Daily Archives: July 7, 2021

CStone announces China NMPA acceptance of IND application for CS2006/NM21-1480, a PD-L1/4-1BB/HSA multi-specific antibody-based molecule, marking…

Posted: July 7, 2021 at 3:19 pm

SUZHOU, China, July 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CStone Pharmaceuticals ("CStone", HKEX: 2616), a leading biopharmaceutical company focused on the research, development, and commercialization of innovative immuno-oncology therapies and precision medicines, today announced that the investigational new drug (IND) application of CS2006/NM21-1480 has been accepted by the Center for Drug Evaluation, National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China. CS2006/NM21-1480 is a monovalent trispecific antibody-based molecule targeting PD-L1, 4-1BB and HSA. Its unique molecular design and innovative mechanism of action help reduce toxicity and improve efficacy. As a potential best-in-class drug, CS2006/NM21-1480 is a new immuno-oncology therapy that could be potentially used as a monotherapy or in combination with multiple treatments.

The clinical program of CS2006/NM21-1480 will further deepen and expand CStone's Pipeline 2.0 strategy. With a forward-looking perspective, CStone has developed an innovative Pipeline 2.0 that consists of assets with first-in-class or best-in-class potential in emerging therapeutic categories.

Dr. Archie Tse, Chief Scientific Officer of CStone, said, "The acceptance of the IND application for CS2006/NM21-1480 marks a significant milestone in CStone's Pipeline 2.0 strategy. In April, 2020, CS2006/NM21-1480 was approved for early clinical development in the U.S. and the study is now well underway. Moving forward, we will step up efforts to drive the development of CS2006/NM21-1480 and other high-quality new drugs to benefit cancer patients."

CS2006/NM21-1480 is designed to bind to 4-1BB and activate T cells only when engaging with PD-L1 on the surface of tumor cells, potentially preventing liver toxicities observed in clinical trials with agonistic monospecific and bivalent anti-4-1BB antibodies.

Compared to other PD-L1/4-1BB bispecific antibody candidates, CS2006/NM21-1480's unique monovalent structure and ultra-high-affinity PD-L1-binding is expected to lead to better safety and higher efficacy. Furthermore, half-life extension via the HSA-binding motif in CS2006/NM21-1480 enables lower-frequency dosing schedules for patients. CS2006/NM21-1480 is anticipated to be effective against tumors with a wide range of PD-L1 expression-levels and may overcome primary and/or acquired resistance to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies. Therefore, CS2006/NM21-1480 represents a leading class of next-generation cancer immunotherapies and a new backbone molecule for combinations.

Story continues

CS2006/NM21-1480 was discovered and engineered by Numab Therapeutics ("Numab"), CStone's partner, using its proprietary cap technology and MATCH platform. CStone and Numab signed an exclusive regional licensing agreement for the development and commercialization of the drug candidate. Pursuant to the terms of the licensing agreement, CStone will fund the research and development of CS2006/NM21-1480 up to completion of an initial Phase Ib clinical trial. In exchange, CStone obtains exclusive rights from Numab to develop and commercialize CS2006/NM21-1480 in Greater China (including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan), South Korea and Singapore. Numab retains all CS2006/NM21-1480 rights for the rest of the world. Upon completion of CStone's funding period, no further financial obligations will be owed by either party.

About CStone

CStone Pharmaceuticals (HKEX: 2616) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on researching, developing, and commercializing innovative immuno-oncology and precision medicines to address the unmet medical needs of cancer patients in China and worldwide. Established in 2015, CStone has assembled a world-class management team with extensive experience in innovative drug development, clinical research, and commercialization. The company has built an oncology-focused pipeline of 15 drug candidates with a strategic emphasis on immuno-oncology combination therapies. Currently, CStone has received three drug approvals in Greater China, including two in Mainland China and one in Taiwan. CStone's vision is to become globally recognized as a world-renowned biopharmaceutical company by bringing innovative oncology therapies to cancer patients worldwide.

For more information about CStone, please visit: http://www.cstonepharma.com

Forward-looking statement

The forward-looking statements made in this article only relate to events or information as of the date when the statements are made in this article. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or publicly revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should read this article completely and with the understanding that our actual future results or performance may be materially different from what we expect. All statements in this article are made on the date of publication of this article and may change due to future developments.

SOURCE CStone Pharmaceuticals

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CStone announces China NMPA acceptance of IND application for CS2006/NM21-1480, a PD-L1/4-1BB/HSA multi-specific antibody-based molecule, marking...

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Global Oral And Dental Probiotics 2021 Size, Status and Global Outlook NatureWise, Blisprobiotics, Hyperbiotics, Lallemand Health Solutions, Life…

Posted: at 3:19 pm

Global Oral And Dental Probiotics Industry Research Report, Growth Trends and Competitive Analysis 2020-2027

According to this latest study, the 2021 growth of Oral And Dental Probiotics market will have significant change from previous year. By the most conservative estimates of global market size (most likely outcome) will be a year-over-year revenue growth rate of XX% in 2021, from USD XX million in 2020. Over the next five years the Oral And Dental Probiotics market will register a XX% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach USD XX million by 2027.

This report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares, and growth opportunities of the Oral And Dental Probiotics market by product type, application, key manufacturers and key regions and countries. Market Players & Competitor Analysis: The report covers the key players of the industry including Company Profile, Product Specifications, Production Capacity/Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin 2020-2027 Segmentation by type:

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Global Oral And Dental Probiotics 2021 Size, Status and Global Outlook NatureWise, Blisprobiotics, Hyperbiotics, Lallemand Health Solutions, Life...

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EXTENSION NOTES What are food allergies and how are they managed? – Daytona Beach News-Journal

Posted: at 3:19 pm

Melanie Thomas, Flagler County Extension Director| The Daytona Beach News-Journal

A food allergy is an acquired hypersensitivity reaction to what is normally considered a safe food. Food allergies occur more often in children than in adults: 5%-8% of those age 4 or under and about 2% of adults are affected. Together, about 11 million Americans suffer from some degree of food allergy. Those with severe reactions may experience what is known as anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock. Annually, around 30,000 people receive life-saving emergency treatment and 150 fatalities occur.

While most food allergies in adults are caused by a small group of foods or food products, early in life food allergies can be caused by a wider variety of foods. About 90% of reported food allergies in children under the age of 4 are caused by dairy products, tree nuts, eggs, wheat and wheat products, peanuts, or soy and soy products.

Dairy, eggs, and soy allergies are commonly outgrown; peanut allergies are almost never outgrown. As an adult, the big eight foods (and their products) account for 90% of food allergies: cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, or their hybridized strains and products), crustaceans, milk, eggs, tree nuts, fish, soybeans and peanuts.

A true allergy is caused by a person's immune system reacting to a food when first eaten. The body "remembers" that food and, when it is eaten again, the immune system overreacts in an excessive and potentially life-threatening way.

Although often misdiagnosed as a food allergy, food intolerance is different. Symptoms of food intolerance usually involve discomfort after eating the causal food, such as bloating, abdominal pain and sometimes diarrhea. Specifically, food intolerance is due to a problem with a persons metabolism, not their immune system. Lactose intolerance, for example, is caused by the inability to produce the digestive enzyme (lactase) that breaks down the sugars found in milk and other dairy products (lactose).

Studies suggest that 10% to 20% of adult Americans incorrectly believe that they or someone in their family has a food allergy. Proper medical authorities should be consulted for confirmation and guidance.

Allergic reactions to food may cause symptoms within seconds of consumption or the symptoms may take up to several hours to develop. Symptoms can occur locally or can be spread over the body or in multiple locations. Redness, itching and swelling (inflammation) are the most well-known and commonly associated symptoms, although several other types of symptoms are possible.

Symptoms associated with the digestive tract may include any one or more of the following:

The greatest danger of a hypersensitivity reaction, or anaphylactic response, is the possibility that air passageways will swell closed and suffocate the victim, or that the victim will go into shock, a state of decreased blood flow that is potentially life-threatening.

If a person has an allergy to a particular food, any meal with that food present, even as a flavoring, may cause an allergic response. If a person is allergic to peanuts, they will be sensitive to the consumption of any food that has peanuts or peanut products (peanut butter, peanut oil, chopped or diced peanuts, etc.) as an ingredient. Treatment or processing of a food does not affect its ability to cause an allergic response. It is important to carefully read food labels and ingredient lists if a person has a known food allergy.

For more information about this or other health and wellness topics, contact Melanie Thomas, Director of UF/IFAS Extension Flagler County at 386-437-7464 or e-mail mlthomas@ufl.edu.

Source: Keith R. Schneider, Rene Goodrich-Schneider, Soohyoun Ahn, Susie Richardson, Ploy Kurdmongkoltham, and Bruna Bertoldi; Food Allergies, FSHN0513, University of Florida

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EXTENSION NOTES What are food allergies and how are they managed? - Daytona Beach News-Journal

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Celebrating the Life of Hal Conklin – Santa Barbara Edhat

Posted: at 3:19 pm

By an edhat reader

*All are Welcome*

Wednesday, July 21, 2021, 7:00pm

The Steps of the Santa Barbara Mission

The Santa Barbara community is invited to spend an evening in remembrance of Hal Conklin, whose life has left a lasting impact on so many near and far. Hal was a beloved public servant, friend, family man, and leader whose devotion to Santa Barbara has left a lasting impact. He served as city Mayor from 1993-1994 and on the City Council from 1977-1993, and he helped found the Community Environmental Council, of which he was also a former executive director. Hal was instrumental in the reopening of Stearns Wharf, the extension of Chase Palm Park, the building of Paseo Nuevo, and the restoration of the Granada Theater. The Granada Theater offered this fond tribute to Hals life: he was the heart of Santa Barbara. Hals love for the arts also extended to his work as a co-author for a weekly film commentary called Cinema in Focus where over 1,500 reviews have been published.

The public is invited to join us at the steps of the Mission on Wednesday, July 21, at 7 pm. Provided seating is limited, so for your own comfort please bring a blanket or lawn chair, jacket or mask, as needed.

In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made to the Free Methodist Church of Santa Barbara with the memo Hal Conklin Memorial. Memories and photos of Hal can be shared with the family at https://www.newlywords.com/hal-conklin-memorial using the access word Conklin. Memories and photos will be honored and preserved for the Conklin family.

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Celebrating the Life of Hal Conklin - Santa Barbara Edhat

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In Search Of The ‘Holy Grail’ Of Tomatoes – Texas A&M Today – Texas A&M University Today

Posted: at 3:19 pm

A proposed project involving the characterization of a new breeding line of tomatoes developed by theTexas A&M AgriLifebreeding program at Weslaco could further enhance Texas reputation for growing exceptional produce, according toTexas A&M AgriLife Researchscientists.

The development of flavorful, nutritious and firm tomatoes with a long shelf life, good appearance and high yield is the holy grail of tomato improvement, said Carlos Avila, AgriLife Research vegetable breeder based at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Weslacoand principal investigator for the project.

Co-principal investigators are Kevin Crosby, AgriLife Research vegetable breeder at Texas A&M University, and Vijay Joshi AgriLife Research vegetable system physiologist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Uvalde.

Avila said tomato genes such as colorless non-ripening, NOR, and ripening inhibitor, RIN, have been used successfully in modulating fruit firmness and extending the shelf life of commercially available tomatoes, but have fallen short in other areas.

Unfortunately, besides the beneficial effect on delaying softening, these genes negatively affect fruit color, flavor and nutritional value, Avila said. As a result, there is a general concern that most modern tomato cultivars have lost their flavor. This affects both consumption and supermarket sales.

He also noted most commercial cultivars are susceptible to tomato yellow shoulder, a disorder characterized by discolored regions under the fruits skin that reduce its quality and negatively impact consumer acceptance.

The disorder can range from very mild with some internal spotting to quite severe with large areas that are hardened and yellow to white, Avila said.

Carlos Avila, Texas A&M AgriLife Research vegetable breeder.

Texas A&M AgriLife

The teams goal is to produce a long-shelf-life tomato with all the positive traits and characteristics both the produce industry and consumers desire without negatively impacting taste and color.

He said the new year-long project is a continuation of the 2019 project Novel Tomato Fruit Firmness Trait: Breeding for Long Shelf Life While Conserving Flavor Is Now Possible.

For the first year of this project, we evaluated and characterized fruit firmness for trait stability in three locations Weslaco, Uvalde and Bryan-College Station, Avila said. We also developed F1 hybrids, evaluated their shelf life at different storage conditions and developed F2 mapping populations. Our successful accomplishment of these objectives and the very promising data we obtained directed us toward additional lines of investigation in this new project.

Avila said the firmness trait in the newly developed TAM-SP18-157 line is different from NOR- and RIN-gene-carrying commercial tomato cultivars in that it produces extraordinarily firm tomatoes while conserving both flavor and color.

It does this because the ripening process is not inhibited, Avila said. When used as a parental line, the resulting F1 hybrids have shown improved firmness, enhanced sugar and acid content, and higher amounts of dry matter and fruit yield.

The new line produces a firm tomato that does not leak when sliced or diced and has a uniformly red color traits highly desired by both the industry and consumers, he said.

This second-year project will focus on production and multi-location testing, along with trait characterization for marker-assisted breeding and registration of the TAM-SP18-157, Avila said.

Field trials at Weslaco and Uvalde during the 2019 spring season demonstrated TAM-SP18-157 has an excellent combining ability when used as a parent for hybrid cultivar development.

When crossed as a male pollen donor with soft tomato lines, the resulting F1 hybrids increased fruit firmness in 30% of the tomatoes, dry matter in 15%, sugar content in 11%, and acidity in 10%, as compared to the soft tomato parents, Avila said. Additionally, F1 hybrids showed a 67% increase in the yield, indicating TAM-SP18-157 can be used as a parent to improve both tomato quality and yield.

Joshi said one of the aspects of his work on the new project will be to analyze and quantify the amount of glutamic and aspartic acids in the new tomato line.

We have already harvested some of the tomatoes grown here at the Uvalde center for testing and will be checking them for these two aroma-active amino acids that are integral to tomato flavor, he said.

The fruit firmness in the TAM-SP18-157 breeding line is superior to what was expected. The tomatoes average compression peak indicates a fruit 70% firmer compared to the average firmness in the Texas A&M tomato breeding population.

This additional firmness provides for a longer shelf life, even when the tomato is harvested when completely ripe, Avila said. This allows the tomatoes to fully develop their flavor and nutritional content while staying fresh for a longer period.

Initial testing also showed TAM-SP18-157 is highly resistant to tomato yellow shoulder disorder.

Yellow shoulder is not a delayed ripening, but an actual disorder of the affected tissue in which green chlorophyll in these regions fails to develop red pigment, Avila said. In this instance, the practice of letting the fruit remain on the vine longer so it can color up does not work. Neither does increasing the quantity of potassium fertilizer once there is abundant fruit hanging due to the disorder showing up very shortly after fruit set.

Comparison of Zapotec tomato with yellow shoulder disease to the improved breeding line of tomato developed by Texas A&M AgriLife.

Texas A&M AgriLife

Crosby said he will continue his first phase research by addressing flavor and heat stress aspects of tomato development as well as disease resistance.

He said the initial research indicated early potassium applications can reduce symptoms of the yellow shoulder disorder, though it is necessary to apply a larger amount than what would normally sustain yield, which would increase production costs.

In this new project, fruit from 400 individual F2 plants will be collected to evaluate firmness and yellow-shoulder-resistance-traits inheritance using probability tests, Crosby said.

The valuable traits of TAM-SP18-157 can be used to substantially improve fruit firmness and resistance to yellow shoulder while also retaining flavor and improving dry matter, sugar content, acidity, shelf life and yield in fresh and specialty high-value heirloom tomato cultivars.

But to introduce these novel traits for continuous cultivar development, the genetic bases need to be understood and molecular markers linked to the trait need to be developed, Avila said.

He said trait characterization will be performed on TAM-SP18-157, F1 hybrids and the developed F2 population to determine genetic versus environmental components and develop molecular markers linked to the traits.

Juan Landivar, director of the Texas A&M AgriLife center in Weslaco, said the successful characterization and introduction of these traits into commercial cultivars has the potential to revolutionize fresh tomato consumption in a similar way as the Texas A&M mild jalapeo and sweet 1015 onion traits did for their respective commodities.

These peppers and onions that were developed previously brought a lot of attention and consumer interest, which translated to improved sales and greater awareness of Texas as an innovator in the development of new lines of produce, Landivar said. We expect the new tomato improvements will do much the same.

More important, he said, the development of flavorful and nutritious tomatoes with a long shelf life, good appearance and high yield would lead to healthy lives and livelihoods improved through ensuring an abundant supply of nutritious foods.

Avila said he hopes new project results will lead to a publication of trait characterization and breeding line description for TAM-SP18-157 in a suitable scientific journal for public release, and the seed would ultimately be registered and made available through a material transfer agreement.

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In Search Of The 'Holy Grail' Of Tomatoes - Texas A&M Today - Texas A&M University Today

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In blow to coalition, Knesset knocks down extension of family unification law – The Times of Israel

Posted: at 3:19 pm

In a major blow to Israels fledgling coalition, the Knesset on Tuesday morning failed to approve an extension of the contentious Palestinian family reunification law, after a rebel member of Prime Minister Naftali Bennetts Yamina party voted against the measure.

The early morning vote after an all-night debate ended in a tie, with 59 lawmakers supporting the motion and 59 opposing it, meaning the law will expire later Tuesday.

Bennett early Tuesday had declared that he regarded the vote as a motion of confidence in the government, after reaching a compromise agreement with the coalitions Islamist Raam party and the left-wing Meretz and Labor to extend the law by six months instead of for a year. Whoever votes in favor [of the legislation] is expressing confidence in the government. Whoever votes against, is expressing no confidence in the government, Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy said on Bennetts behalf.

However, even if the opposition had mustered an absolute majority of 61 MKs in the vote, the government would have remained intact. To bring down the coalition, the opposition would need to muster 61 or more votes, backing a specific, named candidate for prime minister, in a formal motion of no confidence in the government.

The family reunification law, which blocks the automatic granting of Israeli citizenship or residency to Palestinians on the basis of marriage to an Israeli, was first enacted in 2003, and has been extended annually.

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The law was initially passed after some 130,000 Palestinians entered Israel via family reunification between 1993 and 2003, including during the Second Intifada onslaught of Palestinian terrorism. The stated prime concern at the time was that some Palestinians gaining Israeli status would engage in terrorism, but there was also a demographic goal: The security establishment assesses that some 200,000 Palestinians would gain Israeli citizenship or residency each decade were it not for this legislation, Channel 12 reported.

The Shin Bet security agency, in an opinion widely quoted in Hebrew media in recent days, has stated that the primary danger posed by family reunifications stems from the potential recruitment [of Palestinians who become Israeli citizens or residents] by terrorist organizations, and their high potential to act as lone terrorists.

The deadline for reextending the legislation was midnight on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (center) and ministers during a Knesset discussion on the Palestinian family reunification law in Jerusalem, July 6, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The compromise agreement was put forward by Labor lawmaker Ibtisam Maraana and included in addition to reducing the proposed extension to just six months issuing some 1,600 Palestinian families with A-5 residency visas and establishing a committee to find humanitarian solutions to the other 9,700 Palestinians residing in Israel on military-issued stay permits.

At the moment of truth, two of Raams four lawmakers supported the bill and two others abstained, but Yamina MK Amichai Chikli voted against, joining the opposition led by Benjamin Netanyahu in voting against the motion. While the right-wing Likud and Religious Zionism opposition parties support the law in principle, they voted against extending it, along with the ultra-Orthodox parties and the Joint List, to embarrass the government.

Chikli voted last month against the establishment of the new coalition, which spans right-wing, centrist, left-wing and Islamist parties and has a razor-thin Knesset majority, even though it made his own party leader Bennett prime minister. But he subsequently said he would vote with the coalition on most matters, seemingly giving it a cushion.

After the vote, Chikli said his decision to block the extension was due to the compromise deal: Tonight we received proof of the problematic nature of a government that doesnt have a distinct Zionist majority one that starts the night with a law extension for a year and ends it with an extension for half a year, that starts with 1,500 permits and ends with over 3,000.

Israel needs a functioning Zionist government, not a mishmash that depends on Raam and Meretz votes, Chikli said.

He later added that had the original extension motion gone up for a vote without capitulating to Meretz and Raam he would have supported it.

Yamina MK Amichai Chikli at the Knesset on June 22, 2021 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Reacting to the vote, Yamina slammed the right-wing opposition parties and charged that they had joined forces with the predominantly Arab Joint List.

The opposition, led by Bibi and [Joint List MK Ahmad] Tibi, didnt manage to topple the government, but together they dealt a severe blow to Israels security, the party said in a statement, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.

This is petty politics at the expense of Israeli citizens. This is the reason theyre in the opposition, and thats where theyll stay. For Bibi, if hes not in power, the state can go up in flames, the statement added.

Yamina No. 2, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, tweeted that the vote was a big victory for post-Zionism.

Whoever didnt see the celebrations by Likud and Religious Zionism members together with [Joint List MKs] Ofer Cassif and Sami Abu Shehadeh hasnt seen madness in their life, Shaked wrote. Together they rejected the citizenship law, an important law for Israels security and [Jewish] character.

Housing Minister Zeev Elkin, a former Likud lawmaker and now an MK for the right-wing New Hope coalition party, said Netanyahus bloc had become the Joint Lists useful idiot.

Recalling recent Likud election campaign slogans casting the vote as a choice between Bibi or Tibi, Elkin said: Today a new alliance has been formed: Bibi and Tibi.

Netanyahus Likud party feted the achievement.

A corrupt deal reached in the middle of the night between Bennett, [Foreign Minister Yair] Lapid and Shaked and Raam and Meretz has collapsed due to a determined battle waged by the opposition, led by Netanyahu, the statement said. Bennett and Lapid wanted to buy two Raam votes in exchange for allowing thousands of [Palestinian] people to enter, endangering Israels Zionist identity.

Bezalel Smotrichs far-right Religious Zionism party similarly slammed the compromise deal, alleging that Bennett and Shaked had sold out the State of Israel and agreed to grant Palestinians the right of return in several installments. It blasted Yamina for trying to reach agreements with terror supporters rather than with the opposition.

Smotrich castigated Shaked, a former ally political ally, as a former prime ministerial candidate who had become a dishrag who sold out the Zionist enterprise to the supporters of terrorism.

Israeli Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked gives a statement at the Knesset in Jerusalem on July 5, 2021. (Photo by Menahem KAHANA / AFP)

During the Knesset debate after midnight, Shaked interrupted the proceedings to announce the compromise deal, which had been reached in a telephone call between coalition party leaders.

Under the agreement, Meretz voted for the deal along with Raam MKs Mansour Abbas and Walid Taha.

Shaked pointed out to the Knesset that the number of permits that would be issued under the agreement was equivalent to those given out by former interior minister Aryeh Deri of the Shas party.

The announcement was met with angry calls from opposition parties in the Knesset.

According to the agreement, the Knesset would have established a supervisory committee under Cabinet Secretary Shalom Shlomo with representatives from the Interior Ministry, the Population, Immigration, and Borders Authority, and a parliamentarian to be named later. Every month, the committee would have provided the Knesset with a report. And within 90 days, the committee would have provided policy alternatives to the current ban.

Earlier, Bennett warned opposition parties not to cross the red line of harming Israels national security ahead of the vote.

There are some things you dont play with. The nation needs control over who comes in, Bennett said in a statement to the press at the opening of a faction meeting of his Yamina party. National security is a red line.

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In blow to coalition, Knesset knocks down extension of family unification law - The Times of Israel

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How developing predictive modeling tool can lead to better fruit consistency in the supply chain – FreshPlaza.com

Posted: at 3:19 pm

A research and development (R&D) project being conducted by Agriculture Victoria looking at integrated quality management of stone fruit along the supply chain has given better knowledge of export performance, according to the researchers.

Horticulturist and supply chain researcher Dr John Lopresti explained the 4-5-year project at Hort Connections, explaining the state government department's innovation protocol to maximise storage and shelf-life of not just stone fruit but mangoes. He says quite often supply chain models do not consider pre-harvest or what happens in the orchard.

"That is one of the most important factors in determining quality loss, and quality in general in export," he said. "In pre-harvest, we are looking at the effect of individual cultivars, harvest maturity, agronomic practices and climate or environment. Then we have post-harvest treatments such as cooling, disinfestation, storage life extension and packaging. So, we have all these technologies or the ability to control or modify the way we handle our crops, and we all know that storage temperature is a key factor during export and storage duration. All these factors determine the quality loss during export."

Photo: Stone fruit data logging (Source: Horticulture Industry Networks website)

He added that post-harvest research has been conducted for 40-50 years but has noticed a renewed interest in this area of supply chain research and this has led to more accurate and integrated results from R&D. Dr Lopresti says updated approaches are required because of new cultivars, new post-harvest treatments and changes in export market protocols and expectations.

The department did some simulations on air and sea freight in terms of cultivar performance and potential storage disorders for stone fruit, and real-time temperature monitoring, which allowed them to put together a shelf-life prediction calculator and model.

"For this project, we worked with Victorian growers and exporters in stone fruit, cherries and table grapes using various real-time logger technologies," Dr Lopresti said. "We monitored more than 100 consignments over four years in both sea and air freight and did some retail quality assessments in the markets. We also used the data we collected to design our sea and air freight simulation trials. We all understand how important (temperature monitoring) is in the supply chain and it really should be standard practice for exporters - especially with the technology being cheap and easy to use. It potentially enables action during export, so shipments can be re-routed or action can be taken if temperatures spike, in real-time."

Dr Lopresti says the real-time temperature data can also be used to estimate or predict the remaining shelf life of a particular crop in the export market, based on the temperature up to that point in the supply chain.

Photo: Delegates at Hort Connections listening to Dr Lopresti's presentation via videolink (Courtesy: AUSVEG)

The project also looked at stepwise cooling after harvest. He says that there are a number of crops that are sensitive to chilling injury after harvest, including white nectarines. After more than five weeks in storage, they tend to develop flesh browning and do not ripen properly, which ultimately leads to a poor eating experience for the consumer.

"We looked at a technique where instead of directly cooling from the field down to 0-2 degrees within 24 hours, we cooled the fruit to a medium temperature of 12-18 degrees over 48 hours then cooled to final storage temperature," Dr Lopresti said. "We had a significant reduction in chilling injury and flesh browning in long term storage. We found that those storage durations of 35-42 days are occurring in export markets, and sea freight is taking sometimes four weeks from Australia to the imported destinations. Those long storage durations are not unusual for stone fruit, and that is a real issue. We also developed commercial protocols for growers and exporters to implement pre-conditioning, and we will have some major exporters trialling this next season to try and improve their fruit."

Simulation experiments were also conducted across 6-7 cultivars, with the early harvested fruit and commercially harvested fruit, to take into account harvest maturity. Along with real-time temperature data, the Department has formed a prediction tool or calculator, and Dr Lopresti says he has been able to get an accuracy of 2-3 days, which is fairly good due to the variability in stone fruit crops, even if picked at the same maturity.

"It is a simple calculator based on comprehensive research that can provide retailers, importers and exporters some idea of potential issues, or remaining shelf life for a particular cultivar," he said. "This is a good way forward in terms of shelf-life prediction. In general, the work also highlighted that there needs to be more post-harvest testing in breeding programs, and that applies to other fruit and vegetable crops, not just stone fruit. There is a better understanding of the impact of temperature on quality and shelf-life, and the impact of poor temperature management with stone fruit might not be apparent until late in the supply chain."

For information on not just this research but other fruit and vegetable R&D projects, visit Agriculture Victoria's Horticulture Industry Networks.

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First Amendment is not ‘bonkers’ – Mount Olive Tribune

Posted: at 3:18 pm

Bart Adams

Now that weve once again celebrated our nations independence, lets look at one of our most fundamental rights: Freedom of speech.

Its tempting to take this right for granted, but it is under attack in a big way.

Specifically, there is growing acceptance of the idea that if speech hurts someones feelings then it must be suppressed.

Right now in Finland, for example, a Christian member of Parliament faces six years in prison for hate speech because she shared her views on homosexuality.

I dont think Ive been guilty of threatening, slandering [or] disparaging any population group, she responded. These [statements] are all about what the Bible teaches about marriage and sexuality.

In Canada, a 2017 law (Bill C-16) could send someone to jail for refusing to use the pronoun preferred by a transsexual.

It could happen, lawyer Jared Brown told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation when asked about the possibility of jail time for violating the law. Is it likely to happen? I dont think so. But, my opinion on whether or not thats likely has a lot to do with the particular case that youre looking at.

Even if the possibility were slight, its abhorrent to imagine someone going to jail for declining to engage in compelled speech.

Sadly, a 2017 poll by the libertarian Cato Institute found that 51 percent of Democrats favor such a law here.

Fortunately, we have the First Amendment, which gives Americans more confidence in our right to speak freely, though much of the world doesnt understand it.

Look what Prince Harry, one of our newer residents, had to say back in May: Ive got so much I want to say about the First Amendment; I still dont understand it, but it is bonkers.

Thats fine; he doesnt have to understand our liberty. After all, when our Continental soldiers fought and died for that liberty, they did so to free us from the unjust rule of Prince Harrys relative, George III.

But another George Orwell , whose work offers great insight on the dangers of unchecked government power, said this: If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.

Another George Washington said, If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.

In the Internet age, protecting free speech is more complicated because its not just governments doing the censoring, its also big-tech giants like Google, Facebook and Twitter.

As a Wall Street Journal op-ed stated earlier this year, Conventional wisdom holds that technology companies are free to regulate content because they are private, and the First Amendment protects only against government censorship. That view is wrong: Google, Facebook and Twitter should be treated as state actors under existing legal doctrines. Using a combination of statutory inducements and regulatory threats, Congress has co-opted Silicon Valley to do through the back door what government cannot directly accomplish under the Constitution.

And while conservatives justifiably complain about big-tech censorship, all are threatened.

As that same article (published while Donald Trump was still in office) pointed out, Liberals should worry too. If big tech can shut down the president, what stops them from doing the same to Joe Biden if he backs antitrust suits against social-media companies?

In short, lets remember what the late Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas warned: Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us.

Contact Bart Adams at badams@mydailyrecord.com.

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7 Supreme Court cases that have shaped American elections – The Fulcrum

Posted: at 3:18 pm

The recent Supreme Court rulings on voting rights and election transparency have once again highlighted the enormous power the judicial branch has over the country's electoral process.

Last week, the court's conservative majority upheld a pair of voting laws that tightened the rules in Arizona. In a separate ruling, the justices struck down California's law requiring charitable nonprofits to privately disclose their top donors to the state attorney general. Both cases could have larger implications for the future of American democracy.

Throughout history, the Supreme Court has played an integral role in shaping how voters are represented, ballots are cast and elections are financed. Here are seven landmark cases from the last six decades:

In 1961, a group of Alabama voters challenged the apportionment of the state Legislature, arguing it violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. At the time, Alabama required each county to have at least one representative and allowed as many senators as there were senatorial districts. This led to unequal representation due to large population discrepancies across the districts.

The Supreme Court ruled that legislative districts within a state must have substantially equal representation for all citizens. This ruling has ensured districts maintain even representation when redrawn each decade during redistricting.

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In an attempt to curb political corruption following the Watergate scandal, Congress established limits on election spending through the 1971 Federal Election Campaign Act. This case challenged whether those restrictions violated the First Amendment.

In 1976, the Supreme Court arrived at two conclusions with this case, making a distinction between contributions and expenditures. First, the justices determined that a limit on how much an individual can donate to political campaigns and candidates did not violate the First Amendment because it "served the government's interest in safeguarding the integrity of elections." However, the court also found that limits on expenditures by campaigns and candidates did violate the freedoms of speech and association because this practice does not necessarily enhance the potential for corruption in elections.

Also in this ruling, the court overturned FECA's disclosure requirement for independent expenditures made for the purpose of influencing federal elections. This established the two types of political advertising seen today: express advocacy and issue advocacy. Express advocacy ads require disclosure because they explicitly support or oppose a candidate. Issue advocacy ads, on the other hand, mention broad political topics, but not campaigns, and so disclosure is not required. However, there can be ambiguity between the two, leading to calls for more transparency of the wealthy special interests influencing elections.

Following the 1990 census, Georgia lawmakers redrew the state's election maps to create a third majority-Black district. However, the new district was so severely gerrymandered that it packed Atlanta's Black neighborhoods in with other Black communities 260 miles away along the Atlantic coast.

Voters in this distorted district challenged the map, arguing it was a racial gerrymander in violation with the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Supreme Court ruled that the district did constitute a racial gerrymander. In some instances, the court held, a reapportionment plan may be so irregular that it cannot be rationally understood as anything but an effort to racially segregate voters.

The 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act barred electioneering communication advertising run on broadcast, cable or satellite services and mentioning a candidate within 60 days of a general election and 30 days of a primary. Citizens United, a conservative advocacy nonprofit, challenged this rule after its movie criticizing then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was blocked by the Federal Election Commission for airing too close to an election.

The Supreme Court struck down this provision of BCRA, ruling that corporate funding of independent political broadcasts cannot be restricted under the First Amendment. However, the court upheld the requirement that electioneering communication be subject to disclaimers and disclosure of sponsors.

More than a decade after the ruling, Citizens United v. FEC is often labeled as the ultimate antagonist of the democracy reform movement. Its harshest critics use the case as shorthand for a campaign financing system that gives a lopsided political advantage to the wealthiest individuals, corporations and other entities. But proponents, mostly conservatives, still hail the ruling as a major victory for free speech and political expression.

A common misconception is that the Citizens United ruling gave rise to super PACs. But it was actually the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals decision the same year in SpeechNow.org v. FEC.

In 2013, the Supreme Court struck down a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, known as preclearance. Prior to this ruling, certain states and counties with histories of racial discrimination had to get prior federal approval of their proposed changes to voting procedures. But the court found that this constraint, while appropriate in the past, was no longer necessary and placed an unconstitutional burden on states.

Since then, voting rights advocates claim the lack of preclearance has allowed state lawmakers to significantly roll back voting access. But others argue what remains of the Voting Rights Act is enough to protect against discriminatory laws.

The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act set a cap on the total dollars an individual could give to candidates, political parties and political action committees in a two-year election cycle. The law was intended to curb political corruption, but a decade after enactment, it was challenged for violating the First Amendment.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2014 that the aggregate limit failed to prevent corruption or meet the "rigorous" standard of review set by previous campaign finance cases, and therefore it was unconstitutional. There are still limits on how much an individual can give to a single candidate, party or committee, though.

This ruling opened up opportunities for wealthy donors to give to as many political entities as they want. It also led to the creation of joint fundraising committees partnerships in which campaigns and party committees collect one large check from each donor and split the proceeds.

Two years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that cases involving partisan gerrymandering were not justiciable because the issue falls outside the purview of federal courts. The case was brought to the court after North Carolina's maps were challenged for constituting an illegal partisan gerrymander.

This ruling was seen as a massive setback for anti-gerrymandering advocates who had hoped the high court would intervene in extreme gerrymandering cases, such as the one in North Carolina. Now, it will be left up to state courts to decide when gerrymandering goes too far.

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No, Iowa’s ‘Back the Blue Act’ does not criminalize wearing the image of the U.S. flag on towels or swimsuits – UI The Daily Iowan

Posted: at 3:18 pm

Political and commercial photographer Greg Hauenstein said Iowans need to throw out items that show the American flag, but having those is not a crime under the new Back the Blue Act.

PolitiFact Iowa is a project of The Daily Iowans Ethics & Politics Initiative and PolitiFact to help you find the truth in politics.

Edited by Rachel Schilke, Robert Read, and Lyle Muller

If your time is short

After Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill on June 17 that creates harsher penalties for protestors into law, Greg Hauenstein a political and commercial photographer took to Twitter to critique a part of the law outlining punishment for showing disrespect to the United States flag.

Under the Back the Blue Act that @KimReynoldsIA signed today you cannot intentionally cut up or alter or intentionally make physically unclean an American flag, Hauenstein tweeted. So throw out those towels and swimsuits, ladies and germs or youre a criminal!

Were the people sporting the American flag on articles of clothing this Fourth of July weekend committing a simple misdemeanor under Iowas law? We decided to look into it.

In Senate File 342, also known as the Back the Blue Act, Section 46 amends Iowa Code 2021 with a list of actions defined as a simple misdemeanor. The sixth item on the list states that someone commits a simple misdemeanor if they knowingly and publicly use the flag of the United States in such a manner as to show disrespect for the flag as a symbol of the United States, with the intent or reasonable expectation that such use will provoke or encourage another to commit trespass or assault.

The subsection defines showing disrespect as defacing, defiling, mutilating, or trampling the flag, which Hauensteins tweet implied would include the process of making and wearing the image of the flag.

However, the subsection defines flag as a piece of woven cloth or other material designed to be flown from a pole or mast.

A previous fact check found that the thin blue line flag does not violate the U.S. Flag Code because it does not fit the definition of a U.S. flag.

The image of the American flag on clothing does not meet SF 342s definition of a flag, and therefore the defacing, defiling, mutilating, or trampling of that clothing does not qualify as a simple misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of a fine ranging from $105 to $855. The court also may order a maximum of 30 days in jail, according to Iowa Code.

Craig Robinson, the founder and editor-in-chief of The Iowa Republican, responded to Hauensteins tweet, pointing out that towels and swimsuits arent made of actual American flags, to which Hauenstein responded he was being facetious.

I was being facetious, thats just my style, he confirmed in a conversation with PolitiFact Iowa.

Whether the Iowa law withstands constitutional challenges is another question.

Gene Policinski, chief operating officer and senior fellow for the First Amendment of the Freedom Forum Institute, said acts that would be considered a simple misdemeanor under SF 342 are protected by the First Amendment. In the 1989 Supreme Court case Texas v. Johnson, justices ruled 5-4 that flag burning constitutes symbolic speech protected under the First Amendment.

I think the fundamental philosophy of these laws isnt there, Policinski said. Theyre certainly at odds with court decisions; they are impractical to enforce.

Our Ruling

The Back the Blue Act creates punishment for showing disrespect for the U.S. flag, but the image of the flag on clothing or other fabric that is not used to make the flag does not qualify as a flag under Iowa law.

Additionally, desecration of the flag is protected under the First Amendment, according to the 1989 Supreme Court case Texas v. Johnson.

Hauenstein said that he was being facetious in his critique of the new Iowa law.

We rate the claim in the tweet to be False.

Sources

Senate File 342, signed into law June 17, 2021

Greg Hauensteins tweet, June 17, 2021

Greg Hauenstein interview, July 5, 2021

Gene Policinski interview, June 25, 2021 and July 5, 2021

Iowa Code 2021, Chapter 723

Iowa Code 2021, Disorderly Conduct, 723.4

PolitiFact, No, the black and white flag for police solidarity does not violate flag code, June 25, 2021

Iowa Code 2021, Misdemeanors, 903.1

Craig Robinsons tweet, June 17, 2021

Hauensteins response tweet, June 17, 2021

Texas v. Johnson, United States Courts

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No, Iowa's 'Back the Blue Act' does not criminalize wearing the image of the U.S. flag on towels or swimsuits - UI The Daily Iowan

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