexual assault prevention and response protocols, the pact contained no real enforcement mechanism forviolators, and FCSs website was inactive as of January 2021.

If one fraternity says something [about reform], another fraternity can say fuck off, Im doing this instead, A.said. Its definitely a lower level of accountability for fraternities.

The durability of Greek institutions is a result ofnot onlythe ready-made social scene they provide to members, butalsoof thefinancial, social, and culturalcapital invested in the institutions. Those seeking to topple the centuries-old institution face significant obstacles in the deep pockets and broad alumni networks that fraternities and sororities command.

On the national level, sororities and fraternities cycle through many millions of dollars yearly. For the 2017-18 fiscal year, Kappa Alpha Thetas national organization reported $58 million in revenue,and spent close to that amount. The funds are channeled into a number of areas: chapter programming, philanthropic fundraising, scholarships, and costs of housing, along with maintaining the national leadership apparatus.

The incentivesforjoining Greek life also render abolition an uphill battle. At UChicago, fraternity housing is one potentially significant perk of joining Greek life, and housing corporations control a flow of cash through both membership dues and alumni donations. The Chi Upsilon Alumni Association, which manages housing forUChicagoschapter of Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji),reported revenue in the hundreds of thousands in 2017, as did the Midway Educational Foundation, a separate organization that funded improvements to Fijis house.

Fraternities and sororities loyal alumni networks are powerful incentives for a prospective member, posing an additional challenge to Greek life abolitionists. The names of UChicago Greek lifes most prominent donors are familiar to any student from the names of houses and University programs: billionaire trustee Byron Trott (Fiji), wealth manager BernardDelGiorno (Fiji),Jeff Metcalfof the Metcalf Internship Program (Fiji), trustee Gregory Wendt (Alpha Delta Phi),andhedge fund manager John Thaler (Psi Upsilon). Greeklifealumni are expected to leverage their career success in order to give students and recent graduates from their fraternity a leg upPsi Upsilons 2013 Member Education Guide, for example, encourages alumni to offer mentorship and summer internships to current brothers.

The national network of Greek life also has a political arm. The Fraternity and Sorority Political Action Committee, also known as FratPAC, funds election campaigns of Greek life alumni and lobbies members of Congress to support the interests of Greek life (including, notably, theiroppositionto a 2013 anti-hazing bill).

FratPACdonates to candidates across the political spectrum, ranging fromVice President Kamala Harris to SenateMinorityLeader Mitch McConnell. While most ofFratPACsdonors are individuals or individual fraternity and sorority chapters, some subsidiaries of national Greek organizations contribute as well, such asthePi Beta Phi(Pi Phi)sorority and Delta Gammas Fraternity Housing Corporation. While the legal restrictions and cash flows are complicatedPi BetaPhi, for instance,stateson its website that it draws its donations from alumnae dues rather than collegiate ones and doesnt contribute directly to campaignsthe financial links between Greek organizations andFratPACslobbying activities on Capitol Hill have raised a chorus ofobjectionsfrom studentsto the political uses of their dues. These political commitments of Greek organizations havegalvanizedcampus activists calling for abolition.

In addition to economic and political influence, however, Greek organizations rely on a particular kind of cultural power for their enduring place in campus life.According toTulane University professor Lisa Wade,who studies sexual culture on college campuses andhascalledfor the abolition of fraternities and sororities, the centralityof Greek lifeto narratives of the college experience in itself helps perpetuate the Greek system.

You have these two prongs of power,[one being]economic power,which is the resources that many of these historically white fraternities and sororities have to make themselves seem indispensable to a college, Wade said. But they also have this cultural power, where this state of affairs that advantages this particular group seems normal. It just seems normal and right.

According to Wade, the concentration of social power in fraternities originally founded as exclusively white, wealthy, and male organizations is somewhat paradoxically responsible for the expansion of the Greek system to women and students of color. Given that history, Wade questions whether the boundaries of that system can be further expanded and made truly inclusive without overhauling Greek lifes defining features.

The fraternities became the model for what it looks like to organize around an identity and lift eachother up. It was because fraternities had so much power that we saw women forming their own fraternities, that we see students of color forming their own fraternities and sororities, that we see Jewish fraternities and sororities, Wade said. Its not because theres anything special about this word or these organizations.The copycatting was because of the power that these white men held.

According to Wade, dismantling Greek institutions starts with acknowledging that maintaining them is a choice,rather than an inevitable outcome oranecessary part of college life.

We need to start asking:Fraternities offer us a lot, they bring in money and other things, but what is the cost? Wade said. Part of the way we do that is[by]exposing this cultural lie weve been told [about the necessity of fraternities].

The groundswell of student activism that rippled across college campuses in recent months encouraged Wade, who saw both abolitionist activists outsideand students inside Greek life working to reform their organizations or leaving them as signs of the potential for change.

I think students are deciding for themselves whether or not they want these institutions, and I see a lot of potential there for what might happen, Wade said. People in Greek life responding by disaffiliating is such an incredibly powerful thing to do. It gives other people a permission structure, the permission to say, Hey, actually, I dont love this either.

Despite the frustrations Salazar encountered and herownchoice to leave Theta, she said that many women who chose to remain sorority members are working to accomplish the changes she found impossibleto make.

There are a lot of women,and women of color especially,who really want to make change and feel some level of institutional support for that.Whether thats support for pureP.R.purposes or [if] thats genuine support,I dont know, Salazar said. Theres this belief that we can make the change;the question is whether or not they can. Will this work? I dont know.

Go here to read the rest:

Founded to Exclude: Greek Life, UChicago Theta, and the Push for Abolition - The Chicago Maroon

What Happens to the Federal Death Penalty in a Biden Administration? – TIME

Posted on by

Joe Biden is the first president in U.S. history to openly campaign on abolishing the death penalty and win. Now that hes in the White House, pressure is already mounting from activists and lawmakers for him to fulfill that promise.

Pointing to the more than 160 Americans whove been exonerated from death sentences since 1973, Biden pledged on the campaign trail to work to pass legislation eliminating the federal death penalty and incentivize states to follow. Former President Trumps Department of Justice had been run with a polar opposite view: In the last seven months of his presidency, the Trump administration oversaw the most federal civilian executions since 1896, putting to death 13 death row prisoners amid a raging pandemic and despite a litany of legal challenges. Six of the deaths came after Bidens win in the 2020 election, the most executions during a presidential transition period in U.S. history. The last threethose of Lisa Montgomery, Corey Johnson and Dustin Higgstook place mere days before Biden took his oath of office.

The unprecedented spree of executions brought increased focus to the issue right as Biden assumed the presidency. On Jan. 22, U.S. Representatives Cori Bush and Ayanna Pressley, along with 35 other Democratic House members, sent a letter to Biden urging him to commute the death sentences of all 49 people remaining on federal death row.

We appreciate your vocal opposition to the death penalty and urge you to take swift, decisive action, the letter reads, arguing that while President Obama suspended federal executions and commuted the sentences of two federal death row prisons while in office, his administrations reticence to commute more death sentences has allowed the Trump administration to reverse course and pursue a horrifying killing spree.

Read more: The Death of the Death Penalty

Commuting the death sentences of those on death row and ensuring that each person is provided with an adequate and unique re-sentencing process is a crucial first step in remedying this grave injustice, the letter goes on.

Biden did not address the issue during his very first days in office, but a Jan. 19 memo from then-incoming White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said that, between Jan. 25 and Feb. 1, the President would sign several execution orders including action to begin fulfilling campaign promises related to reforming our criminal justice system.

Its unclear what exact orders Biden might issue; asked by TIME for more details, the Biden administration declined to comment. But Robert Dunham, the executive director of the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center, says there are a range of things that [Biden] can do that would have the effect of clearing death row and stopping federal prosecutions.

Heres what to know about what could happen to the federal death penalty in a Biden administration.

My working assumption is that the Biden White House and the judiciary committees will want to incorporate the elimination of the death penalty in a larger criminal justice and sentencing reform measure, writes Steven S. Smith, a professor of political science at Washington University in St. Louis, in an email to TIME. That bill will take time to construct, although the Biden campaign had [a] long itemized list that can serve as the framework.

At any time during his presidency, Biden has the power to issue a blanket executive order commuting the sentences of all 49 people on federal death row to life without parole. He could also declare a moratorium on all federal executions via an executive order, similar to the one issued by California Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2019 that halted executions in his state. The move would mostly be symbolicas it wouldnt extend past Bidens termbut like Californias moratorium, the order could serve as an admission about how broken the system is, says Dunham. Like Newsom, Biden could also withdraw the governments execution protocol and dismantle the execution chamber where prisoners are killed.

In a Dec. 15 letter, Pressley and 44 other lawmakers had urged Biden to issue such a moratorium his first day in office, as well as to direct the Department of Justice (DOJ) to stop seeking the death penalty. (There have been several periods in history where the U.S. government hasnt sought capital punishment in sentencing, but never due to an executive order from the president.) Biden could also withdraw any notices of intent to seek the death penalty that the Trump administration had already filed in ongoing cases, effectively de-capitalizing them, says Dunham.

Only Congress can officially end the federal death penalty with an act of legislation. Several prominent Democrats have already introduced bills to do just that: in early January, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Adriano Espaillat each introduced their own bill into the House of Representatives to eliminate the federal death penalty; Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the incoming Senate Judiciary Chair, has announced plans to introduce a companion bill to Pressleys into the Senate. The legislation would end the death sentence at the federal level and require the re-sentencing of federal prisoners currently on death row.

A June 2020 Gallup poll found that 54% of Americans believe the death penalty is morally acceptable, a record low since Gallup began polling on the issue in 2001. And while opposition to the death penalty has become more bipartisan at the state level, it still tends to fall along party lines in national politics.

With Democrats now also in control of the U.S. Senatedue to a 50-50 split and Vice President Kamala Harris tie-breaking votethe legislations chances of becoming law have risen, but still remain in flux.

I dont think a federal definitely abolition bill is going to get through the Senate of the United States, says Austin Sarat, a professor of law and politics at Amherst College. It seems unlikely, he explains, that the current makeup of Congress will provide the 60 votes needed to override the Senate filibuster and get the bill onto Bidens desk. But these bills are still important, he continues, because they further signify increasing doubts about the death penalty in the United States.

Lawmakers could separately amend the federal death penalty statue to eliminate several of the federal crimes currently punishable by death. They could also change the appellate process for federal capital cases, which has fewer constitutional protections than those appealed at the state level, argues Dunham. And along similar lines, Congress could also past legislation requiring stays of executions be granted if there are issues of disputed law or fact in the case, so that the United States Supreme Court cannot allow an execution to go forward when there are doubts about its legality.

During the 13 federal executions in the last months of the Trump administration, several high profile casesincluding those of Lisa Montgomery and Brandon Bernardwere granted stays by lower courts to allow time for legal hearings, only for those stays to be overruled by the Supreme Court.

Theres a sense [that] the current U.S. Supreme Court pretty much acted as a rubber stamp, Dunham adds. It didnt matter what the legal issues were, they were always decided in favor of executing prisoners.

Abraham Bonowitz, executive director of the anti-death penalty advocacy group Death Penalty Action, says his organization wants to see movement to abolish federal capital punishment within the first 100 days of the Biden administration. And while issuing an executive order would be an important step, it wouldnt be enough, Bonowitz says.

Abolition fits squarely into the racial reckoning that has to happen, and just basic recognition of the unfairness of the system, he continues. The Biden administration should do what they said theyre going to do.

Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.

Write to Madeleine Carlisle at madeleine.carlisle@time.com.

See more here:

What Happens to the Federal Death Penalty in a Biden Administration? - TIME