Monthly Archives: June 2022

Vazyme Releases 2021 Annual Report: Announces More Efforts in Technology innovation and Together with Partners for a Better Future – PR Newswire

Posted: June 3, 2022 at 11:57 am

"The year 2022 is still full of opportunities and challenges. We will continue to strengthen care technology based on the protein technology platform. Vazyme has been dedicated to our mission 'Science and Technology Make a Healthier Life'to focus on technology innovation and continuously expand the application fields of care technologies in life science, biomedicine, in vitro diagnostics, animal health and synthetic biology in human health. We have been holding ourselves to pursue the highest standards in quality of products and services for our customers and partners. Our global business network and operations make sure we could be close to the local markets, and more importantly, to do as much it can to meet the unmet customers' needs", said Cao Lin, chairman and founder of Vazyme.

This year also marks the Vazyme's 10th anniversary. Moving forward, the company plans to ramp up efforts in R&D and innovation, continuously upgrade and transform its core technologies, and expand business in new sectors. As one of the few R&D-focused biotech company in China, Vazyme holds a longstanding commitment in technology innovation. Over 2000 papers have been published by Vazyme in top academic journals worldwide, including more than 260 in CNS(stands for Cell, Nature, Science). By 2022, it has some 3000 employees and 27% of that are in the R&D team.

"Looking ahead, we will make further inroads in our key businesses and expand into new domains. I believe the market demand for COVID-19 and other related detection materials and products will continue to be strong. During the pandemic, China has remained one of the largest supplier for COVID-19 detection products."said Cao. In addition to pandemic-induced detection businesses, other regular detection products will be further developed, according to Cao. "When the prevention and control of the pandemic become regular, there will be new demands for detection products. In the future we will focus on the development of that,"added Cao.

Vazyme can not only provide COVID-19 and other related detection materials and products, but only offer various products and solutions in life-science industry for universities, laboratories, and related R&D centers, such as scientific research reagents, NGS Library Prep Kits and molecular diagnostics solutions. Currently, Vazyme has over 200 kinds of genetic engineering recombinases, more than 1,000 kinds of high-performance antigens, monoclonal antibodies, and other key raw materials, in addition to over 600 finished products.

As Vazyme's 10th anniversary slogan "Together for a Better Future", Vazyme aims to get close to its partners for a better future. In the future, Vazyme will provide better products and solutions, contribute to improve R&D efficiency for its partners, realize more scientific breakthroughs and dedicating to the mission "Science and Technology Make a Healthier Life".

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Vazyme Releases 2021 Annual Report: Announces More Efforts in Technology innovation and Together with Partners for a Better Future - PR Newswire

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Insights on the Synthetic Biology Global Market to 2028 – Featuring Thermo Fisher Scientific, Agilent Technologies and New England Biolabs Among…

Posted: at 11:57 am

DUBLIN, June 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --The "Global Synthetic Biology Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis by Products, Technology, and Application" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

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The global synthetic biology market is expected to grow from US$ 10,544.16 million in 2021 to US$ 37,850.85 million by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 20.0% from 2021 to 2028. The report highlights trends prevailing in the synthetic biology market and factors driving its growth. The increasing investments in synthetic biology and the rising number of start-ups are driving the market growth. However, the renewed regulations for biotechnology hamper the market growth.

Synthetic biology is the science of designing, altering, and building simple organisms to perform specific therapeutic or industrial utilities. The organisms created are genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which do not require a definition that distinguishes them from genetic modifications.

The rising number of start-ups is expected to support market growth during the forecast period. Biotechnology entrepreneurs easily raise funds and procure equipment and space from governments of the respective countries. Indie Bio (California, US) and EU (Ireland) are among the first synthetic biology accelerators. The start-ups are emerging in Asia Pacific, as governments in this region are providing funds for the domestic development of synthetic biology.

For instance, the Government of India funded IITM Bioincubator, a department of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, to start a state-of-the-art research facility for cancer biology and a Bioinformatics Infrastructure Facility. The funds were provided by agencies such as the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), and the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras raised US$ 7.86 million (550 million rupees) in the fiscal year 2016-2017. In China, Chinaccelerator is a financer that provides mentorship programs for helping start-ups. It is also associated with SOSV, a venture capital and investment management firm,, which helps establish start-ups by providing funds under programs such as RebelBio and Indie Bio. The easy availability of funds for ideas is motivating entrepreneurs in the world to establish synthetic biology businesses.

Story continues

Based on product, the synthetic biology market is segmented into oligonucleotides, chassis organisms, enzymes, and xeno-nucleic acid. The oligonucleotides segment is likely to hold the largest share of the market in 2021. Moreover, the same segment is anticipated to register the highest CAGR in the market during the forecast period of 2021 to 2028. Based on technology, the synthetic biology market is segmented into, gene synthesis, genome engineering, measurement & modeling, cloning & sequencing, nanotechnology, and others. In 2021, the gene synthesis segment is likely to hold the largest share of the market. However, the genome engineering segment is expected to register highest CAGR during 2021 to 2028. The growth of genome engineering segment is owing to the rising applications of genetic engineering and gene therapy.

Further, based on application, the synthetic biology market is segmented into medical applications, industrial applications, environmental applications, food and agriculture, and others. The medical applications segment is further segmented as, drug discovery & therapeutics and pharmaceuticals. In 2021, the medical applications segment held the largest market share, and it is expected to register the highest CAGR during 2021-2028.

Various organic and inorganic strategies are adopted by companies operating in the synthetic biology market. The organic strategies mainly include product launches and product approvals. Inorganic growth strategies witnessed in the market are acquisitions, collaboration, and partnerships. These growth strategies have allowed the synthetic biology market players in expanding their business and enhancing their geographic presence, along with contributing to the overall market growth. Additionally, growth strategies such as acquisitions and partnerships helped them strengthen their customer base and extend their product portfolios.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Introduction

2. Key Takeaways

3. Research Methodology

4. Synthetic Biology Market - Market Landscape4.1 Overview4.2 PEST Analysis4.2.1 North America PEST Analysis4.2.2 Europe PEST Analysis4.2.3 Asia Pacific PEST Analysis4.2.4 Middle East & Africa PEST Analysis4.2.5 South & Central America PEST Analysis4.3 Experts Opinion

5. Synthetic Biology Market - Key Market Dynamics5.1 Market Drivers5.1.1 Increasing Investments in Synthetic Biology5.1.2 Rising Number of Start-Ups5.2 Key Market Restraints5.2.1 Renewed Regulations for Biotechnology5.3 Key Market Opportunities5.3.1 Collaboration Between Companies5.4 Future Trends5.4.1 Advanced Synthetic Biology5.5 Impact Analysis

6. Synthetic Biology Market - Global Analysis6.1 Global Synthetic Biology Market Revenue Forecast and Analysis6.1.1 Global Synthetic Biology Market Revenue Forecast and Analysis6.1.2 Global Synthetic Biology Market - Market Potential Analysis, By Region6.2 Company Analysis6.2.1 Market Positioning of Key Players6.2.2 Comparative Company Analysis6.2.3 Growth Strategy Analysis6.2.4 Performance of Key Players6.2.4.1 Thermo Fisher Scientific6.2.4.2 Twist Bioscience6.2.4.3 Agilent Technologies, Inc.

7. Synthetic Biology Market Analysis - By Product7.1 Overview7.2 Synthetic Biology Market, By Product, 2021 & 2028 (%)7.3 Enzymes7.3.1 Overview7.3.2 Enzyme: Synthetic Biology Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2028 (US$ Million)7.4 Oligonucleotides7.4.1 Overview7.4.2 Oligonucleotide: Synthetic Biology Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2028 (US$ Million)7.5 Chassis Organisms7.5.1 Overview7.5.2 Chassis Organisms: Synthetic Biology Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2028 (US$ Million)7.6 Xeno-Nucleic Acids7.6.1 Overview7.6.2 Xeno-Nucleic Acids: Synthetic Biology Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2028 (US$ Million)

8. Synthetic Biology Market Analysis - By Technology8.1 Overview8.2 Synthetic Biology Market Share by Technology - 2021 & 2028 (%)8.3 Gene Synthesis8.3.1 Overview8.3.2 Gene Synthesis: Synthetic Biology Market Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)8.4 Genome Engineering8.4.1 Overview8.4.2 Genome Engineering: Synthetic Biology Market Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)8.5 Measurement and Modeling8.5.1 Overview8.5.2 Measurement and Modeling: Synthetic Biology Market Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)8.6 Cloning and Sequencing8.6.1 Overview8.6.2 Cloning and Sequencing: Synthetic Biology Market Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)8.7 Nanotechnology8.7.1 Overview8.7.2 Nanotechnology: Synthetic Biology Market Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)8.8 Others8.8.1 Overview8.8.2 Others: Synthetic Biology Market Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)

9. Synthetic Biology Market Analysis - By Application9.1 Overview9.2 Synthetic Biology Market Share by Application - 2021 & 2028 (%)9.3 Medical Applications9.3.1 Overview9.3.2 Medical Applications: Synthetic Biology Market Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)9.3.2.1 Drug Discovery and Therapeutics9.3.2.1.1 Overview9.3.2.1.2 Drug Discovery and Therapeutics: Synthetic Biology Market Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)9.3.2.2 Pharmaceuticals9.3.2.2.1 Overview9.3.2.2.2 Pharmaceuticals: Synthetic Biology Market Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)9.4 Industrial Applications9.4.1 Overview9.4.2 Industrial Applications: Synthetic Biology Market Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)9.5 Food & Agriculture9.5.1 Overview9.5.2 Food & Agriculture: Synthetic Biology Market Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)9.6 Environmental Applications9.6.1 Overview9.6.2 Environmental Applications: Synthetic Biology Market Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)9.7 Others9.7.1 Overview9.7.2 Others: Synthetic Biology Market Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)

10. Global Synthetic Biology Market - Geographic Analysis

11. Impact Of COVID-19 Pandemic on Synthetic Biology Market11.1 North America: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic11.2 Europe: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic11.3 Asia-Pacific: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic11.4 Middle East and Africa: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic11.5 South and Central America: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic12. Synthetic Biology Market - Industry Landscape12.1 Overview12.2 Growth Strategies in the Synthetic Biology Market (%)12.3 Organic Developments12.3.1 Overview12.4 Inorganic Developments12.4.1 Overview

13. Company Profiles13.1 THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INC.13.1.1 Key Facts13.1.2 Business Description13.1.3 Products13.1.4 Financial Overview13.1.5 SWOT Analysis13.1.6 Key Developments13.2 Agilent Technologies, Inc.13.2.1 Key Facts13.2.2 Business Description13.2.3 Products and Services13.2.4 Financial Overview13.2.5 SWOT Analysis13.2.6 Key Developments13.3 MERCK KGaA13.3.1 Key Facts13.3.2 Business Description13.3.3 Products and Services13.3.4 Financial Overview13.3.5 SWOT Analysis13.3.6 Key Developments13.4 New England Biolabs13.4.1 Key Facts13.4.2 Business Description13.4.3 Products and Services13.4.4 Financial Overview13.4.5 SWOT Analysis13.4.6 Key Developments13.5 Integrated DNA Technologies13.5.1 Key Facts13.5.2 Business Description13.5.3 Products and Services13.5.4 Financial Overview13.5.5 SWOT Analysis13.5.6 Key Developments13.6 Twist Bioscience13.6.1 Key Facts13.6.2 Business Description13.6.3 Products and Services13.6.4 Financial Overview13.6.5 SWOT Analysis13.6.6 Key Developments13.7 GenScript Biotech Corporation13.7.1 Key Facts13.7.2 Business Description13.7.3 Products and Services13.7.4 Financial Overview13.7.5 SWOT Analysis13.7.6 Key Developments13.8 Novozymes A/S13.8.1 Key Facts13.8.2 Business Description13.8.3 Products and Services13.8.4 Financial Overview13.8.5 SWOT Analysis13.8.6 Key Developments13.9 Codexis13.9.1 Key Facts13.9.2 Business Description13.9.3 Products and Services13.9.4 Financial Overview13.9.5 SWOT Analysis13.9.6 Key Developments13.10 Amyris Inc.13.10.1 Key Facts13.10.2 Business Description13.10.3 Products and Services13.10.4 Financial Overview13.10.5 SWOT Analysis13.10.6 Key Developments

14. Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/otcjef

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Insights on the Synthetic Biology Global Market to 2028 - Featuring Thermo Fisher Scientific, Agilent Technologies and New England Biolabs Among...

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Visualizing The 50 Biggest Data Breaches From 20042021 – Visual Capitalist

Posted: at 11:57 am

How Synthetic Biology Could Change Life as we Know it

Synthetic biology (synbio) is a field of science that redesigns organisms in an effort to enhance and support human life. According to one projection, this rapidly growing field of science is expected to reach $28.8 billion in global revenue by 2026.

Although it has the potential to transform many aspects of society, things could go horribly wrong if synbio is used for malicious or unethical reasons. This infographic explores the opportunities and potential risks that this budding field of science has to offer.

Weve covered the basics of synbio in previous work, but as a refresher, heres a quick explanation of what synbio is and how it works.

Synbio is an area of scientific research that involves editing and redesigning different biological components and systems in various organisms.

Its like genetic engineering but done at a more granular levelwhile genetic engineering transfers ready-made genetic material between organisms, synbio can build new genetic material from scratch.

This field of science has a plethora of real-world applications that could transform our everyday lives. A study by McKinsey found over 400 potential uses for synbio, which were broken down into four main categories:

If those potential uses become reality in the coming years, they could have a direct economic impact of up to $3.6 trillion per year by 2030-2040.

The medical and health sector is predicted to be significantly influenced by synbio, with an economic impact of up to $1.3 trillion each year by 2030-2040.

Synbio has a wide range of medical applications. For instance, it can be used to manipulate biological pathways in yeast to produce an anti-malaria treatment.

It could also enhance gene therapy. Using synbio techniques, the British biotech company Touchlight Genetics is working on a way to build synthetic DNA without the use of bacteria, which would be a game-changer for the field of gene therapy.

Synbio has the potential to make a big splash in the agricultural sector as wellup to $1.2 trillion per year by as early as 2030.

One example of this is synbios role in cellular agriculture, which is when meat is created from cells directly. The cost of creating lab-grown meat has decreased significantly in recent years, and because of this, various startups around the world are beginning to develop a variety of cell-based meat products.

Using synthetic biology, products could be tailored to suit an individuals unique needs. This would be useful in fields such as genetic ancestry testing, gene therapy, and age-related skin procedures.

By 2030-2040, synthetic biology could have an economic impact on consumer products and services to the tune of up to $800 billion per year.

Synbio could also be used to boost efficiency in clean energy and biofuel production. For instance, microalgae are currently being reprogrammed to produce clean energy in an economically feasible way.

This, along with other material and energy improvements through synbio methods, could have a direct economic impact of up to $300 billion each year.

While the potential economic and societal benefits of synthetic biology are vast, there are a number of risks to be aware of as well:

According to a group of scientists at the University of Edinburgh, communication between the public, synthetic biologists, and political decision-makers is crucial so that these societal and environmental risks can be mitigated.

Despite the risks involved, innovation in synbio is happening at a rapid pace.

By 2030, most people will have likely eaten, worn, or been treated by a product created by synthetic biology, according to synthetic biologist Christopher A. Voigt.

Our choices today will dictate the future of synbio, and how we navigate through this space will have a massive impact on our futurefor better, or for worse.

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Mary Kay Inc. Finds Hope Through Super Reefs in Mission to Save Our Oceans – Business Wire

Posted: at 11:57 am

HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--More than 25 percent of all marine species are supported by coral reefs. They provide for the lives and livelihoods of people throughout the world, yet their future is uncertain. Mary Kay, a global sustainability advocate, celebrates World Reef Day by supporting coral reef protection and restoration initiatives, including the Nature Conservancys Super Reefs project.

Coral reefs are magnificent structures with contributions to oceans that are unmatched. They not only provide food and habitats for many species, but they are living ramparts that actively protect our coastlines from waves and wave energy. Healthy reefs can reduce wave energy by up to 97%. Thus, they serve as living breakwaters, protecting tens of thousands of kilometers of coastline from seasonal flooding and erosion.

Despite their importance to our ecosystem, reefs are being degraded due to pollution, destructive fishing practices, and climate change. Rising ocean temperatures threaten their existence and make extinction a real possibility.

The window of opportunity to save the worlds coral reefs is closing, said Dr. Lizzie Mcleod, Global Reef Systems Lead at The Nature Conservancy. We must act now to save these vital habitats.

Hope is here. Super Reefs are resilient and can survive the warmer ocean waters because of their ability to adapt to higher temperatures. Some of these resilient reefs are also naturally located in areas protected from heat. Their potential to survive climate change gives hope for the future, especially in Asia Pacific where tropical waters are filled with at least 500 species of reef-building corals. The Nature Conservancys Super Reef team unites experts in ocean science and conservation to grow a global network of super reefs through genetic engineering, reef restoration, and coral farming.

Coral reefs can still be saved, but real action must take place to ensure their survival. The first step is to identify and protect Super Reefs. Once protected, they can breed strong larvae and create a new generation of resilient corals. With the continuing work and support of Mary Kay, coral reefs still have a chance.

About The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our worlds toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 79 countries and territories, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit http://www.nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.

About Mary Kay

One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her dream beauty company in 1963 with one goal: enriching womens lives. That dream has blossomed into a multibillion-dollar company with millions of independent sales force members in nearly 40 countries. As an entrepreneurship development company, Mary Kay is committed to empowering women on their journey through education, mentorship, advocacy, networking, and innovation. Mary Kay is dedicated to investing in the science behind beauty and manufacturing cutting-edge skincare, color cosmetics, nutritional supplements, and fragrances. Mary Kay believes in enriching lives today for a sustainable tomorrow, partnering with organizations from around the world focusing on promoting business excellence, supporting cancer research, advancing gender equality, protecting survivors from domestic abuse, beautifying our communities, and encouraging children to follow their dreams. Learn more at marykayglobal.com, find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or follow us on Twitter.

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Elon Musk Feels Humans Are Underrated As Tesla Criticized For Using Too Many Robots Instead Of ‘Real People’ – Digital Information World

Posted: at 11:57 am

We bet youre quite familiar with the phenomenon of robots taking over the world. And we surely wont be surprised to see that happening too soon, considering the fast-paced digital world that were all accustomed to.

As it is, artificial intelligence is ruling todays world, and as more and more research uncovers the great benefits of this ordeal, theres bound to be a lot of change taking place by 2025.

But the real question on our minds is how much is too much? Do we really want a world that replaces humans altogether? Are we ready to say hello to all things automated?

On one end of the spectrum, weve got no questions being asked in terms of artificial intelligence replicating the human mind and body in terms of labor. Yes, its a great development and we dont mind seeing automation taking command of some of the worlds most difficult and dangerous jobs.

Similarly, so many processes are getting simplified and that enhances a users experience in general. Be it data processing or even intricate execution, your algorithms are your strength and when a firm is nailing that aspect, there are no complaints.

As mentioned by one leading research by Tradeshift, machines are excelling at their game and in the end, theyll be the ones providing great solutions for mankind.

But with the positives come the negative and while technology can be great, programming a robot to perform a skill can be a daunting task. And you certainly cant expect any human to get the job done right because there is very little room to work with.

Imagine a world where humans train robots and robots perform tasks for the betterment of humans- what a unique world indeed.

The news comes as were being made aware of how Elon Musks Tesla failed to meet its yearly target for production. And thats when we saw the CEO come forward and admit that there was one robot too many in the firm, despite the fact that everything is super technical.

But Musk conveniently shifted the blame to robots in general, adding how everything was super automated in his company. Thankfully, the billionaire says its a mistake that he acknowledges and now his Tesla Model 3 is suffering. This was closely followed by another statement on Twitter where he revealed that humans were underrated and definitely deserved so much more credit than theyre given,

He also felt that is the edge that gives his organization an upper hand against other rivals in the market. But that again makes any sane person wonder how the underproduction of Tesla model 3 was due to robots, despite them being so efficient.

Look, we believe that no matter how hard and well you train your robots, theyll never be as efficient as humans and their hard and soft skills. After all, not everyone has the ability to implement the world of AI with great success.

Those that believed they could solely rely on AI in the past have failed with their project designs miserably and if thats not a wake-up call, then were not quite sure what is.

In general, we feel that if robots dont have humans in the workplace, they just might end up merging with them to establish a new form of a human in augmented shape.

Today, humans are being enhanced via plastic surgery to look a certain way or behave in a certain manner, thanks to the world of drugs that empower humans' skills and their performance in general.

Soon, were going to be seeing humans connecting their minds to different networks performing online. Were also going to be seeing genetic engineering take a new turn while bioprinting in 3D is another aspect worth the glance.

But how ethical is human enhancement? Are we okay with brain chips being implemented into our minds? Clearly, we dont think its normal because youre de-tracking the mind from doing something that they were planning to do.

Meanwhile, were also hearing science experts say we wont be having any decision-making power soon as everything will lie in the hands of robots. For now, we just hope AI is used for the betterment of society and not the exact opposite.

Theres nothing worse than knowing youve been fired because a robot was better than you, had more skills than you, or if the robot felt you just were not fit for the job.

We might be getting too far ahead of ourselves with this debate and for now, were just hoping Musk and others start to value humans before its too late.

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Elon Musk Feels Humans Are Underrated As Tesla Criticized For Using Too Many Robots Instead Of 'Real People' - Digital Information World

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PODCAST: Rewind of the Living Dead Reviews ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4, Volume 1 – Nerdcore Movement

Posted: at 11:56 am

For the first time on Rewind of the Living Dead, we review a TV series as we crank up the Kate Bush and remember friends dont lie as we review Stranger Things Season 4, Volume 1

Horror has always found a home on television but its hard to imagine anything capturing the attention of the pop culture zeitgeist like Stranger Things has done over the past few years.

Developed by the Duffer brothers, the series based in the 1980s was equal parts nostalgia and great storytelling while making titles like Eleven and the Demogorgon household names across the globe.

When Stranger Things season 3 ended, the evil Mindflayer had been stopped but Eleven lost her powers and the gateway to the Upside Down has seemingly ended Chief Jim Hoppers life.

Season 4 picks up with Eleven and the Byers family living in California, Mike and Dustin teaming up with a new friend named Eddie and a nightmarish presence suddenly lurking in Hawkins that is far scarier than any big bad before it.

For the first time on Rewind of the Living Dead, we review a TV series as we crank up the Kate Bush and remember friends dont lie as we review Stranger Things Season 4, Volume 1

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PODCAST: Rewind of the Living Dead Reviews 'Stranger Things' Season 4, Volume 1 - Nerdcore Movement

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Review: Two and a Half Rivers by Anirudh Kala – Hindustan Times

Posted: at 11:56 am

We grew up reading the history of the losses of the Partition of the Punjab. Anirudh Kalas novel Two and a Half Rivers tells the story of the Punjabs immense losses since Partition. Making good use of his own training as a psychiatrist, he spins a yarn that weaves together the various political and cultural schisms that have affected the north-western province and its people with a variety of ailments. Civilizational loss and guilt seems to weigh heavy in the air. This is personified in the title itself, where the Indian Punjab, once a land of the mighty five rivers, retains only two and a half Sutlej, Beas and often only one bank of the Ravi, with Jhelum and Chenab passing into Pakistani Punjab without touching its Indian counterpart. Indian Punjab is recognised as a pale shadow of itself, having been internally partitioned to give way to Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, becoming perhaps the only province of India to have its capital outside of its boundaries, in Chandigarh, and governed by Delhi. Independence for India meant a rule from its heart, its dil, Delhi, but the dirge here is sung for a state ruled from outside of it. Its rulers untouched, like the British were, by the problems of the territory they rule over.

The novel gives us three main characters whose psyches seem to be affected not only by their personal lives but their social and political fates, their civilizational losses in this divided land. The narrator is a depressed doctor who has shifted to an isolated house on the banks of a river that sees bodies flow in it during the Khalistan movement. He is kidnapped twice, once by the police, and once by the militants; his house is used without his knowledge as a hideout. This is everyday life for Punjabis in the early nineties.

One of his patients is the second of the three prime protagonists, Shamsie, a young village Dalit girl, who grows up and runs away with the third main character, her childhood friend and soulmate, Bheem. They leave their caste-ridden village for Bombay (as Mumbai was still called) to fulfil her dreams of becoming a dancer. Bheem, like his original namesake, is well-built and becomes a bouncer, but misses singing in the fields and at the canals.

But it is not just Punjab that is conflict-ridden or full of social ills, regional nationalism catches up with Shamsie and Bheem in Maharashtra and they are forced to return to Punjab. Still, it is high militancy and counter-insurgency time there. Shamsie and Bheem continue to face the brunt of sexism, casteism, and wanton violence that they had tried to flee with limited success.

Kala has his eye trained on all the important social phenomena of his land, and the powerful deras or communes of various spiritual leaders do not escape his ken. Shamsie and Bheem enter one such with the promise of relative peace. But we are well introduced to the deras internal workings, its murderous hypocrisies and corruption, its power over the people and sway over the state.

The insurgency is questioned and critiqued with interesting if not radically innovative devices. The doctor sleeping under pills has complex dreams of bodies floating in the river, giving the text a surrealistic texture. His erstwhile Welsh colleague, Enid, from his time in the UK doing post-mortems, guides his analysis of the bodies in his dream. The insurgency is not the first time that bodies have flown in the Punjab. Rivers of blood have flown in living memory at Partition in these parts, and possibly since the earliest of human civilisations in the region, and Enid deduces this in the dream from the long decomposition of some of the bodies.

The obsession of Punjabi writers with their rivers and death floating upon them is not unique to Kala, of course. Soni Mahewal, where Soni swims daily across the Chenab to meet her lover Mahiwal, using a pot as a float, until her jealous relatives sabotage the pot so that she drowns in the river, is one of the four famous tragic love stories of the Punjab. Fikr Taunsvi, the satirist, called his Partition memoir, Chhata Darya, or The Sixth River, adding the river of blood and fire, he says, to the five of Punjab.

Kalas tragic novel is not just premised on the momentary violence in the Punjab of the nineties, but of a land divided many times over, living a colonial legacy, in a society fraught with prejudice, where his protagonists struggle against the zeitgeist, most often in vain. His Punjab, unlike that of the Sufi-Bhakti greats before Partition, is no longer the grand province of flowing golden fields, it is at best a bowdlerised version of that former glory. Jerry Pinto, who calls Kala the Graham Greene of Punjab, is not far off the mark, as Kala captures adroitly the present of our tragic province in dis-/continuity with its past.

Maaz Bin Bilal is the translator of Fikr Taunsvis The Sixth River: A Journal from the Partition of India. He teaches at O P Jindal Global University.

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Review: Two and a Half Rivers by Anirudh Kala - Hindustan Times

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The fragility of unenumerated rights | On Point – WBUR News

Posted: at 11:55 am

Unenumerated rights.

Those are the rights that may not be explicitly laid out in the words of the Constitution, but are considered essential to American life anyway.

In 1997 then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist said:

We have repeatedly emphasized that fundamental rights are those that are deeply rooted in our nations traditions.

History and tradition. Thats what Justice Samuel Alitos points to in his draft opinion that could overturn abortion rights in this country.

What else might the justices think is not deeply rooted in the "history or tradition" of the United States?

Obviously, that has implications for other cases," Kenji Yoshino says. "Same sex marriage is not deeply rooted in this nation's history and tradition. Contraception. The rights of interracial marriage."

"If we're really taking a baseline that says the right to be recognized as an unenumerated right has to be deeply rooted in this nation's history and tradition, all of those rights are now imperiled," Yoshino adds.

Today, On Point: Understanding unenumerated rights.

Kenji Yoshino, professor of constitutional law at NYU School of Law. Director of the Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging. (@kenji_yoshino)

Jack Beatty, On Point news analyst. (@JackBeattyNPR)

Kathryn Tucker, special counsel at Emerge Law Group. She argued the cause of the respondents in the 1997 Washington v. Glucksberg case.

Los Angeles Times: "Op-Ed: A retro reading of the Constitution imperils many rights beyond abortion" "As astute commentators have noted, the draft opinion in Dobbs vs. Jackson Womens Health Organization not only seeks to overrule Roe vs. Wade, but might also someday threaten other decisions like Obergefell vs. Hodges, which secured the right to same-sex marriage."

On unenumerated rights

Kenji Yoshino:It's the air we breathe. And if I can even go further than that, it's really the foundation on which the Constitution has been built because ... at the very founding of the Constitution ... the condition that certain individuals who ratified the Constitution called the anti-federalists, who are worried about overweening federal governmental power, reserved was to say, "We will only vote for this if you enact a Bill of Rights."

One of those Bill of Rights is the Ninth Amendment, and the Ninth Amendment says, "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." And so, what I love about that is that there's a textual reference in the Constitution to the idea that there are textually unenumerated right. So there's a little bit of a paradox.

On the process by which unenumerated rights are retained by the Court

Yoshino:There are two tests for how to decide what is an unenumerated right. ... The test that conservatives have loved and that Justice [Samuel] Alito is trying to resurrect is a 1997 test that comes from the case, Washington v. Glucksberg. And in Glucksberg, the Court said, when you're trying to ascertain whether something is an unenumerated right, history is going to be your guide. And so the formal test is to question whether or not the right that people are proposing is, "deeply rooted in this nation's history and traditions and implicit and the concept of order liberty." So if you think about that, that is going to be a very backwards looking test.

And the alternative test, which was proposed by Justice [John Marshall] Harlan initially in his dissent in a case called Poe v. Ullman, which actually predated Washington v. Glucksberg, but was a dissent, but was later embraced by the Casey majority in 1992 is this test that says there can't really be any formula. We, of course, look to history as our guide, but we look not only at the traditions that we have as a country, but also the traditions from which we broke. And Harlan says that tradition is a living thing.

On the connection between "history and tradition" and the politics of the moment

Yoshino:I agree that thinking of Dobbs as adopting a very cramped reading of Glucksberg is a really good characterization. ... This is actually Justice Alito's version of history and obviously the people who signed on to that opinion and his version of history is very narrow indeed. So what he's saying is the test here is whether or not the unenumerated right is deeply rooted in this nation's history and traditions. And then he says, abortion is clearly not that. And so QED, abortion is not a fundamental right.

But as Jack was saying earlier, the right to abortion has been around since 1973. As you said earlier, abortions themselves have been conducted since time immemorial. And so he's selecting a very particular version of when history begins and what constitutes that history in order to come to the result that he comes to.

On the 1965 Griswold v. Connecticut case's precedent on discerning unenumerated rights

Yoshino: [The Griswold case]says the penumbras around the First, Third, Fourth and Fifth Amendment create a right to privacy. So what they're getting at a penumbra is just a shadow, right? is that these textual provisions cast these shadows. And those shadows, which all contain this notion of privacy overlap with each other such that they coalesce into a right in its own right, so that the right to privacy under which the right to contraception is protected is derived from the shadows of actual textual provisions. So text is being used as a counterweight to the lack of history right on point here.

On potential concerns about the future of unenumerated rights

Yoshino: I'm extremely concerned about them. I think time will tell, and only time will tell. But we have a test being articulated by the draft of the opinion that, if applied rigorously, would mean the demise of many of the unenumerated rights that we have come to take for granted. So I'm extremely concerned. I'm about to head into teach my new constitutional law class, and I feel like I'm teaching that generation that's going to have to fix this because I'm not relying on my generation to be able to do it.

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The fragility of unenumerated rights | On Point - WBUR News

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Amanda Shires Demands More Artists Stand Up for Abortion Rights: I Cant Live With the Idea of Not Speaking Up – Rolling Stone

Posted: at 11:55 am

Soon after a Supreme Court draft ruling that would overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked last month, Amanda Shires shared some personal news on social media. Recently, I had an ectopic pregnancy, she tweeted. On August 9, 2021 my fallopian tube ruptured. On August 10, my life was savedthese are some dark days.

Shires, an incisive songwriter and solo artist and occasional member of husband Jason Isbells 400 Unit band, has been vocal about protecting a womans right to choose in the past. In 2020, she penned an op-ed for Rolling Stone about why abortion rights matter. In a new interview, Shires who returns with her latest album Take It Like a Man in July goes deeper into her own experiences and calls on artists, especially those in Nashville, to start using the platforms theyve been given.

When I wrote my first piece for Rolling Stone, Id had an abortion before. Since writing that op-ed, I have had reproductive healthcare that some might call an abortion when I was hospitalized in Texas on August 9, 2021, with a ruptured fallopian tube caused by an ectopic pregnancy. For those who are unfamiliar, it is impossible for an ectopic pregnancy to go to term. I would have died; my daughter, Mercy, would have lost her mother; my husband, Jason, would be a widower.

I was lucky. This happened to me two and a half weeks before Texas abortion ban went into effect. And I was still dealing with all of it two and a half weeks later. I mean, only just now nine months later, interestingly enough have I returned to having normal periods. This fight is about more than just abortion. I think thats what people keep forgetting.

The majority of people are in favor of womens reproductive rights and health; its others were trying to get to. But I think folks forget that access to abortion and reproductive healthcare is not just about terminating unwanted pregnancy. People forget that, if you take away access to reproductive healthcare, youre going to be killing moms like me. I would have died had this procedure not been available to me. Where would that leave my own daughter?

Weve had legal abortions for 50 years and now, suddenly, a long-held right will be illegal. How are we going to police that? People will have to prove that they have been raped. And any policing will disproportionately affect people of color, low-income folks and other marginalized groups. Its yet another thing that, when policing does happen, is going to happen haphazardly and ruin lives. Where does that get us with our Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights?

When Roe is overturned, some healthcare workers may feel afraid to help people. A person having a miscarriage may have to fly to another state, just so they or their doctor doesnt get into legal trouble. People are still going to get abortions, and were going to have to keep peoples secrets, and house people, and try to do the best we can. When we overturn Roe, we risk going back to, Oh, now same-sex marriages cant happen. Interracial marriages cant happen. Privacy rights are going to be gone.

Demographer Diana Greene Foster conducted a 10-year study tracking both people who had abortions and people who were denied abortions. Her study essentially proves that when folks cant have an abortion, it affects their mental health, their economic standing, their overall well-being. Ninety-five percent of study participants who did have an abortion still stood by their decision. Its just like you would expect, but theres real, scientific proof for it now. In the past, white men have said otherwise.

Since publishing my op-ed, Ive heard from some folks who are in their eighties. And that, to me, was incredible, because they had abortions in what was a pre-Roe v. Wade environment and theyre only now sharing their stories for the first time. Im glad to be a listener and also glad to see folks from those generations supporting the right to choose. It made me think, You know, I bet our grandmothers are more pro-choice than everybody leads us to believe.

As it turns out, it did start some conversations within our own families. We found out that, yes, our grandmothers are pro-choice. They might not have had a voice before or might have been cast out into the streets without any place to sleep had they mentioned it earlier in their lives. But finding a voice now and sharing their stories now is as good as any time. Hearing these stories, I think that it makes your backbone stronger. It makes it feel like youre tough enough for the fight, all the way down to your bones.

I also received responses from trolls. I had people threatening me. But whatever. Its not more threatening than the idea of taking away the services and the work that doctors and nurses do. I dont care if somebody wants to put a target on me. I wouldnt go back and change it. If we tell our stories, it helps other people feel empowered. It de-stigmatizes the conversation. If you share your story or share your beliefs, youre going to get some haters and trolls. But if you dont, youre going to be wondering, What didnt I do? What didnt I say that could have helped change one mind? I cant live with the idea of not speaking up.

We have to work hard now to mobilize and help people vote. The election is November 8. You dont see a lot of men speaking up, and every voice is helpful. Which brings up the question, why were Jason and I, and Margo Price, the biggest celebrities quasi-celebrities at the march in Nashville? Why didnt more people show up and speak up? I know everyone is scared of losing their rung on the ladder, but there are more important things, I think, than your fame. Not saying something is not helping. Not standing up for folks is not helping and its not right. I would like to think that fans can hold their role models and their favorite musicians accountable. Dont support artists who dont support your rights.

I would like to challenge other folks who have platforms to actually use them. Where the fuck are the rest of them? We have Olivia Rodrigo and Phoebe Bridgers speaking up, and Ariana Grande. Where are our Nashville folks? They arent helping. Are they just going to sit around and drink beer? I want Garth Brooks out there telling people that womens health is a priority. Thats what I want. Why not? What does he have to lose?

My best hope is that people continue to get angrier and that the folks who have been fighting so hard for so long, and are already tired, find some strength to keep fighting and also to mobilize others, especially youth, along the way. I hope that if Roe v. Wade is overturned, it causes such a fucking uproar that we end up with more rights than we had before.

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Amanda Shires Demands More Artists Stand Up for Abortion Rights: I Cant Live With the Idea of Not Speaking Up - Rolling Stone

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Philly officials subpoenaed the man behind a potential GOP ballot harvesting effort. He refused to testify. – The Philadelphia Inquirer

Posted: at 11:55 am

Under subpoena from city elections officials, a former GOP ward leader refused to testify this week about his role in diverting mail ballots requested by dozens of Republican voters in South Philadelphia to a P.O. box he controlled.

Billy Lanzilotti invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination through a letter sent by his lawyer Thursday, the same day he had been summoned to appear at a hearing of the Philadelphia City Commissioners.

His refusal to attend along with testimony at the hearing from voters he and others helped to apply for ballots escalates concerns that the effort may have violated the law. Lanzilottis actions had already led to his ouster from his ward leader position and raised concerns about the integrity of the ballots.

Leonard Armstrong, 71, told the commissioners Lanzilotti helped him fill out his ballot application, delivered his ballot, and then dropped it in the mail for him after hed filled it out.

It already had postage, so I didnt see any big deal about it. I didnt know what I was getting involved in, he said during a hearing at the Guerin Recreation Center, in the same South Philadelphia neighborhood where Lanzilotti based his ballot effort.

State law requires voters to return their own ballots unless they have a disability. Third-party ballot delivery what Republicans call ballot harvesting is forbidden. Armstrong said he didnt know that.

It was the first [time I voted by mail], he said. And it will be the last, I can tell you that. Even on my deathbed, it will be my last.

Questioned by the commissioners, Armstrong said he knew he was requesting a mail ballot, but not that it was going to a P.O. box.

Neither did the two other voters who testified Thursday after being subpoenaed. They said they never received the ballots they had applied for the ones sent to Lanzilottis P.O. box, which is also the mailing address for a Republican political action committee he had registered a few months earlier. Both voters used new ballots after elections officials, concerned about what Lanzilotti was up to, reached out to them, voided their original ballots, and sent replacements to their homes.

The voters said those ballots were legitimate and should be counted. City elections officials agreed and voted Friday to accept them, as well as those of three other voters Lanzilotti or others working with him had helped.

I do not believe the voters did anything wrong that would warrant their ballots not being counted, Chris OHara, an investigator for the commissioners, said Thursday. He had interviewed several of the voters and helped them obtain replacement ballots.

Though he refused to testify, Lanzilotti maintained in earlier interviews with The Inquirer that he had done nothing wrong.

He has since referred all questions to his attorney, A. Charles Peruto Jr., who said Friday that his client had made a simple mistake. Lanzilotti stopped his ballot delivery efforts after a May 6 story in The Inquirer raised questions about his effort, Peruto said. That could explain why some voters didnt receive their original ballots, he said, Lanzilotti had them and never delivered them.

He just froze up and did nothing. He stopped, Peruto said. We intend to answer the charges, if any are brought. There was no criminal intent.

The District Attorneys Office has said it is aware of the matter but spokesperson Jane Roh has declined to say whether it is investigating. A representative from the office attended Thursdays hearing.

Lanzilotti has maintained that he had only been offering a service to the voters when he and a few others associated with his political action committee, the Republican Registration Coalition, began knocking on doors in South Philadelphia, offering to help Republicans sign up to vote by mail.

He acknowledged filling out the address portion of the voters ballot applications, inserting his P.O. box instead of the voters home addresses. He said he had their ballots sent to him so they could be hand-delivered by someone they trusted.

It is not illegal for voters to request to have their mail ballots sent to an address other than their own. However, state law requires them to fill out and deliver their applications and ballots themselves, with an exception for disabled voters, who must explicitly acknowledge they had help from a third party in filling out their forms or mailing their ballots.

No such signatures appeared on any of the 39 mail ballot applications submitted by Lanzilotti or those working with him. And in several cases, the addresses were written in the same handwriting across multiple forms while the rest of the forms appeared individually filled out.

Several of the voters whose applications were requested through Lanzilotti told The Inquirer they had no idea who the men were when they showed up at their doors, though they accepted the help applying for mail ballots.

I dont even know who he was, Jackie OKeefe, one of the affected voters who testified at Thursdays hearing, said of the man who assisted her in filling out her application. He told me his name, but I have no clue who he was.

Lanzilotti has faced professional repercussions from his party which has run candidates who have attacked mail voting and falsely portrayed it as rife with abuse since The Inquirer first reported on his ballot effort.

His fellow Republican ward leaders ousted him from his post leading the 39th Ward in South Philadelphia, and he was barred from holding any party office in the city in the future. He also lost a job working on the reelection campaign of U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Bucks).

Lanzilotti had been running for ward leader in the 26th Ward, where his mail ballot effort was focused.

Two other men working with Lanzilotti Shamus ODonnell, 27, and C.J. Parker, 24, were also fired from roles with the state Republican Party.

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Philly officials subpoenaed the man behind a potential GOP ballot harvesting effort. He refused to testify. - The Philadelphia Inquirer

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