Post-Brexit and what it means for your intellectual property rights – Intellectual Property – UK – Mondaq News Alerts

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The UK is officially leaving the European Union(EU) after 47 years, but what does this mean foryour intellectual property rights in Europe, such as registeredtrade marks, pending application and designs? We set out a summarybelow outlining the main effects to be cognisant of goingforward.

A transition period has been put in place which allows the UK toremain part of the EU intellectual property system until 31December 2020 (Transition Period). This means thatthe laws governing intellectual property in the EU will continue toapply to the UK for the Transition Period. However, whilst the lawswill continue to be applicable, the UK will have no further say inany European policy or change in legislation.

In summary, whether you have applied directly via the EU, orthrough an international platform, (such as the Madrid protocol)you should be aware of the following implications post 31 December2020:

Until the end of the Transition Period, there will be no changesto EU trade mark applications, design applications, registrationsor proceedings. However, once the Transition Period expires, EUtrade marks will no longer have any effect in the UK.

From 1 January 2021, all registered EU trade marks will beautomatically granted the equivalent rights to those that currentlyexist within the UK, at no charge.

Should you be the registered owner of any existing EU trade markunder the Madrid Protocol (which includes the EU as a relevantdesignation), your marks will also be automatically granted theequivalent UK trade mark rights for the registered period.

It is important to note that any newly registered UK trade markswill require a separate renewal application with the IntellectualProperty office in the UK once expired. Therefore, renewal feeswill become payable in both the EU and the UK.

In order to avoid any negative outcomes, it is essential tocheck all newly registered corresponding UK trade marks to ensurethat the details have been accurately transferred across from theEUTM registration.

Until the end of the Transition Period on 31 December 2020, nochanges are required.

From 1 January 2021, any pending EU trade marks will not beautomatically granted equivalent rights in the UK as per registeredtrade marks. Should you have any pending applications, you willhave the option to register an equivalent UK trade mark within ninemonths from 31 December 2020. If you proceed with this approach,you will have the opportunity to claim priority from the earlierfiling date in Europe.

To avoid potentially missing the nine month cut-off date (being30 September 2021), you may wish to consider filing separatecorresponding UK trade marks now, at the same time as filing any EUtrade marks. This will avoid any risk where your EU trade mark isnot registered before the end of the Transition Period.

Throughout the Transition Period, no changes are required.

Upon expiration of the Transition Period, any .eu domain namesthat are registered in the name of an entity that is not an EUentity (including a UK entity) will be automatically withdrawn.

We recommend changing the registrant details to an EU entitybefore the end of the Transition Period, if practical.

In order to successfully maintain the protection of yourintellectual property, whether it be pending or registered trademarks, designs, or .eu domain names, the following steps arerecommended:

This publication does not deal with every important topic orchange in law and is not intended to be relied upon as a substitutefor legal or other advice that may be relevant to the reader'sspecific circumstances. If you have found this publication ofinterest and would like to know more or wish to obtain legal advicerelevant to your circumstances please contact one of the namedindividuals listed.

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Post-Brexit and what it means for your intellectual property rights - Intellectual Property - UK - Mondaq News Alerts

Unpopular fund sector trumps UK funds four years on from Brexit vote – Money Observer

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European funds are seldom flavour of the month with retail investors, but four years on from the Brexit vote they have notched up eye-catching returns with the average fund in the Investment Associations (IA) Europe ex UK sector up 42.8%.

The sector has comfortably outpaced UK funds, according to research by Chelsea Financial Services, with the IA UK all companies sector up just 14% - over the period of 23 June 2016 to 21 June.

Commenting on the findings, Darius McDermott, managing director of Chelsea Financial Services, says: There has certainly been a mismatch in performance between the UK and Europe over the past four years since the referendum.

"Brexit and the ongoing uncertainty have made the UK unattractive to investors. The concentration of oil and gas, basic materials and financials in our top 100 companies - all 'value' and out of favour areas - has not helped performance either. Even lower down in the mid 250, sector bias has not helped, particularly in recent months as travel, tourism and leisure companies are highly represented.

In contrast, the weak pound against the euro has boosted overseas holdings. Thankfully, a number of well-managed funds have been able to buck the trend.Over the four-year period, the top five European funds are: LF Miton European Opportunities (117.5%), Baillie Gifford European (96.5%), Comgest Growth Europe ex UK (81.6%) and ASI Europe ex UK Equity (80.3%).

While the average UK fund is up just 14% over the period, there have been some strong performers, particularly those that are smaller company specialists. The top five fund performers in the IA UK All Company sector are: TM Cavendish AIM (94.6%), MI Chelverton UK Equity Growth (78.9%), FP Octopus UK Micro Cap (74.6%), Liontrust UK Micro Cap (70%) and TB Amati UK Smaller Companies (64.6%).

European funds, though, rarely top the sales charts. In fact, over the past year the IA European ex UK sector has seen more money withdrawn than invested in every month bar one December 2019.

Professional investors have also been reducing exposure to European funds, includingJohn Chatfeild-Roberts, head of strategy for the Jupiter IndependentFundsteam, and Andrew Bell, chief executive of Witan investment trust.

Ben Yearsley, directorof Shore Financial Planning, notes Europe is being avoided by investors because its seen as stodgy and old-fashioned with lots of moribund sectors - banking for example.

He adds: Europe is not seen as high growth or at the cutting edge of technology, which of course has been driving markets globally. Add in the problems in Europe and Italy, especially with paying for the stimulus measures to do with coronavirus, and it is no wonder investors have shunned Europe. This is despite the fact there are some great managers and companies in Europe.

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Unpopular fund sector trumps UK funds four years on from Brexit vote - Money Observer

Northern Irish firms to be reimbursed for tariffs if Brexit talks fail – Tina Massey

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London, UK: The government will reimburse Northern Irish businesses if they are subject to tariffs due to a collapse in Brexit talks, says cabinet minister Michael Gove.

We want to make sure that in the event of there not being a free trade agreement of whatever kind with the EU that we are in a position to indemnify and reimburse companies for tariffs, he told the Northern Ireland affairs select committee.

A special arrangement for Northern Ireland kicks in if there is no Brexit deal, under which EU tariffs are payable on goods circulating within Northern Ireland but with rebates on all goods that do not cross into the Republic of Ireland.

Legislation is needed for the tariff arrangements but this would be put in place before January, Gove told the committee. Business leaders described the move as significant but expressed concern about the lack of detail.

Gove was unable to say whether entry summary declaration forms would be needed for mainland British businesses selling into Northern Ireland. These are currently needed for goods brought into the UK from outside the EU.

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Northern Irish firms to be reimbursed for tariffs if Brexit talks fail - Tina Massey

Covid and Brexit the challenges that face new FCA boss Nikhil Rathi – Belfast Telegraph

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The new chief regulator of the City will take over at an often criticised organisation with a major new path to chart after Brexit.

ikhil Rathi was unveiled as the chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority on Monday.

Mr Rathi will face a battle to only take over the job and leave behind some of the baggage of his predecessor Andrew Bailey.

Mr Bailey, who has gone on to lead the Bank of England since stepping down from the FCA in January, was long a punching bag for many of his critics.

He had made so many enemies during his time in charge of the regulator that campaigners demanded a rethink after Mr Bailey was unveiled as the UKs top banker.

At the time he stepped down, Brexit seemed to be the biggest challenge that Mr Baileys successor would face.

Leaving the EU will create a new political, legal and economic environment for firms and regulators, chairman Charles Randell and interim chief executive Christopher Woolard said in April as they laid out the FCAs business plan for the coming year.

It will now fall to Mr Rathi to fulfil the vision laid out by his new boss to keep the UK at the centre of the global financial markets.

But the economy has changed in ways that no-one could have predicted at the beginning of the year and while Mr Bailey has been forced to take big decisions to prop up the economy, so too Mr Rathis first months will be dominated by the coronavirus pandemic.

The regulator has been forced to put several schemes on hold as it focused all its attention on the mitigating the impact of the outbreak.

The FCA says it has been focused on keeping markets open during the massive economic downturn, ensuring that people still have access to bank services and helping consumers weather the immediate shocks.

The watchdog will also need to look out for unscrupulous people and businesses trying to take advantage of the crisis.

It will need a plan for how to deal with the years-long fallout that is likely to come from Covid-19.

But Mr Rathi will also have to deal with the fallout from some of the skeletons left in Mr Baileys office.

Later this year, former Court of Appeal judge Dame Elizabeth Gloster is set to publish a report into the FCAs handling of London Capital and Finance.

Investors face losing up to 237 million that is trapped in the failed scheme and have attacked the FCA for ignoring repeated warnings.

The FCA was the cause of this collapse because they kept this under wraps, one angry investor told Dame Elizabeth during a meeting in January.

In April, the FCA set out its key priorities for the next three years. They include making faster and more effective decisions, helping retail investors make the right decisions and ensuring that payments are safe and accessible.

PA

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Covid and Brexit the challenges that face new FCA boss Nikhil Rathi - Belfast Telegraph

Brexit risk to waste and resources increasing, says Greener UK – Resource Magazine

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The risk posed to the waste and resources sector by Brexit has increased over the last few months, with the UK falling further behind EU standards and ambition, according to Greener UKs latest Brexit Risk Tracker.

Greener UK, a coalition of 13 major environmental organisations co-ordinated by think tank Green Alliance, has been tracking the progress of Brexit and the risk posed to environmental protections since June 2017, with the latest update making for grim reading as the end of the Brexit transition period in December approaches.

Released on Friday (19 June), the Risk Tracker labels the waste and resources sector at high risk over the potential impact of Brexit, with that risk continuing to increase.

It now seems unlikely that any headline targets from the CEP, including a 65 per cent recycling rate by 2035, will be transposed into UK law by the EUs July deadline.

Further consultations on elements of the 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy, including on an EPR scheme for packaging, a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers and recycling consistency, have been delayed, along with the revision of the 2013 National Waste Prevention Plan, which was due in 2019.

The government has also delayed the introduction of its ban on plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds until October 2020 to allow businesses more time to adjust while the Covid-19 pandemic continues.

The Covid-19 crisis has, of course, complicated matters, causing unprecedented disruption to public life even the passage of the governments landmark Environment Bill has been suspended due to the crisis and is not due to enter committee stage until September.

Greener UKs Risk Tracker states that the risks facing the UKs resources and waste sector are being exacerbated by the pandemic, but that these risks were evident before the coronavirus pandemic.

Nevertheless, Greener UK has found that the Environment Bill has been significantly strengthened by the government, with a new framework for legally-binding targets and the extension of the Office for Environmental Protections (OEP) remit over climate law both introduced. However, the Bill remains delayed and the OEPs board and budget is set to fall under ministerial control, casting doubts over its independence.

While the UK delays, the EU is moving further ahead on waste and resources matters. It has introduced its Single Use Plastics Directive, rejecting calls to delay, while releasing its Circular Economy Action Plan in March, including ambitious measures such as a ban on in-built product obsolescence, introducing the right to repair faulty products and restricting the use of single-use products.

The UKs chemicals sector also remains at high risk, with the UK Government confirming in February that it would not seek associate membership of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) or to participate in the EU REACH regulatory framework for chemicals.

Crucially, this could prevent the UK from accessing the ECHAs chemicals database, leaving a UK database essentially empty for two years until companies deliver the required safety data for their chemicals, with the lack of data potentially making it difficult for the UK to implement controls on hazardous chemicals.

Commenting on the Brexit Risk Tracker, Sarah Williams of the Greener UK coalition said: For all the governments good intentions, it has still not committed to maintain our existing high standards in either domestic law or trade negotiations. Without urgent action, it will be harder to enforce environmental laws in January than it is now.

Ministers have promised again and again that our environment will not be compromised. From the food on our plates to the products on our shelves, time is running out to prove it.

You can view Greener UKs latest Brexit Risk Tracker on the Greener UK site.

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Brexit risk to waste and resources increasing, says Greener UK - Resource Magazine

Unions Warn Trump and Brexit May Smash the Scottish Whisky Industry – Gizmodo UK

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The many Scottish whisky makers are teetering awkwardly between two deadly highlands precipices at the moment, according to one key workers' union; to the left, the bottomless chasm of Brexit, and to the right a hole singlehandedly dug by warring US president Trump.

Both menaces could ruin the whisky industry that's done so much to benefit rural communities where every town now has its own little distillery knocking out the golden stuff to various levels of acclaim, with GMB Scotland leader Gary Smith saying: "We are facing the Covid crisis and work paralysis in the hospitality sector, the Trump tariffs and if there is a botched Brexit we could turn the success story of whisky into an absolute disaster in terms of job creation and protection. We need action from the UK Government to get those tariffs removed."

The tariff in question is the addition of a huge25 per cent levy on single malt Scotch whisky exports to the US, ordered into being last October by Trump in some spam-fisted retaliatory spat of fury over EU subsidies handed to Airbus. And Brexit, you may have heard, is the process by which old people get to feel like they're in charge of their decaying lives by not being told what to do by people in authority, even if it means their grandchildren live poorer lives as a result. [Herald]

Image credit: Unsplash

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Unions Warn Trump and Brexit May Smash the Scottish Whisky Industry - Gizmodo UK

Johnson & Brexit Patronising Etonian Alienates the World Byline Times – Byline Times

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The Prime Ministers attempts to show his understanding of Aussies and New Zealanders fell flat this week as have his attempts for post-Brexit trade

While campaigning to become leader of the Conservative Party last year, Boris Johnson made a fascinating and telling remark in an interview with the Spectator that was largely missed at the time.

Brexit, he said, had been informed byloads of people in parts of Oppidan Britain [having] a sense that their lives and their futures werent important.

Before you start reaching for Google, let me explain.

At Eton, Johnson was a Kings Scholar one of the 70 boys who make up the elite within the elite of the most gifted and thus entitled pupils in arguably the most exclusive private school on Earth. Kings Scholars call other boys Oppidans from the Latin word oppidum meaning townie. At other public schools, that derogatory term is used to refer to the local people who dont attend the institution. At Eton, it is used by the academic crme de la crme to describe those who they deem to be intellectually if not socially inferior.

Now of course when Johnson used the word he was not referring to Old Etonian Brexiters. He was using Oppidan in its broader sense to suggest that the Conservative Party had to reach out to the working people of Britain who had voted to leave the European Union. His use of the term is telling because it suggests that our Prime Minister views this 52% and perhaps all of us as little more than townies.

This week, the Prime Minister addressed us Oppidans directly in two films that set out the Governments plans for free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand.

It was classic Johnson. The nation may have lost 42,000 lives to COVID-19 according to the Governments figures and be facing down the real possibility of a catastrophic no deal Brexit. But there is always time for frivolity.

The first broadcast kicked off with Johnson waving a packet of Aussie Tim Tam biscuits while helpfully informing us that we already trade with Australia and even drink their wine. The address was light on detail and big on absurdity. The humorous contempt in which public schoolboys hold townies is as nothing compared to that which they reserve for Antipodeans.

The Prime Minister is an unserious man at the best of times, but in his hands this deal was reduced to a series of crude tropes and caricatures. His reference points conjured up images of a Crocodile Dundee Australia, dotted with lovable idiots in dangly cork hats, drinking VB and tossing shrimps on barbies.

Then he turned to New Zealand and things got even worse. Its exports to the UK included orcs and hobbits and Oyster Bay wine, he said, before claiming that there is so much more that we could do together.

No mention of any detail was made in either video and there was a reason for that.

The Tim Tams and the Orcs were for domestic consumption a desperate attempt to divert from two deals that have all the substance of a packet of fairy cakes.

The Brexiters always claimed that we would only be able to trade with the rest of the world and reconnect with the Commonwealth if we broke free from the clutches of the EU, but it was a lie.

Since 2018, the EU has been negotiating FTAs with both New Zealand and Australia and talks are fairly advanced. By quitting the EU, the UK has removed itself from those negotiations to begin again from a weaker position, further back in the queue.

That presents a massive headache for New Zealand and Australia. Both nations want to prioritise a deal with the much larger EU but now have to go through the unnecessary rigmarole of more negotiations, simply to satisfy Britains imperial vanity.

Johnsons patronising tone and Tim Tam waving wont have helped matters. Twitter users in Australasia, including the veteran New Zealand actor Sam Neill, took offence at the British Prime Ministers condescending tone which seemed to sum up all the very worst excesses of British colonial arrogance.

The Brexit Conservatives are desperate. Desperate for good news and desperate to sell the line that a deal with our old Commonwealth friends is a replacement for our relationship with the EU. Unfortunately, the numbers simply dont add up. However it is spun, there is no equivalence to be made.

Total UK exports to the EU are worth 297 billion a year. Total UK exports to Australia and New Zealand are worth just 6.5 billion. The UK does 10 times more trade with Ireland than it does with New Zealand. And, while all trade is to be welcomed, FTAs dont always benefit both parties equally. In the case of New Zealand, the UK probably wont benefit economically at all. A Government commissioned strategic outline has suggested that, while benefitting the Kiwis, a UK-NZ FTA will have close to zero effect on British GDP and might even make it shrink.

A deal with Australia would fare slightly better, perhaps adding as much as 900 million to the UK economy, in a best-case scenario. That sounds great until one works out that this is an increase of just 0.03% in GDP roughly akin to the turnover of Harrods department store in Knightsbridge.

There is anyway little appetite for increased trade with the UK in either Australia or New Zealand. Both nations now see their destiny in trade with east Asian nations and the EU FTA promises to open up a far larger market than anything the UK can offer. The Ladybird libertarians who set out the case for Brexit were so busy staring at their navels and dreaming of Cecil Rhodes statues that they forgot to ask the members of the Commonwealth if they were on board with the whole Empire 2.0 plan. And they clearly are not.

Brexit was always based on shoddy economics and sold by a wealthy elite to people who didnt understand numbers. None of it or any of these deals are rooted in logic or even common sense. But, as Boris Johnson flies about the world in his Brexit jet surveying the Oppidans beneath him, one has to wonder if he really gives a f*ck. Hes head boy now and thats all that matters.

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Johnson & Brexit Patronising Etonian Alienates the World Byline Times - Byline Times

70,000 call on Zoom to offer free end-to-end encryption – The Daily Dot

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Nearly 70,000 people have signed onto two petitions calling on Zoom to offer end-to-end encryption to all of its users, not just ones who pay.

Earlier this month, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan told investors that it would only be offering end-to-end encryption to paid users moving forward. Yuan added that part of the companys decision was so it would be able to work together with FBI.

Free users, for sure, we dont want to give that [end-to-end encryption]. Because we also want to work it together with FBI and local law enforcement, in case some people use Zoom for bad purposes, Yuan said during an earnings call in early June, according toBloomberg News.

Zoom said it took into account feedback from child safety advocates, civil liberties organizations, encryption experts, and law enforcement when making their plan.

The company focused on its beefing up its encryption options after it was called out for incorrectly claiming it offered end-to-end encryption.

Zoom apologized for a discrepancy between the commonly accepted definition of end-to-end encryption and how we were using it and later acquired Keybase, an encryption and security service.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Zoom exploded in popularity and a host of security and privacy concerns were discovered.

But when it launched its revamped product, it fell short of what adovcates were hoping for.

Other apps that have risen in popularity in recent weeks because of protests against police brutality and racism, like Signal, offer free end-to-end encryption to all. Some videoconferincing apps, like Jitsi, also offer end-to-end encryption.

On Tuesday, Mozilla and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) presented an open letter to the company, which was signed by more than 19,000 internet users.

Best-in-class security should not be something that only the wealthy or businesses can afford, the letter reads. Zooms plan not to provide end-to-end encryption to free users will leave exactly those populations that would benefit most from these technologies unprotected.

Meanwhile, a separate petition from groups like Fight for the Future, Media Alliance, and others has gathered more than 50,000 signatures.

Zoom implementing end to end encryption could be one of the single most important things any company could do to keep people safe right now. End to end encryption saves lives, the petition reads before asking users to tell the company: Keep people safe by implementing default end to end encryption for all video, audio, and text chat.

Both the letter and the petition note that Zoom is being used by people participating in protests.

Protests across the country against police brutality and racism have happened in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. Many are using Zoom to coordinate and plan, making encryption important as law enforcement surveils them.

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*First Published: Jun 16, 2020, 2:57 pm

Andrew Wyrich is the deputy tech editor at the Daily Dot. Andrew has written for USA Today, NorthJersey.com, and other newspapers and websites. His work has been recognized by the Society of the Silurians, Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE), and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ).

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70,000 call on Zoom to offer free end-to-end encryption - The Daily Dot

What the 1930s can teach us about dealing with Big Tech today – MIT Technology Review

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The argument is that covid-19 has taught us to stop worrying and love Silicon Valleyto simply embrace the connections it brings to our quarantine and the surveillance it can apply to contact tracing.

But as people find themselves relying on the tech economy in fuller, more intimate ways, they are finding new reasons to be concerned.

An Amazon vice president stepped down in May in support of workers who were fired for organizing for better workplace safety measures against the coronavirus. Low-wage workers from other companies, including Instacart, Target, and Walmart, have gone on strike for similar reasons. Airbnb hosts are disgruntled that the platform they work for and lobby for is giving customers who cancel bookings full refunds, leaving hosts with no income and all the costs.

In moments of crisis, when new technology seems to offer quick and easy answers, it might appear difficult to devise an imaginative response to the large tech firms growing power. But even though the litany of things that tech platforms get away with is quite remarkable, tools for fixing some of techs deepest problems are closer at hand than one might think.

Companies on the internet can collect data about peoples behavior in ways old phone companies and mail carriers never could: a telecom cant listen to your phone conversations and send you relevant robocalls. Ride-sharing apps got their start in part by bypassing regulations their taxicab competitors had to follow. Gig-economy platforms routinely claim the right to ignore hard-won labor protections on the grounds that they offer part-time freelance work, even though in many cases this work involves the kind of control over workers that is tantamount to standard employment.

There has long been a presumption in some quarters that the old rules dont apply to new tech. Earlier this year, before the virus set in, Michael ORielly, a commissioner at the US Federal Communications Commission, spoke at the university where I teach. He expressed his hope that with the days of circuit--switched copper networks behind us, the FCCs role would diminish exponentially, like a puff of smoke on a windy day. But we find ourselves in a moment when the companies the FCC regulates mediate more of our lives than ever before.

Indeed, many of the USs major antitrust laws were created for crises not so unlike the one we face todaytimes of super-powerful magnates and widespread economic upheaval.

These laws, crafted for the railroads and Standard Oil, empower regulators to, among other things, break up any company abusing its market dominance. Regulators have not recently exercised these powers against Big Tech because for decades they have narrowly fixated on consumer prices as the measure of whether a market is being monopolizeda measure that doesnt work for services, like Facebook and Google, that are free. This would change if regulators allowed themselves to see how far--reaching the old antitrust mandate against market manipulation really is. With many smaller businesses now on the brink of collapse, the danger of consolidation has never been greater. A moratorium on mergers is probably a necessary stopgap.

Theres a similar story of amnesia in labor law. The gig-economy platforms have all but admitted that their business depends on systematically violating labor protections. California recently woke up to that fact, passing a law reclassifying many gig workers as employees. Especially now, when people with precarious incomes are risking their health by providing essential services from grocery delivery to elder care, they deserve every protection society can reasonably offer.

Regulations alone, however, are not enough. Policy should enable more than it prevents. In the 1920s and 1930s, US legislators put this principle into practice. Following the 1929 stock market crash, it was clear that banks were not accountable to their clients, and there were huge swaths of the country that banks didnt serve. In addition to new regulations that constrained the banks, the 1934 Federal Credit Union Act turned a few local experiments in community finance into a government-insured system. Member-owned, member--governed credit unions proliferated. They held banks to higher standards and brought financial services to places where there had been none.

In similar fashion, two years later, the Rural Electrification Act helped bring electricity to farm country, where investor--owned utilities hadnt bothered to string lines. Low-interest loans through the Department of Agriculture enabled communities to organize cooperativesnearly 900 of which still operate today. The loan program now earns more than it costs. Like the housing policies of the time that gave us the 30-year mortgage, it was a public policy that enabled widespread private ownership.

These were some of the most powerful economic development programs in US history. They introduced dynamism and decentralization to markets in danger of being held in thrall to monopoly and exploitation. If we want a more inclusive tech economy, the New Deal legacy would be a good place to start.

Internet users need the capacity to form cooperative alternatives to the dominant platforms and infrastructure. For instance, much the same model as that of the cooperative electric companies could be used to bring customer-owned broadband to underserved communities. Some old rural electric co-ops are offering fiber-to-the-home already.

Furthermore, gig workers and customers who rely on them currently have to use investor-owned platforms. But one proposed bill in California, the Cooperative Economy Act, would enable platform workers to organize co-ops that could collectively negotiate with platformsand perhaps even build platforms of their own. This would enable these workers, many of whom are now essential as drivers and delivery people, to obtain better wages and working conditions.

Quarantine and remote work also leave many people more dependent than ever on communication platforms, which typically collect personal data for uncertain purposes. This shouldnt be a necessary trade-off. Using free, open-source tools like NextCloud for file-sharing and Jitsi for videoconferencing, groups can manage their own privacy-protecting systems and decide for themselves how their data is used. Public investment in projects like this could ensure that, as with credit unions, people have the means to organize alternatives when the big platforms arent meeting their needs or respecting their values.

The internet may have near-magical powers that can help us get through the coronavirus crisis, but making technology firms accountable can begin with lessons learned from the last depression. Good tech policy requires recognizing that tech is just another way of wielding power.

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What the 1930s can teach us about dealing with Big Tech today - MIT Technology Review

Michigan Medicine nearly cuts layoffs in half; 738 employees to be cut by end of June – MLive.com

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ANN ARBOR, MI Michigan Medicine will be laying off 738 employees by the end of the month, according to a spokesperson.

Last month, University of Michigan and hospital officials projected a loss of $230 million in the 2019-20 fiscal year and expect the losses to continue, and as a result, 1,400 employees would be furloughed or laid off. Michigan Medicine spokesperson Mary Masson said Thursday that Michigan Medicine achieved more than half of that target through attrition and furloughs, and the number has been reduced.

Michigan Medicine made safety in all our missions the top priority when determining where reductions in force would occur. These challenging but carefully considered actions will help Michigan Medicine continue to provide hope and healing to our patients and allow us to continue to support our clinical, educational and research missions, Masson said.

Masson added that these are eliminated positions and not furloughs, but employees are eligible for rehire any time during the layoff period.

A staff member laid off or transferred from a position will be recalled to the position before temporary or new regular staff members are hired if it occurs within set time limits and the staff member has retained the ability to perform the work, Masson said.

Masson said that some impacted employees would receive pay and beenfits for varying periods of time, depending on their tenure. All impacted employees will have access to career transition assistance, Masson said.

Michigan Medicine previously suspended merit salary increases, employer retirement match, tuition reimbursement and delay non-urgent capital projects, including plans for a 12-story adult hospital. The health care system has also implemented a hiring freeze on 300 vacancies in addition to furloughs, according to a May 5 news release.

Michigan Medicine to furlough 1,400 employees, delay construction on new hospital

The university announced in April that all three campuses, including Michigan Medicine, estimate anticipated losses of $400 million to $1 billion through the end of the 2020 calendar year. UM also announced hiring freezes and that employees base salaries would not increase through the end of the 2020-21 budget year.

University of Michigan imposes hiring, salary freezes to face anticipated losses of $400M to $1B

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Michigan Medicine nearly cuts layoffs in half; 738 employees to be cut by end of June - MLive.com

FIM, The Foundation for Innovation in Medicine, Proposes That a National Research Coalition Be Expeditiously Established to Address COVID-19 and…

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WESTFIELD, N.J., June 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --The Core Message Of COVID-19 Is That Worldwide Capacity To Launch Bacterial & Viral Biological Warfare Has Arrived And We Are Not Only Virtually Defenseless Lacking Effective Vaccines, Drugs And Other Therapies But Disturbingly Unaware Of This Potential Threat. FIM, The Foundation For Innovation In Medicine, Proposes That A National Research Coalition Be Expeditiously Established Whose Mission Is Not To Discover Vaccines Or Drugs Or Biologicals But To Concentrate On The Basic Biological Mechanisms Of These Organisms Which Fundamental Scientific Information Has Enormous Value In Supporting Pharmaceutical, BioTech And Other Groups In Their Quests To Discover Effective Anti-viral, Anti-bacterial Or Other Therapies. After All, These Organisms Have, By Constant Evolutionary Adaptation Under The Most Adverse Environmental Conditions, Survived Over Billions Of Years. And, By Doing So, Have Evolved Multiple Mechanisms For Survival. Examples To Be Explored Are How Do Bacteria Protect Their Walls And How Do Viruses Mutate? We Must Recognize That This Challenging Mission Is Far Beyond The Capability Of Individual Companies, Government Institutions And Other Research Organizations.

But There Is Another Largely Unrecognized Hurdle Which Is Critical To Resolve. Once A Promising Therapy Is Identified In The Laboratory It Must Then Be Tested In Clinical Studies, The Critical Step In Medical Discovery. We, As A Longterm National Policy Primarily Based On Excessive Safety Concerns, Have Erected Enormous Barriers To Conduct Such Studies Resulting In Retarding Medical Discovery In General. FIM Proposes An Expeditious Doable Way To Reduce These Barriers. Make No Mistake About It And Let's Not Kid Ourselves, If Such Barriers Aren't Substantially Reduced The War Against Biological Warfare Will Be Inexcusably Retarded For Many Will Pay The Price.

A Broad Discussion Of The Social And Medical/Scientific Dynamics Surrounding The Threat Of Biological Warfare Is Presented.

COVID-19 and Beyond

Stephen L. DeFelice, M.D.

For more information about Dr. DeFelice and FIM, please contact Patricia Park at fimdefelice@aol.comor 908- 233- 2448.

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SOURCE The Foundation for Innovation in Medicine (FIM)

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FIM, The Foundation for Innovation in Medicine, Proposes That a National Research Coalition Be Expeditiously Established to Address COVID-19 and...

The Native American medicine wheel | Health | willistonherald.com – Williston Daily Herald

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In recent years, Ive learned of wonderful aspects of Native American culture, especially the sacred medicine wheel or hoop of life with variations in colors and meanings according to each tribe and nation. The circle is a universal spiritual symbol, but the Native American medicine wheel has complexity and power for me, a person who has cared for the elderly throughout my lifetime on the prairie.

For centuries, the Native American medicine wheel has given bearing, a sense of position, an objective and simultaneous understanding of both the infinitude and the limitation of life. The wheel brings a conscious spirituality that recognizes and accepts all things. For me, it closes the gap between the cynical scientific part of me and the inclusive spiritual part. By spiritual, I mean that part of our soul that savors music, art, poetry and the divine; the part that grows to love all things living and nonliving.

In the following verse, Ive taken the liberty to express my interpretation of the sacred circle:

First we get down on our knees and feel the soil, sacred Mother Earth, the world around us, the animals, plants, prairies, lakes, mountains, the environment of our planet from where all food and sustenance comes; earth is foundation.

Then we stand and raise our arms to sacred Father Sky, the sun, stars, clouds, rain, wind, air and breath of life, light and dark; from where all energy flows and ebbs; sky is infinity.

Then we turn and bow east, symbolized by the color red, the rising sun, springtime, birth, the very young, a sense of innocence and hope for the future.

Then we bow south, symbolized by the color yellow, the full sun, summer, early adulthood, a sense of unconquerable power and the courage to fight for justice.

Then we bow west, symbolized by the color black, the setting sun, autumn, mature adulthood, a sense of gravity to protect freedom and face vulnerability with honest eyes.

Finally we bow north, symbolized by the color white, nighttime, winter, old age, wisdom to savor friendship, family and the circle of life, release from fear of change and death, and a sense of empathy from having walked in anothers moccasins.

We pray in harmony as love consoles. O sacred hoop of life, please touch our souls.

This essay is a composite of works written by the late Richard P. Holm, M.D. who died in March 2020 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was founder of The Prairie Doc and author of Lifes Final Season, A Guide for Aging and Dying with Grace available on Amazon. Dr. Holms legacy lives on through his Prairie Doc organization. For free and easy access to the entire Prairie Doc library, visit http://www.prairiedoc.org and follow Prairie Doc on Facebook, featuring On Call with the Prairie Doc a medical Q&A show streaming on Facebook most Thursdays at 7 p.m. Central.

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The Native American medicine wheel | Health | willistonherald.com - Williston Daily Herald

Triggering bacteria in the service of medicine – Princeton University

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Bacteria, as it turns out, are a lot like us. They get complacent in relaxed, non-threatening environments. And when theyre relaxed, they dont produce defenses that guard against things that want to kill them, like competing organisms or microbial predators.

But when threatened, bacteria produce a veritable army of molecular defenses. Drilling down into these defenses and the elicitors that trigger them has enabled scientists to discover antibiotics and antivirals, knowledge that might yet prove useful in the fight against the coronavirus.

Chen Zhang,agraduate student in theMohammadSeyedsayamdost lab, preparesa cell culture within a sterile clean hood.

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C. Todd Reichart, Department of Chemistry

Armed with recent funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Princeton University, Associate Professor of ChemistryMohammad Seyedsayamdost is engaging that fight with an approach called the High-Throughput Elicitor Screening (HiTES). First introduced by the Seyedsayamdost lab in 2014, the technology enables researchers to screen, identify and characterize the natural products that are biosynthesized only when bacteria are under threat.

Seyedsayamdost calls these cryptic natural products. They are the defenses Nature itself has devised to counter a certain threat.

More than half of the anti-infectives used clinically come from nature, from natural products synthesized by bacteria, fungi or plants, said Seyedsayamdost, a chemical biologist. These are small organic molecules synthesized and released into the environment where they carry out a variety of functions, one of which is chemical warfare against other organisms.

These molecules have been honed by evolution to kill a competitor or a virus, exactly the type of thing we want to do in medicine sometimes kill a pathogen. So, theyve been a great source of anti-infective agents.

Third-year graduate student Chen Zhang is working on the project with Seyedsayamdost, coupling HiTES screening with imaging mass spectrometry a proven method for the detection of small molecules to discover novel natural products, the biological activities of which can be tested against pathogenic bacteria or viruses like the agent of COVID-19.

In addition, first-year student Esther Han is combining the HiTES approach with antimicrobial activities to directly search for new and cryptic anti-infectives.

Since every compound has a unique mass signal (as fingerprints are to humans), comparing signals in untreated bacterial cultures to those in elicited cultures can easily identify new natural products only present in specific conditions, said Zhang. Once identified, follow-up studies can elucidate the biological activity and molecular target of the natural product.

Esther Han,agraduate student in the Seyedsayamdost lab, checkson cell cultures in an incubator.

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C. Todd Reichart, Department of Chemistry

The Seyedsayamdost lab has found that antibiotics themselves are the best elicitors, or, the best triggers for cryptic natural products. Old antibiotics, therefore, can be used to discover new, cryptic ones. This observation was first made with the bacterium Burkholderia thailandensis. In this instance, Seyedsayamdost found that a carefully calibrated Goldilocks dose of the antibiotic Trimethoprim not too much or it will kill the bacteria; not too little or the bacteria wont respond causes the bacterium to synthesize 21 of the 22 natural products that it encodes.

Burkholderia throws the kitchen sink at you if you treat it with low-dose Trimethoprim, said Seyedsayamdost.

Seyedsayamdost was motivated to deploy HiTES technology in the battle against COVID-19 as a way of meeting what he characterizes as the obligation of scientists.

If youre working in this research area and you have a chance to contribute even indirectly to a therapeutic, you have an obligation to do so. So from that point of view, I think its important to be engaged, Seyedsayamdost said.

The other issue is, infectious disease is going to be on the rise. We knew that at the beginning of the century, but this pandemic really drives the point home. This is something that academic scientists need to address, but big pharma needs to deal with, too, he added. Its unfortunate that big pharma has largely gotten away from finding treatments against infectious agents. But I think the coronavirus will be a wake-up call.

This research is supported by the NIH Director's New Innovator Award (DP2-AI-124786) and the Princeton Intellectual Property Accelerator Award.

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Triggering bacteria in the service of medicine - Princeton University

SEngine Precision Medicine Presents Innovative Data on the CLIA Certified PARIS Test for Oncology Drug Sensitivity and the Future of Functional…

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SEATTLE, June 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SEngine Precision Medicine,a precision oncology company revolutionizing cancer diagnostics anddrug discoveryby pre-testing drugs on patient-derivedtumor-based organoids, today presentsdataonthe predictive value ofthe PARISTestinitsposter,Organoid-based functional test to predict personalized treatment in cholangiocarcinoma(poster board #818),duringthe 2020AACRVirtualMeetingbeingheldJune 22-24, 2020.

The PARISTest is a CLIA certifiedfunctional drug assay using tumor-derived organoids. By compiling assay results, the PARIS Test generatesan actionable report to oncologists as a tool for therapeutic decisions, ranking sensitivity to targeted, endocrine and chemotherapy agents.

Dr. Astrid Margossian, M.D, Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer at SEngine, presents their poster summarizingthe strong correlation between genomics,retrospective treatment outcomes and PARISTest drug sensitivity results based on a retrospective analysis ofcholangiocarcinomapatients.The poster also highlights encouraging data on positive prospective evidence from three patients who received a PARIS Test guided treatment, each with good clinical outcome correlation. Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare type of cancer with limited therapeutic options. SEngine has demonstrated utility of the PARIS Test as a tool for oncologists to design innovative therapeutic strategies for cholangiocarcinoma patients.

In addition to SEngines poster presentation, scientific leadership at the company lead the AACR Education Session Functional Precision Medicine: Techniques, Uses and Challenges on June 23, 2020. Christopher Kemp, Ph.D., Scientific Director at SEngine Precision Medicine and full member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, chairs the education session. Chief Executive Officer Dr. Carla Grandori, M.D., Ph.D., presents on the strong predictive value of the PARIS Test and provides key takeaways from five years running SEngines CLIA certified organoid-based drug sensitivity assay.

Details related to the poster presentation are as follows:Title: Organoid-based functional test to predict personalized treatment in cholangiocarcinomaLead Author:AstridMargossian, M.D.,Ph.D.Senior Author: CarlaGrandori, M.D.,Ph.D.Poster Board #: 818Poster Session: Translational Research with Targeted Therapies

Details related to the education session are as follows:Education Session: Functional Precision Medicine: Techniques, Uses and ChallengesChair: Christopher Kemp, Ph.D.Invited Speaker: Carla Grandori, M.D., Ph.D.Talk Title: Predictive value and lessons learned from the PARIS Test: a CLIA certified drug sensitivity assay employing patient-derived tumor organoids

About the PARIS TestThe PARISTest is based on the capability to propagate patient-specific cancercellsas organoidsoutside the bodyand is applicable to all solid tumorsincluding colon, breast, lung, ovarian and pancreatic cancer. Organoids are cancer-derived cells grownin 3D outside the body, which maintain the functionality of the original tumor as well as its genomic characteristics.For cancerswherea treatmentpath is not clear, such asmany metastatic and recurrent cancers,the PARIS Test provides crucial information to thetreating physicianstomatch the right drug to the right patient.

AboutSEnginePrecision MedicineSEnginePrecision Medicine Inc. is a precision oncology company revolutionizing cancer diagnostics and therapies by pre-testing drugs on patient-derived organoids grown ex-vivo utilizing patient specific tumor cells.As a spin-out from the world-renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer ResearchCenter,SEngineis leveraging over two decades of R&D in diagnostics and drug discovery. The Company is commercializingthePARISTest, a next generation diagnostic test that predicts drug responses integrating knowledge of cancer genomics with organoids, robotics, and AI-driven computational tools.SEnginesCLIA certified PARISTest generates predictive drug sensitivity reports for patients with solid tumors.SEngineis also pursuing drug discovery via strategic collaborations with biopharmaceutical / pharma companies leveraging its precision oncology platform.

Discover more atSengineMedicine.comand follow the latest news fromSEngineon Twitter at@SEngineMedicineand onLinkedIn.

Contact:

Stephanie Carringtonstephanie.carrington@westwicke.com646-277-1282

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SEngine Precision Medicine Presents Innovative Data on the CLIA Certified PARIS Test for Oncology Drug Sensitivity and the Future of Functional...

WVU Medicine to Open Fulfillment Location at Morgantown Mall as Part of Washington Prime Group’s Fulventory Initiative – Business Wire

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COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Washington Prime Group Inc. (NYSE: WPG) today announced that the Company has signed a letter of intent with WVU Medicine to repurpose the former Sears location at Morgantown Mall, in Morgantown, West Virginia, as a logistics, distribution and fulfillment center serving the broader WVU Medicine network. This project and use are consistent with Washington Prime Groups recently launched Fulventory initiative, through which the Company is focused on providing innovative logistics and warehouse solutions at its venues centrally located in key markets across the US.

Lou Conforti, CEO and Director of Washington Prime Group stated: I am truly humbled to announce our affiliation with WVU Medicine at Morgantown Mall for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, their vision of transforming lives and eliminating health disparities is a charter we admire and have taken very seriously as illustrated by our ~500 community service projects via our WPG Cares charitable endeavors. Second, the logistics and warehouse utilization of the Morgantown Mall space by WVU Medicine further exhibits the viability of Fulventory, our recently initiated last mile fulfillment program. Last, but not least, I am officially submitting my name for consideration as the 68th Mountaineer mascotwith the understanding as a beardless flatlander hailing from Illinois, I am a longshot at best. We welcome our friends from West Virginia University and look forward to establishing a longstanding relationship.

Washington Prime Group launched Fulventory during the first half of 2020, an initiative which allows tenants to utilize space within the Companys assets for last mile fulfillment, including customized logistics and warehouse solutions, BOPIS (buy online and pickup in store), and inventory clearance. The Fulventory collateral material with additional information and conceptual renderings is available here.

About Washington Prime Group

Washington Prime Group Inc. is a retail REIT and a recognized leader in the ownership, management, acquisition and development of retail properties. The Company combines a national real estate portfolio with its expertise across the entire shopping center sector to increase cash flow through rigorous management of assets and provide new opportunities to retailers looking for growth throughout the U.S. Washington Prime Group is a registered trademark of the Company. Learn more at http://www.washingtonprime.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 which represent the current expectations and beliefs of management of Washington Prime Group Inc. (WPG) concerning the proposed transactions, the anticipated consequences and benefits of the transactions and the targeted close date for the transactions, and other future events and their potential effects on WPG, including, but not limited to, statements relating to anticipated financial and operating results, the Companys plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, cost savings and other statements, including words such as anticipate, believe, confident, plan, estimate, expect, intend, will, should, may, and other similar expressions. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of WPGs management, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of WPG to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without limitation: changes in asset quality and credit risk; ability to sustain revenue and earnings growth; changes in political, economic or market conditions generally and the real estate and capital markets specifically; the impact of increased competition; the availability of capital and financing; tenant or joint venture partner(s) bankruptcies; the failure to increase store occupancy and same-store operating income; risks associated with the acquisition, disposition, (re)development, expansion, leasing and management of properties; changes in market rental rates; trends in the retail industry; relationships with anchor tenants; risks relating to joint venture properties; costs of common area maintenance; competitive market forces; the level and volatility of interest rates; the rate of revenue increases as compared to expense increases; the financial stability of tenants within the retail industry; the restrictions in current financing arrangements or the failure to comply with such arrangements; the liquidity of real estate investments; the impact of changes to tax legislation and WPGs tax positions; losses associated with closures, failures and stoppages associated with the spread and proliferation of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic; to qualify as a real estate investment trust; the failure to refinance debt at favorable terms and conditions; loss of key personnel; material changes in the dividend rates on securities or the ability to pay dividends on common shares or other securities; possible restrictions on the ability to operate or dispose of any partially-owned properties; the failure to achieve earnings/funds from operations targets or estimates; the failure to achieve projected returns or yields on (re)development and investment properties (including joint ventures); expected gains on debt extinguishment; changes in generally accepted accounting principles or interpretations thereof; terrorist activities and international hostilities; the unfavorable resolution of legal or regulatory proceedings; the impact of future acquisitions and divestitures; assets that may be subject to impairment charges; significant costs related to environmental issues; changes in LIBOR reporting practices or the method in which LIBOR is determined; and other risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in WPGs statements and periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those described under Risk Factors. The forward-looking statements in this communication are qualified by these risk factors. Each statement speaks only as of the date of this press release and WPG undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from current projections, expectations, and plans, if any. Investors, potential investors and others should give careful consideration to these risks and uncertainties.

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WVU Medicine to Open Fulfillment Location at Morgantown Mall as Part of Washington Prime Group's Fulventory Initiative - Business Wire

Northwestern Medicine finds 3 versions of COVID-19 in Chicago – WGN TV Chicago

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CHICAGO Chicago has a unique version of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Local researchers have made a discovery that could help direct future vaccines and treatments.

Viruses change as they travel. Its their natural behavior and a trait scientists are tracking when it comes to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Some of the changes are benign. Others are more critical when it comes to helping the virus spread and survive.

Northwestern Medicine researchers looked at samples from patients back in March. They found three different versions of the virus in circulation in Chicago.

One of those variants closely resembles the DNA sequence of samples found in China during the early days of the outbreak and hasnt been found in many other areas of the United States. The two other versions are similar to viral sequences found in New York and on the West Coast, particularly in Washington state.

Dr Egon Ozer is with Northwestern Medicine and assistant professor of medicine in the division of infectious disease.

Those that had the Chicago variant seem to have on average lower viral loads, less virus in their airways especially in the upper airways; the nose and throat, Ozer said. Compared to those viruses that were most closely related to New York strains. And then in terms of vaccine development knowing where these differences are and knowing, especially if we see some variants are becoming more dominant, it could help us target our vaccine development a lot more, in a more focused matter.

The researchers said there was no difference in patient outcomes or disease severity between the different mutations. And they said early signs point to the New York variant emerging as a more dominant strain.

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The Media’s Bad Medicine – The – The Transylvania Times

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The reaction to President Trumps endorsement of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) provides a textbook example of how the media automatically pushes back against anything the president says or does.

The anti-Trump propaganda machine were apoplectic when Trump announced he was taking it himself, as prescribed by his doctor.

Approved for medical use in the United States in 1955, HCQ is on the World Health Organizations list of essential medicines, as one of the safest and most effective medicines needed in any health system. Its been prescribed hundreds of millions of times worldwide and has saved millions of lives as a malaria drug.

Nevertheless, celebrity medical experts knew better. Joy Behar of The View said anyone who takes hydroxychloroquine is crazy. Barbara Streisand speculated that Trump says hes now taking hydroxychloroquine . . . could it be because he has a small stake in the company that owns it? Bette Midler said the side effects are paranoia, hallucinations and psychosis.

Jimmy Kimmel chimed in with I thought about it for a long time last night, and Ive come to what I think is the only reasonable conclusion. Hes trying to kill himself.

(On a personal note, Ive been taking 400 milligrams of HCQ daily for more than five years for rheumatoid arthritis, with no side effects that Im aware of.)

A more serious example of how politics has contaminated rational debate was provided by Lancet. On May 15, this so-called unbiased medical journal ran an unsigned editorial saying American voters should replace Trump: America must put a president in the White House who should understand that public health should not be guided by partisan politics.

Lancet followed up with research saying that HCQ caused 30 percent increase risk of death for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Some 120 doctors, epidemiologists and statisticians challenged the validity of the study, saying scrutiny has raised both methodological and date integrity concerns. Lancet admitted the study was flawed and disavowed it.

Lancet editor-in-chief Richard Horton told the Australian Guardian newspaper, This is a shocking example of research misconduct in the middle of a global health emergency.

Unfortunately, this isnt shocking to anyone who follows the knee-jerk hostility to Trump.

Jim Grodnik

Brevard

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The Media's Bad Medicine - The - The Transylvania Times

Bravo’s ‘Married to Medicine LA’: Dr. Imani’s Mother Is a Former Network Executive Who Knew Prince – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

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Married to Medicine Los Angeles viewers watched the heartbreak Dr. Imani Walker endured when she decided to end her marriage.

Walker, who is a psychiatrist, confided in her mother, Paula Madison during the emotional episode. Madison not only comforted her daughter but she also delivered sage advice. A viewer wondered if Madison was also a psychiatrist or a psychologist. But Walker revealed, Shes neither. She was a journalist back in the day.

Indeed Madison was a journalist. In fact, she was once an executive with NBC who ended up launching her own powerful media company, Madison Media Management LLC. Like her daughter, Madison is a mighty force not only in media but also in music. Walker revealed that her mother had a friendship and professional relationship with iconic musician Prince.

Madison was an NBCUniversal executive for 35 years and then pivoted to create her own media company. She was named one of the 75 Most Powerful African Americans in Corporate America byBlack Enterprisemagazine in 2005 and in 2014. Madison is also an author and documentarian.

Walker revealed that her mother also owns The Africa Channel (TAC), which had a somewhat icy relationship with Comcast. Madison spoke out in December about the lack of cable programming diversity, especially with regard to Byron Allen versus Comcast.

RELATED: Bravos Married to Medicine LA Cast Express Frustration About the Treatment of Black Folks in America

Although Comcast has not shut out TAC, Comcast has not been a good business partner, she wrote in an open letter. With an unkept yet repeated promise by Comcast of 4 million additional subscribers its inaccurate to include TAC in any grouping of black-owned independent networks which would typify the Comcast business relationship as good or in any way proactive.

Walker revealed that she and her mother knew Prince. My mother met [Prince] through another friend of hers. My family used to own the LA Sparks, the womens basketball team, Walker said on the Behind the Velvet Rope with David Yontef podcast. And they also own this station called The Africa Channel. So my mother and Prince were trying to collaborate. Something with The Africa Channel to air.

Walker said her mother also appeared in a Prince video too. Do you remember the video where Kim Kardashian, Prince kicked her off the stage, Walker asked. And then somebody else came on afterward and was dancing? Thats my mom. So we were at that concert.

RELATED: Bravos Married to Medicine LA: Dr. Imani Walker Reveals How She Knew Prince

She also shared a sweet story about her encounter with Prince. I actually did go on stage later on in the show and he was like, Come dance with me. And I was way too scared, she said. But I did get to talk to him at the after party and we were talking about the Arab Spring and he was just so beautiful and his eyes were perfectly lined.

Walker revealed a fans dream come true too. He jumped up, and he had on his heels and he jumped up from the little booth we were sitting in, she shared. He jumped up and his leg touched my arm and I was like Im never washing this part of my arm again. And then he just got up and started playing this concert for hours and hours.

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Bravo's 'Married to Medicine LA': Dr. Imani's Mother Is a Former Network Executive Who Knew Prince - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

COVID-19 Medicine Pricing, Transparency Bills Are a Matter of Life and Death – Common Dreams

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WASHINGTON - Note: Today, U.S. Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Francis Rooney (R-Fla.), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Peter Defazio (D-Ore.) introduced the Make Medications Affordable by Preventing Pandemic Pricegouging (MMAPPP) Act and the Taxpayer Research and Coronavirus Knowledge (TRACK) Act.

President Donald Trumps sycophancy to drug corporations is endangering the nations pandemic response. Although public investments are driving drug and vaccine development, the Trump administration is permitting drug companies to retain monopoly control over the drugs and vaccines, including those still under development. The administration is refusing to use its existing authorities to enable knowledge sharing and generic competition. Nor is the administration seeking enhanced powers from Congress. The certain result will be profiteering, rationing and inadequate supplies of the medicines and vaccines desperately needed to treat and eliminate the virus.

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By contrast, the legislative proposals from Reps. Schakowsky and Doggett prioritize public health over Big Pharmas profits. Recognizing that leading candidate vaccines and drug treatments are built on public science and hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars, their proposals would ensure, first, that the American people know how their money is being spent and what, if anything, our government is asking of the corporations that receive massive taxpayer grants. Additionally, their proposals would ensure that publicly funded treatments and vaccines for COVID-19 are reasonably priced, open to generic competition and available to the world, to prevent medical rationing that could scar a generation.

This is about way more than ensuring taxpayers arent ripped off, as important as that objective is. Promoting transparency and reasonable pricing of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines is a life-and-death matter. Public Citizen thanks Schakowsky and Doggett for their leadership and urges immediate passage of these bills.

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COVID-19 Medicine Pricing, Transparency Bills Are a Matter of Life and Death - Common Dreams

Marvels in Medicine: Vokes’s Venture to Bring Combined Modality Care to Patients With Cancer – OncLive

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In our exclusive interview, Everett Vokes, MD, discusses the path that led him to specialize in head and neck cancer and lung cancer, personal and professional challenges he encountered along the way, and the ultimate importance of bringing multimodality therapy to the forefront of treatment.

Welcome to a very special edition of OncLive On Air! Im your host today, Caroline Seymour

OncLive On Air is a podcast from OncLive, which provides oncology professionals with the resources and information they need to provide the best patient care. In both digital and print formats, OncLive covers every angle of oncology practice, from new technology to treatment advances to important regulatory decisions.

Today, we had the pleasure of speaking with Everett Vokes, MD, John E. Ultmann Professor, physician-in-chief, and chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago Medicine. Dr. Vokes is an internationally renowned expert in head and neck cancer, having pioneered combination chemotherapy and radiation as a first-line treatment for patients.

Dr. Vokes is also the recipient of the new Translational Research Professorship from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, as well as the Francis L. Lederer Foundation grant for research on the malignancies of the upper aerodigestive tract.

In 2013, Dr. Vokes was recognized as the OncLive Giant of Cancer Care for Head and Neck Cancer for his tremendous achievements.

In our exclusive interview, Dr. Vokes discussed the path that led him to specialize in head and neck cancer and lung cancer, personal and professional challenges he encountered along the way, and the ultimate importance of bringing multimodality therapy to the forefront of treatment.

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Marvels in Medicine: Vokes's Venture to Bring Combined Modality Care to Patients With Cancer - OncLive