#financial impact of coronavirus

[dailyanarchistposts]

A revolutionary “pessimistic” postscript in times of coronavirus

“The outbreak of the new strain of coronavirus (COVID-19), which has wrought havoc in China since the end of last year, has surged over borders and impacted the rest of the world, and with it, the imminent economic crisis has but further advanced. The world economy is in full-on crisis, the administrators of power are pending on immense financial relief, the bourgeoisie are beginning to close factories and lay off employees using the lucky pretext of the “quarantine” as excuse. The disaster is immanent. Nevertheless, it’s important to know that the monetary losses don’t signify the fall of the capitalist system. Capitalism will seek at every moment to restructure itself on the basis of austerity measures imposed on proletarians in order to palliate all the catastrophic consequences that it will bring along with it. And this is due to the fact that the “blows” that capitalism has been dealt due to these phenomena are simply losses in its rate of profit, but those losses don’t at all change its structure or its essence, meaning the social relations that allow it to remain standing: the commodity, value, the market, exploitation and wage labor. In fact, it’s in these structures that capitalism most reaffirms its necessities: sacrificing millions of human beings to the favor of economic interests, making the polarization between classes sharpen and revealing more forcefully in what position the dominant class is to be found, who will use all the efforts in their reach in order to preserve this state of things.

[…]

The ever-more contradictions heightened contradictions of this mode of production (crisis, war, pandemics, environmental destruction, pauperization, militarization), which exasperate our conditions of survival, won’t clear the way either mechanically or messianically for the end of capitalism. Or better said, such conditions, although they will be fundamental, won’t suffice. Because for capitalism to reach its end, it’s imperative for there to be a social force, antagonistic and revolutionary that manages to direct the destructive and subversive character towards something completely different from what we know and experience now.

If we want it or not, we can’t let a question as important as the revolution to drift aimlessly, to leave it to luck. It’s necessary to experience the resolution of this problem on the basis of the organization of tasks that can go on to present themselves, that’s to say, the grouping for the appropriation and defense of the most immediate necessities (not paying debts, rent, or taxes), but also, the rupture from all the dreams and mirages that carry us to manage the save miseries behind another facade.

[…]

It’s not necessary to wait for the dystopia or the hollywoodesque scenes of apocalypse, because these are already materially manifesting in different parts of the globe, and in fact they greatly surpass any attempt at representation by cinematic fiction.

The current pandemic of COVID-19 is one more stage in the degradation to which this society of commodity production brings us.

A stage before which it is reaffirmed that the true future only hangs from two strings:

Communist revolution or to perish in the twilight!”

Contra la Contra n.3 Collapse of the capitalist system? A few notes on current events. Mexico City March 2020

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Everything is weird and everyone is wrecked. This is maybe the biggest and least acknowledged truth of life in the United States and a lot of places beyond right now. It’s the pandemic; the eight years of Trumpism; the distortions, disruptions and corruptions Silicon Valley has promulgated and other looming menaces, including climate chaos. We all know this, because we’re living it, but maybe we should talk more about the fact that our political catastrophes are inseparable from widespread psychic devastation, that the public and private, political and personal, are entangled – or rather that the former has wrought havoc on the latter.

The wisest people I know are aware that the stresses, atrocities, divisions and divergences from norms of recent years have made them (and everyone else) exhausted and brittle. The less wise but no less brittle either lash out with the sense that what’s wrong is definitely someone else or take refuge in cults and oversimplified versions in which they are at least in control of what it all means.

Public life has private impact; some of it breaks our brains, and some of it breaks our hearts. Not to leave our consciences out of this – to watch so much malice and willful destruction, to witness so much injustice, from genocides around the world to gross injustices at home, has an impact. That impact is probably best described as moral injury, which a veterans’ organization defines as “the psychological, social and spiritual impact of events involving betrayal or transgression of one’s own deeply held moral beliefs and values occurring in high stakes situations”.

Most of us have a sense of what’s reasonable or possible based on what’s happened before; but we are now lost in a sea of unprecedenteds. We have not had authoritarian threats like this arise in all three branches of the federal government (if you count a former president aspiring to be a dictator as well as the supreme court and Congress). We have not previously had the wild corrosion of information and our ability to pay attention to it the way we do now, thanks to an internet dominated by corporations eager to offer us addictive social media and distorted search results and algorithms.

For those paying attention, climate change is also an immense moral injury, a reminder that we are part of a system shredding the beautiful tapestry of life on earth and devastating beloved species. Although Covid was a scourge across the globe, far more people – about 8 million – die every year from breathing air polluted by burning fossil fuel, and that’s only one aspect of the devastation, and only to our species.

Nevertheless the pandemic was devastating. I was surprised when the fourth anniversary of the global coronavirus pandemic was met largely with silence. Apparently almost no one wants to remember it, and of course it’s not exactly over, since people are still getting sick and dying of this new disease. Trauma, a term resorted to constantly these days, is an experience so devastating you cannot forget it; it dominates you. The opposite of trauma, in which you refuse to remember and process an experience, is also devastating, if not in the same way; you suppress an experience at the cost of operating with a reduced sense of self and reality.

One of the positive aspects of many kinds of disaster is the sense of shared experience. But we had wildly different experiences of the pandemic: it killed some of us, bereaved some of us, bankrupted some of us, made some of us frontline workers facing danger and death, or unemployed, or suddenly isolated from the sociability of school or work and everyday life outside the home. The impact was profoundly different depending on your age, financial circumstances and domestic situation, among other factors. I hear a lot from teachers and professors about how their students have not recovered well from two years of isolation and online learning that often involved too little learning and too much being online.

It is hard to imagine how different the Covid pandemic might have been had the country not been headed by someone who himself became a major source of divisive misinformation about Covid. In the US, a huge factor in the crisis in our psyches is four years of Trump in power, followed by nearly four more years of Trumpism. When the most powerful people in the country say and do whatever they want mostly without consequences, we are launched into incoherence and meaninglessness.

A US flag flies upside-down in front of the supreme court justice Samuel Alito’s home for several days in early 2021, in seeming support of the January 6 insurrection, but he declines to recuse himself from matters concerning Trump. Justice Clarence Thomas, whose wife was an active part of that insurrection, also declines to recuse himself or account for the outrageous gifts he’s accepted from billionaires. The evangelical Christian who became the speaker of the House shows up to support Trump in his criminal election fraud trial due to hush money paid to a porn star and decries his guilty verdict and with it the justice system. The corruption is open and the loyalty to the ex-president rather than the rule of law is obvious.

In any previous era, these outrages and dozens of others would have been treated as shocking scandals; now each outrage seems to crowd out the next so that, for example, Trump’s dinner with fossil fuel executives, in which he asked for a $1bn campaign contribution in return for slashing climate legislation, has been reported on almost with complacency. That a man who was found liable in civil court for rape is a leading candidate for the presidency has been likewise normalized.

The examples are well-known – but perhaps more should be said about the impact. Trumpism has inspired Trump’s followers with the transgressive boldness he demonstrated first and best: that actually you can say anything you want, truth be damned, deny you said it, or contradict it. And with enough accrued power, you can break the law with impunity.

Authoritarians want control not only over the economy, military, courts and media, but also fact, science, history – over meaning itself. To violate the independence of truth and fact, to insist they are whatever you want them to be, is to enter the realms of meaninglessness. Authoritarianism is nihilism. As Hannah Arendt said, “The result of a consistent and total substitution of lies for factual truth is not that the lie will now be accepted as truth and truth be defamed as a lie, but that the sense by which we take our bearings in the real world – and the category of truth vs falsehood is among the mental means to this end – is being destroyed.”

Another crisis of our times is that the internet has isolated us, shattered our capacity to concentrate, undermined existing news media and created fertile ground for the spread of hate, misinformation and propaganda. The internet has isolated us from more face-to-face forms of contact and put us in spaces where combative shouting is normal and emotional honesty risky and rare, where in-group performativity is everywhere and dissent is dangerous. The loneliness epidemic Vivek Murthy, the US surgeon general, has talked about has everything to do with the internet and how it’s sucked us in in ways that have made other forms of contact wither away.

That’s my diagnosis. My prescription might be simple: be kind to each other, remembering the distress we’ve all lived through; defend the facts with ardor; fight fascism and climate chaos in the ways you’re best equipped to (and if you’re lucky, that will connect you to other good people doing that crucial work). And if you’re lonely know that even in that you’re not alone; millions are, in large part because of how our world got rearranged. But diagnosis is the first step of treatment or cure, and just talking about how personal the impact is of this chaotic new era matters.

[Rebecca Solnit]

[mariacallous]

The COVID-19 pandemic’s sudden onset in 2020 and its persistent impacts in ensuing years posed new challenges for large U.S. cities and metropolitan areas.

Some of the initial challenges were related to the specific nature of the coronavirus and public health responses. In March 2020, residents of cold, dense cities seemed at greater risk of contracting the airborne illness than those in more spread-out, temperate communities where people could spend time outside year-round.1 More persistent challenges are related to the rapid adoption of remote work technologies, which enable certain kinds of work to be done anywhere with a high-speed internet connection, and not necessarily in big-city downtowns dominated by what today are increasingly vacant office buildings.

In an increasingly hyper-polarized country, some of these dynamics intersected with partisan politics. Republican-led states such as Florida and Texas positioned themselves as refuges for movers seeking escape from “Covid lockdowns” in Democratic-led states. In response to these and other political factors, Elon Musk moved Tesla’s headquarters from Silicon Valley to Austin, Texas, and a prominent Chicago financier moved his hedge fund to Miami after his employees started working from a high-end hotel there during the height of the pandemic.

The housing market also played a role in fueling migration during this time. As more people worked from home, demand for homeownership rose, particularly for larger homes. For example, in San Diego County—which for many years had built little new housing—median home prices skyrocketed from $660,000 in January 2020 to $860,000 just two years later, according to Zillow. Prices also rose in more affordable, flexible markets, but much more modestly; in Houston over that same time, the median home price increased from $195,000 to $240,000.

My colleague William H. Frey was among the first to document significant migration away from big metro areas during the pandemic. His analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data showed accelerated domestic out-migration from large, coastal metro areas such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, and Seattle between 2020 and 2021. Domestic in-migration, meanwhile, remained strong in Sun Belt metro areas such as Phoenix, Dallas, Tampa, Fla., San Antonio, and Raleigh, N.C. Frey’s subsequent analysis showed these trends moderated through 2022 and 2023 as the initial impacts of the pandemic subsided.

Even if they are temporary in some respects, these recent migration patterns could have lasting impacts. Richard Florida, for instance, points to the rise of “meta cities”—large U.S. metro areas distant from each other yet linked closely by the ties of remote work and Covid-era movers, such as New York and Miami (finance), the Bay Area and Austin (tech), and Los Angeles and Nashville, Tenn. (entertainment). The Economic Innovation Group chronicled a loss of high earners from major urban centers such as New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. during the first two years of the pandemic. The home listing service Redfin, meanwhile, noted rising housing demand in affordable markets proximate to major metro areas (e.g., New Haven, Conn. outside New York; Richmond, Va. outside Washington, D.C.; Worcester, Mass. outside Boston), suggesting the growing prominence of hybrid (versus fully remote) work arrangements. How these dynamics play out could have significant implications for the economic and social health of cities, and for America’s urban hierarchy in the 21st century.

To better understand these dynamics, this report analyzes data from the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Statistics of Income program on U.S. population migration at the county level. The data tracks individual income tax filers who changed addresses from one year to the next, and reports the number of tax filers moving between counties (a proxy for households), the number of personal exemptions among those filers (a proxy for individuals), and the total adjusted gross income reported on their returns (a proxy for household income). While the IRS migration data is only currently available through 2022 (versus 2023 in Census Bureau migration data), it has the advantages of tracking movements between specific counties and revealing something about the economic status of migrating households.2

This report uses the IRS county-level migration data to track movement before and after the pandemic’s onset among U.S. metropolitan areas, which are collections of counties that approximate regional economies and labor markets.3 The analysis assigns each county in the dataset to its corresponding metro area based on the latest Census Bureau metropolitan delineations.4 An important limitation of the IRS data is that it suppresses county-to-county flows of fewer than 20 tax filers to protect taxpayer privacy. In 2021-22, for instance, the data reflects a total of 7.6 million U.S. filers moving to metropolitan counties, with the source county indicated for 5.8 million of them. This means that the county-to-county data misses 1.8 million households (or 23% of all households) moving to metropolitan counties in 2021-22. Many of these households likely moved from small, non-metropolitan counties, but the flows among metro areas charted here inevitably miss moves occurring between smaller counties in metro areas of all sizes.

Despite this limitation, the IRS data is useful for answering basic questions about domestic migration and the possible impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on the nation’s metropolitan areas, this analysis specifically asks if and how the pandemic may have altered the:

Overall level of migration within and among metro areas

Key metropolitan origins and destinations of movers

Economic character of movers, and/or their sending/receiving communities

In general, the analysis confirms that the pandemic made an impact on metropolitan migration patterns, but also finds that these changes did not significantly alter the demographic or economic trajectory of metro regions. The analysis concludes with thoughts on the implications of these patterns as the economy returns to a “new normal” in the pandemic’s aftermath.

[beardedmrbean]

The prospects for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) next year look almost as gloomy as at the end of 2020, the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Uutissuomalainen news group report (siirryt toiseen palveluun) in Jyväskylä's Keskisuomalainen.

The article reviews a fresh survey by the Finnish Confederation of Industries (EK) showing that 41 percent of SMEs are preparing for layoffs next year. Ten percent said that they may have to close down in 2023.

"The outlook is bleak in many respects. The biggest challenges are related to the rise in the prices of raw materials and energy due to Russia's war of aggression. At the same time, there is a shortage of skilled labour," said EK Chief Policy Advisor Jari Huovinen.

Other major challenges are a decline in domestic sales and weakening liquidity.

According to Huovinen, the outlook is particularly bleak for the smallest employers.

"They have gone from crisis to crisis. Many have pretty much used up their financial buffers," noted Huovinen.

According to the report, only 23 percent of small and medium-sized companies believe that demand will increase during the coming year. Just over one third anticipate a decline in demand.

The outlook is pessimistic all around the country – gloomiest in northern regions and somewhat more optimistic in Uusimaa and Pirkanmaa.

A company with at least two, but fewer than 250 employees is considered an SME. There are approximately 84,500 such firms in Finland.

Nato and nukes

Helsingin Sanomat reports (siirryt toiseen palveluun) on an interview Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto (Green) gave to the Japanese news agency Kyodo News in which he said that Russia's nuclear weapons programme was one of the key factors influencing Finland's application for Nato membership.

HS notes that the interview, published on Sunday morning, was quickly picked up by the Russian state-owned news agency Tass which misreported Haavisto as saying that "Russia's alleged nuclear threats were the main reason for Finland's desire to join Nato."

According to Helsingin Sanomat, Haavisto spoke more broadly about Finland's Nato decision and mentioned Russia's nuclear weapons as one of several reasons behind the application.

The paper points out that this was nothing new.

For example, the Finnish government's report on changes in the security environment, published last spring, stated that Russia has "repeatedly expressed its readiness to use nuclear weapons". That report was one of the key documents considered when Finland's foreign policy leadership decided to apply for Nato membership last May.

Not gas dependent

The farmers' union paper Maaseudun Tulevaisuus (siirryt toiseen palveluun) looks at some of the historic reasons that Finland is buffered from the impact of natural gas shortages which now threaten much of central Europe.

In Finland, district and electric heating are overwhelmingly the most common forms of heating services.

Riku Huttunen, who heads the Energy Department at Finland's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, pointed out to the paper that one key reason for this is that unlike central Europe, Finland does not have natural gas deposits.

According to Huttunen, when district heating networks started to be built in the 1950s, natural gas was not even an option. The Soviet Union started exporting gas in the mid-1970s, and by that time, district heating networks in Finland had already been practically completed.

Finland's wood processing industry started co-production of electricity and heat before the Second World War. Later, the lessons learned from the wood processing sector were adopted by cities, which started building plants that produce both electricity and heat.

Wood, oil and nuclear power are the main sources of heating and electricity production in Finland.

Even more snow

The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) is forecasting over 10 centimetres of fresh snowfall around most of the country over the next few days, and 20cm to 30cm in some areas, according to Helsingin Sanomat (siirryt toiseen palveluun).

FMI has issued warnings of hazardous driving conditions in the north on Monday, and the same in southern, central and eastern parts of the country on Tuesday.

Temperatures over the next few weeks will remain a few degrees below the average.

In the dark

It's the time of year that we here in Finland spend much of our time in the dark.

In an item that might bring readers some comfort, Hufvudstadsbladet reports (siirryt toiseen palveluun) that Tuesday, at least for a brief time, almost all of humanity will be in the dark.

On 6 December, at 9:56 PM local time, the most populated areas in the world will simultaneously be on the night side of the earth - nearly 9 out of 10 people worldwide will experience darkness at the same time.

Although the sun will be up in the Americas, New Zealand and most of Australia, the earth is much more densely populated around Asia, Africa and Europe, meaning that a full 86 percent of humanity will have the sun at least 18 degrees below the horizon, and so some darkness, all at the same time on Tuesday.

[stevecarell600]

Drone Package Delivery Market Are Estimated To Increase During Period 2029 USD 31,188.7 Million At Exhibiting a CAGR of 53.94%

The global drone package delivery market size is projected to reach USD 7,388.2 million by 2028, exhibiting a CAGR of 41.8% during the forecast period. Widespread deployment of drones to deliver medical and food supplies amid the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to aid the market make substantial gains, observes Fortune Business Insights™ in its report, titled “Drone Package Delivery Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Fixed Wing and Rotary Wing), By Package Size (Less Than 2 Kg, 2-5 Kg, and above 5 Kg), By End Use (Restaurant & Food Supply, E-commerce, Healthcare, Retail Logistics & Transportation and others), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2028”.

Get Sample PDF Brochure:

The report states that the market value stood at USD 642.4 million in 2019 and shares the following information:

Comprehensive depiction of the industry outlook and trends;

Detailed insights into the upcoming opportunities in the market;

Tangible analysis of the market drivers, restrains, and all possible segments; and

In-depth assessment of the regional and competitive dynamics impacting the market.

Driving Factor

Emergence of Drone Startups in Logistics to Augment Market Potential

The growing demand for enhancing the efficiency of logistics operations has triggered a sudden emergence of startups specializing in drone technologies to cater to these needs. For example, DroneScan, a South Africa-based startup, designs drones that transmits live data of scanned items in warehouses, making inventory management more efficient and upping the productivity quotient of workers. An Italy-based startup, Archon, provides autonomous robotic drone services to facilitate supervised as well as unsupervised inspection of warehousing and logistics operations. The drone startup culture is gathering momentum in developing countries as well. For example, in India, several startups have spawned in the past few years that are providing next-gen drone services. Aarav Unmanned Systems, for instance, was started in 2013 and is India’s first drone company to develop drone solutions for commercial applications in the public and private sectors. These developments are expected to power the drone package delivery market growth in the forthcoming years.

Regional Insights

North America to Top Other Regions Backed by Rising Preference for Drone Deliveries by Shoppers

North America is set to dominate the drone package delivery market share during the forecast period owing to the increasing inclination of online shoppers towards delivery of goods through unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). With a market size of USD 237.7 million in 2019, the region is likely to retain its leading position, which will be supported by the strong financial support to drone startups in the US and Canada.

In Europe, the market is anticipated to be driven by the growing presence of tech companies that are expanding their operations in the region through collaborations and partnerships. Asia Pacific is expected to create exciting opportunities for market players on account of the emerging trend of online purchasing of groceries in the large cities of India, China, and Indonesia.

Competitive Landscape

Supportive Regulations to Novel Ideas to Feed Competitive Ardor of Key Players

With the scope for innovation widening, key players in the market drone package deliveries are engaged in coming up with novel drone solutions, especially during the current coronavirus crisis. Supporting their efforts are regulatory bodies that are easing flying norms and rules to ensure timely delivery of essential supplies to people.

List of Key Companies Profiled in the Drone Package Delivery Market Report:

DroneScan (South Africa)

Cheetah Logistics Technology (US)

Flytrex (Israel)

Flirtey (US)

Matternet, Inc. (US)

Boeing (US)

Amazon Inc. (US)

Wing Aviation LLC (US)

Workhorse Group Inc. (US)

Drone Delivery Canada Corp. (Canada)

Zipline (US)

DHL International GmbH (Germany)

United Parcel Service of America, Inc. (US)

FedEx (US)

Industry Developments:

August 2020: Amazon secured clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to deploy its Prime Air delivery drone fleet to efficiently and securely deliver packages to customers. Amazon is now the third company to receive FAA approval to operate drones on a commercial scale after UPS and the Alphabet-owned company, Wing.

May 2020: Wing, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet, announced that it has made thousands of drone deliveries in Australia during the pandemic. Launched in Canberra in 2019, the demand for Wing’s services rose by 500% between February and April 2020.

[martysmusic]

LOU’S CAFE

In the late 1850s, a Catholic missionary by the name of Juan Esposito-Mendosa built a small chapel near present day Town Square in Hill Valley, California. The purpose of the mission was to administer Mass to miners and unfortunately, to educate the indigenous Miwok peoples in the ways of Catholicism and Anglo-American culture.

Picture of Sisters of Mercy mission, circa 1890s, property of Hill Valley Preservation society.

After Sisters of Mercy Church was erected in the 1890s, a laundry and wash room for the church and nearby orphanage was built upon the site of the old chapel, something Hill Valley historians lament to this day. University of California-Berkeley historians were delighted however in the early 1920s, when the laundry and wash room shack was torn down in order for the church to erect a new building to serve a soup kitchen for the poor and destitute.

Sisters of Mercy Soup Kitchen, 1932 Hill Valley Telegraph

Many artifacts from the original chapel were saved and are now housed in special glass cases inside the west wing of the Hill Valley Courthouse. The Sisters of Mercy built their soup kitchen, which was extremely fortunate for citizens of Hill Valley when the Great Depression hit in 1929.

After the end of World War II, economic prosperity reached Hill Valley, and in 1945, a local man by the name of Louis Carruthers purchased the soup kitchen to open as a diner and lunch counter. Carruthers, who had served as an Army cook on the Western Front in the First World War had a passion for two things: food and people.

Lou Carruthers, 1955. Courtesy of the Carruthers Family

Lou’s Diner quickly became the most popular local hangout, especially for teens, from the mid 50s to the late 1980s. Specializing in milk shakes, burgers, and club sandwiches, Lou’s was a go to for everything from after school functions to after church luncheons. By 1989 however, the addition of corporate chain restaurants around town like Burger King and Carls Jr had severely impacted business. Lou Carruthers had passed away in the early 70s and his eldest daughter LouAnne had inherited the restaurant. By late 1990s, the Carruthers family knew they would have to change things up or face closure.

Interior of Lou’s Cafe, 1964. Courtesy of Northern California Eats Magazine.

Ms. Carruthers had decided to hop on the developing trend toward Coffee Shops and rebranded her restaurant to focus on espressos, lattes, teas, pastries, and sandwiches. Lou’s still served burgers and entrees in the afternoon, but pretty soon, church groups, families, and after school teens were replaced with young adults, sipping frappes and typing on laptops. Lou’s financial situation stabilized, allowing LouAnne to retire and leave the business to her son Louie.

Interior of Lou’s Cafe, 1997, courtesy of Golden State Java Magazine

In the early 2010s, Lou’s hopped on another trend, that of Craft Brewing. Farm to table and organic offerings were also brought in, as well as more healthy options, but Lou’s famous Craft Burgers remained a staple around the Hill Valley area.

Luna Rodrigo-Carruthers, processing hops for Craft Brews, courtesy of Lou’s Cafe Official Facebook page.

During the Coronavirus pandemic of the early 2020s, Lou’s began to offer delivery and catering services as well as beginning to offer their coffee and craft brew selections in local supermarkets. In a 2024 interview with the Hill Valley Telegram, Lou Carruthers mentioned opening a possible second location of Lou’s Cafe in Sacramento.

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[industrynewsupdates]

Molecular Cytogenetics Market: Key Insights and Growth Trends

The global molecular cytogenetics market was valued at USD 2.02 billion in 2022, and it is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.6% from 2023 to 2030. This substantial growth is driven by several key factors, including the increasing incidence of oncology cases, ongoing technological advancements in chromosome analysis tools, and the growing shift toward personalized medicine. Additionally, the rise in workshops and conferences focused on cytogenetic analysis is accelerating market expansion by fostering knowledge-sharing and technological adoption. For example, in April 2023, the University of Madras organized a hands-on workshop on genomic techniques in clinical diagnostics, which included a focus on cytogenetic analysis. Such events help spread awareness of the latest advancements and encourage greater use of molecular cytogenetics in healthcare and research.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a positive impact on the molecular cytogenetics industry, though in unexpected ways. The urgent global need for rapid and accurate diagnostic testing during the pandemic spurred significant advancements in molecular cytogenetics techniques. Researchers and healthcare providers urgently needed faster, more efficient methods for detecting genetic abnormalities linked to COVID-19, which led to the acceleration of genomic testing technologies. This urgency also advanced the development and implementation of cytogenetic methods that could rapidly identify viral mutations and genetic markers in both the virus and its human hosts.

Additionally, the pandemic highlighted the importance of genomic surveillance to track the spread of viruses, including mutations and variants of concern, such as the Delta and Omicron strains of the coronavirus. This has prompted increased investments in molecular cytogenetic research and the development of genomic infrastructure. As a result, the industry has made significant strides in viral genomics and transmission dynamics, which will continue to impact the broader cytogenetics market moving forward. 

Gather more insights about the market drivers, restrains and growth of the Molecular Cytogenetics Market

Regional Insights

North America

In 2022, North America held the largest share of the molecular cytogenetics market, with a revenue share of 45.97%. This dominance is primarily attributed to the presence of major local players, such as Agilent Technologies, Inc., alongside the region's advanced healthcare infrastructure. Other key drivers of growth in this region include:

• Increasing research funding: There has been a notable rise in financial support for research in molecular cytogenetics, which has bolstered the development of new technologies and applications.

• Growing awareness of advanced laboratory techniques: As medical professionals and researchers become more aware of cutting-edge diagnostic tools and techniques, the demand for molecular cytogenetic products has risen.

• High incidence of genetic and chronic diseases: The region has a high rate of genetic disorders and chronic diseases, which further drives the need for molecular cytogenetic testing. For instance, according to the CDC, approximately 6,000 babies are born with Down syndrome in the United States every year, emphasizing the need for genetic testing and early diagnosis.

• Regulatory environment: North America benefits from an efficient regulatory framework that supports the administration of genetic tests, creating a favorable environment for market growth. The established standards and regulatory bodies in the region help ensure the quality and safety of products, which contributes to their adoption in clinical settings.

Asia Pacific

The Asia Pacific region is expected to experience the fastest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the forecast period. Key factors contributing to the anticipated growth in this region include:

• Economic growth: The steady GDP growth in countries like China and India is expected to significantly improve consumer buying power. As the economic conditions improve, more healthcare investments are likely to flow into the molecular cytogenetics market.

• Workshops and interventions: Various educational workshops, conferences, and training programs in the region are helping to spread knowledge about molecular cytogenetics and advanced diagnostic techniques. These initiatives also foster collaboration and innovation in the field.

• Advancements in disease management: Ongoing improvements in the management of genetic and chronic diseases are encouraging the adoption of molecular cytogenetics. Many countries in the region are making strides in both healthcare infrastructure and disease management technologies.

• Increased awareness: Growing awareness about the importance of advanced therapies and diagnostic tools among the population is anticipated to drive demand. The region is seeing increased attention from both governments and private sector players to improve public health outcomes through better diagnostic solutions.

Browse through Grand View Research's Biotechnology Industry Research Reports.

• The global cancer stem cells market size was valued at USD 2.89 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.5% from 2024 to 2030.

• The global DNA & gene chip market size was valued at USD 9.96 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.3% from 2024 to 2030.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Several key companies dominate the global molecular cytogenetics market, focusing on strategic initiatives such as expansion, the development of innovative medical devices, and technological advancements. Partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions are common strategies used to enhance product offerings and expand market presence. For example, in June 2023, Oxford Gene Technology (OTG) entered into a partnership with Applied Spectral Imaging (ASI) to enhance OTG’s cytogenetic imaging and analysis solutions in Great Britain. This collaboration is expected to improve workflow automation and increase efficiency, enabling quicker and more accurate diagnostic decision-making.

Key Molecular Cytogenetics Companies

Some of the major players operating in the global molecular cytogenetics market include:

• BIOVIEW

• Danaher

• MetaSystems

• Agilent Technologies, Inc.

• Abbott

• Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

• Illumina, Inc.

• Oxford Gene Technology

• F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd

• PerkinElmer Inc.

Order a free sample PDF of the Molecular Cytogenetics Market Intelligence Study, published by Grand View Research.

[recentlyheardcom]

Can Impact of Coronavirus be a Force Majeure Event?

Writer Dr. Hassan Elhais Revealed Could 21, 2020 Phrase depend 1,663 Cancellation of all occasions, short-term closure of most enterprise items, necessary lockdown and restrictions on native and worldwide journey, not precisely how all of us had been presuming 2020 to be! The aftermath of coronavirus outbreak is devastating and its impression on companies and world financial system is now…

[arrhakis]

(via The Fascist Transmigration - The Insidious Reborn Of Fasci… | Flickr)

The Fascist Transmigration - The Insidious Reborn Of Fascism by Daniel Arrhakis (2024)

This article, one of the first made for the Accademia Degli Incogniti, a page (or movement if you can call it that) that I created to Combat Fascism and the Nationalist Far Right that is spreading voraciously around the world but especially in Europe and Portugal .

You may follow these pages or movements in :

Accademia Degli Incogniti 🎨🍀🙏 (@AcademIncogniti) / X x.com/AcademIncogniti

Accademia Degli Incogniti

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The Fascist Transmigration - The Insidious Reborn Of Fascism

The Fascist Transmigration is one of the terms used by us to understand the rebirth of Fascism in Europe and the World.

When talking about transmigration, it is the movement of a soul to another body after death (related to reincarnation). We can thus speak of the transmigration of fascism (Reborn of Fascism) and fascist theories after the end of the Second World War, which was thought to have ended!

But in truth it was not like that, it survived and remained hidden in many ways, some more subtle than others: through the manifestation of racism (Especially in Europe and the USA), in totalitarianism (Like in Russia), in silent genocides, in chauvinism, in homophobia , misogyny, xenophobia, religious intolerance, propaganda and hate speech (especially on social media).

Fascism was not dead, but latent in society in insidious forms of social discrimination and just as in the past when The Great Depression and the subsequent Economic Depression, which caused significant social unrest around the world, led to the great wave of fascism . The same has happened in our times.

Liberal democracies emerged discredited from the Great Depression. Democratic institutions and mechanisms seemed powerless in the face of the economic and social crisis that took hold over a long period of time. There were several extremist solutions that came to power in Europe throughout the 1930s.

Again in our days, the popularity of fascist and nationalist ideas, like that of so many other far-right forces in Europe, soared after the 2015 migration crisis, when several European countries – including Sweden – decided to open their doors to refugees fleeing the wars in Syria and Yemen.

But already before, the 2008 financial crisis, popularly called the subprime crisis, had been one of the worst global economic disasters in recent years.

Originated in the USA, it began with the burst of the mortgage bubble in the financial market and spread to the rest of the world, with catastrophic and lasting effects.

The election of Donald Trump and his politics in 2017, which according to Henrique Araujo Aragusuku (2024) "mobilized socio-psychological elements that go back to the analyzes of the emergence of historical fascism, such as identification with an idealized and transcendent figure, submission to an authority or cause superiority and aggressiveness directed towards out-group threats", was another major factor, if not one of the most important.

The final blow was the The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with major social, economic, cultural and political impacts, gave definitive leverage to the anti-vaccine movements and of political extremism.

But this was just the beginning, as we will analyze throughout our page.

[bitcoinworldd]

Bitcoin Price Trends: From Record Highs to Market Corrections

Introduction

Bitcoin, the first and most famous digital money, has encountered sensational price changes since its send off in 2009. From flooding to record highs to encountering sharp market amendments, bitcoin price process has caught the consideration of financial backers, organizations, and worldwide business sectors. Understanding these price patterns is essential for anybody hoping to explore the unstable universe of cryptographic money. This article plunges into the key variables affecting Bitcoin price developments and looks at how its price has advanced over the long run.

Bitcoin's Initial Days: A Sluggish Beginning

In the good 'ol days, Bitcoin's price was almost unimportant. During its most memorable year of presence, Bitcoin was worth under a penny, as it was essentially utilized by a little gathering of devotees and designers. The main outstanding price development happened in 2010 when Bitcoin came to $0.08. Albeit this increment appeared to be unimportant at that point, it denoted the start of Bitcoin's long and unpredictable price venture.

One of the main impetuses for Bitcoin price development was its utilization in genuine exchanges. The well known "Bitcoin Pizza Day" in May 2010, where 10,000 Bitcoins were traded for two pizzas, demonstrated the way that Bitcoin could act as a mechanism of trade. As additional individuals became mindful of Bitcoin, its price started to increment.

The 2013 Bitcoin Blast and First Significant Amendment

Bitcoin's price saw its most memorable significant blast in 2013, when it flooded from around $13 in January to more than $1,000 by November. This galactic ascent was driven by a few variables, including developing interest from early adopters, an expansion in media inclusion, and the ascent of Bitcoin trades that made it simpler to exchange and purchase Bitcoin.

Be that as it may, as fast as Bitcoin rose, it confronted its most memorable critical market revision in 2014. The breakdown of Mt. Gox, one of the biggest Bitcoin trades at that point, sent shockwaves through the market, making Bitcoin's price fall by more than half. Toward the finish of 2014, Bitcoin's price had tumbled to around $300, showing the unpredictability that would come to characterize the resource.

2017: Bitcoin Price Hits New Levels

2017 was a crucial year for Bitcoin price patterns, as the digital money entered standard cognizance and its price soar. Beginning the year at just shy of $1,000, Bitcoin flooded to a record-breaking high of almost $20,000 by December. A few variables added to this fleeting ascent, including:

Institutional premium: More institutional financial backers started to consider Bitcoin to be a genuine resource, prompting more noteworthy reception.

Media consideration: Broad media inclusion energized public interest and pulled in new retail financial backers.

Beginning Coin Contributions (ICOs): A flood of new cryptographic forms of money sent off ICOs, making a buzz in the more extensive digital currency market, which poured out over to Bitcoin.

Notwithstanding the energy, Bitcoin's price confronted one more sharp rectification in mid 2018, falling by almost 80% from its unsurpassed high. The market remedy was driven by administrative crackdowns, fears of an air pocket, and benefit taking by financial backers. Toward the finish of 2018, Bitcoin's price had settled around $3,000.

The Pandemic Impact: Bitcoin Price in 2020 and Then some

The worldwide Coronavirus pandemic significantly affected monetary business sectors, and Bitcoin was no exemption. In Walk 2020, as worldwide business sectors crashed, Bitcoin's price dropped strongly, momentarily falling underneath $4,000. In any case, this plunge was brief, as the digital currency bounced back and set out on one of its most amazing bull runs.

A few elements added to Bitcoin's price recuperation and ensuing flood:

Institutional reception: Significant organizations like MicroStrategy, Tesla, and Square started adding Bitcoin to their monetary records, seeing it as a support against expansion.

Financial approach: National banks overall carried out forceful money related upgrade measures, prompting fears of cash degrading. Bitcoin's proper inventory of 21 million coins made it an appealing store of significant worth.

Public insight shift: Bitcoin's story as "computerized gold" got forward movement, with additional financial backers seeing it as a support against monetary vulnerability.

By December 2020, Bitcoin arrived at another record-breaking high of $20,000, outperforming its 2017 pinnacle. The price rally went on into 2021, with Bitcoin coming to more than $60,000 in April.

Ongoing Business sector Redresses: The 2021-2022 Bitcoin Price Cycle

While Bitcoin encountered a surprising bull run in mid 2021, the last 50% of the year brought a few market redresses. Subsequent to arriving at an unequaled high of around $64,000 in April 2021, Bitcoin's price tumbled to around $30,000 by July because of a few elements:

Administrative worries: Crackdowns on cryptographic money mining and exchanging China, alongside administrative vulnerability in other significant business sectors, burdened Bitcoin's price.

Natural worries: Bitcoin mining's ecological effect turned into a subject of worldwide conversation, especially after Tesla suspended Bitcoin installments because of worries over its carbon impression.

Regardless of these difficulties, Bitcoin's price bounced back in late 2021, arriving at another record-breaking high of almost $69,000 in November. Nonetheless, this was trailed by one more significant remedy in 2022, as rising expansion, loan cost climbs by national banks, and worldwide monetary flimsiness prompted a more extensive auction in monetary business sectors, including Bitcoin.

What's Next for Bitcoin Price?

Looking forward, the fate of Bitcoin's price stays dubious however encouraging. A few key elements could drive Bitcoin's price patterns before long:

Institutional speculation: As additional institutional financial backers view Bitcoin as a support against expansion, interest for Bitcoin could keep on rising, possibly driving prices higher.

Administrative lucidity: More clear guidelines around Bitcoin and cryptographic forms of money could carry greater strength to the market, decreasing unpredictability and empowering more extensive reception.

Mechanical headways: Moves up to the Bitcoin organization, for example, the Lightning Organization, could further develop exchange speed and versatility, making Bitcoin more alluring as a vehicle of trade.

On the other side, potential dangers incorporate expanded unofficial law, rivalry from other digital forms of money, and proceeded with unpredictability in worldwide business sectors. In any case, Bitcoin's history of recuperating from market remedies and arriving at new highs proposes that its drawn out price direction might keep on moving vertically.

End

Bitcoin's price history is an account of outrageous unpredictability, set apart by both record highs and sharp market remedies. From its initial days as a specialty resource for its ongoing status as a worldwide monetary peculiarity, Bitcoin price patterns have been molded by a mix of mechanical development, institutional interest, and macroeconomic elements.

[swissforextrading]

Swiss stock market gains from US interest rate cut

The financial markets in Europe and the United States have reacted with price gains to the interest rate turnaround initiated by the US Federal Reserve. With a cut of 50 basis points, the US monetary authorities opted for the "big" option. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox According to market observers, the only time in the past 20 years that such a large cut had been made was during the global financial crisis and the coronavirus pandemic. + How stock market volatility impacts the Swiss franc This also gave the Swiss stock market a tailwind. However, gains in this country crumbled in the afternoon - the heavyweights and with them the defensive nature of the local market put the brakes on the Swiss Market Index (SMI). The leading Swiss index gained 0.6% to 12,058 points. Other European indices such as the DAX in Frankfurt (+1.5%) and the FTSE100 in London (+0.9%) closed more strongly in positive territory. In the US, the Nasdaq technology index in ... https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/banking-fintech/us-federal-reserve-ensures-gains-on-the-swiss-stock-market/87584536?utm_source=multiple&utm_campaign=swi-rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_content=o (Source of the original content)

[dkaufmandevelopment]

Fed Cuts Interest Rates by 50 Basis Points: What It Means for You

At long last, it’s here. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) has made a surprising move by cutting the target range for the federal funds rate by 50 basis points. This marks the first rate reduction since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Alongside this decision, the Federal Reserve has projected an additional 50 basis points cut before year-end. The new target range for the federal funds rate is now 4.75% to 5%.

Key Takeaways from the Announcement

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell emphasized that future interest rate decisions will be made “meeting by meeting.” He projected the federal funds rate to be 4.4% by the end of this year and 3.4% by the end of 2025. Powell noted that these projections are lower than those made in June, reflecting expectations for lower inflation and higher unemployment.

“These projections, however, are not a committee plan or decision. As the economy evolves, monetary policy will adjust in order to best promote our maximum employment and price stability goals,” Powell stated.

Market Reactions and Implications

The rate cut was widely anticipated by economists and key players in commercial real estate, though many had expected a 25-basis-point cut. The move is likely to boost capital markets confidence, as the Fed begins the cutting cycle it has hinted at for several weeks. The central bank had maintained its elevated discount rate for over a year, challenging the commercial real estate sector to adapt to a higher-for-longer capital environment.

Nine FOMC members support an additional 50 basis points cut this year, with one member advocating for a 75 basis points cut. Seven members favor a 25-basis-point cut, while two members foresee no additional cuts in 2024.

A Rare Moment of Dissent

Wednesday’s meeting saw a rare moment of dissent when Michelle Bowman became the first Fed governor to vote against an interest rate decision since 2005. Bowman had advocated for a quarter-point cut.

Ryan Severino, chief economist and head of U.S. research at BGO, noted that many expected the central bank to cut rates sooner. “They have left rates elevated for more than a year, which I don’t think most people had on their bingo card at the start of the year,” Severino said. He added that there might be some residual hesitancy in the market that will take time and confidence to unwind.

Looking Ahead

While the Fed’s move was met with relief by many in the commercial real estate sector, LHMeyer economist Derek Tang cautioned that the cuts could have mixed effects. “As interest rates come down, a lot of real estate assets might start to look more attractive, but we also have to remember, one of the reasons why interest rates are coming down is also because the labor market is weakening,” Tang explained.

Join the Conversation

What are your thoughts on the Fed’s decision to cut interest rates? How do you think it will impact the real estate market and the broader economy? Share your insights and join the conversation in the comments below. Let’s discuss how these changes might affect our financial landscape and what steps we can take to navigate them.

[tamanna31]

Non-destructive Testing Market - The Biggest Trends to watch out for 2024-2030

Non-destructive Testing Industry Overview

The global non-destructive testing market size was valued at USD 20,019.5 million in 2023 and is expected to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.9% from 2023 to 2030.

The growing manufacturing activities across the developing and the developed nations is estimated to drive the market over the forecast period. Furthermore, the increasing technological innovations pace have enable the development of advanced non-destructive testing processes with improved & precise safety & fault detection. Furthermore, increasing awareness amongst the manufacturers regarding the use of Non-destructive Testing (NDT) is expected to improve the penetration of NDT techniques in the coming years.

Gather more insights about the market drivers, restrains and growth of the Non-destructive Testing Market

The utilization of NDT techniques in projects allows for quicker completion due to the detection of faults in complex areas and irregular surfaces. This reduction in the possibility of failures is expected to drive the demand for non-destructive testing in the coming years. Additionally, the ease of operating and efficiency in fault detection provided by ultrasonic equipment, compared to other NDT equipment, is a significant factor contributing to the increasing adoption of the ultrasonic test method. Moreover, advancements in ultrasonic technology anticipated within the next eight years are likely to further boost the adoption of this testing procedure due to its simplicity.

The market is projected to experience significant growth during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the increasing urbanization in developing countries like India and China, which involves extensive construction and manufacturing projects. The fast pace of such projects necessitates the implementation of testing processes to ensure the quality of work. This trend is expected to have a positive impact on the growth of non-destructive testing (NDT) in these countries, consequently enhancing its global market penetration.

Increasing oil and gas projects in the Middle East and North America are expected to deploy NDT techniques in order to complete the projects in prescribed timelines and with finesse, thus fueling the demand for NDT equipment over the regions. Besides, the advancements in non-destructive testing technology have led to the development of radiographic testing equipment such as industrial CT scanners, which precisely detect faults in machinery and components. However, the cost of the NDT equipment and the expertise required to perform the tests increases the complexity and difficulty of deploying the radiographic testing method.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has had detrimental and unexpected consequences for various industries worldwide, such as automotive, construction, airlines, and manufacturing, among others. To mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus and its negative impacts, governments around the world implemented lockdowns as a precautionary measure. This led to disruptions in the global supply chain and a decline in industrial productivity, placing a strain on the global economy. Furthermore, the sudden outbreak of the virus also caused disruptions in companies' production and manufacturing capabilities.

Moreover, the influence of the pandemic on the non-destructive testing (NDT) market arises from the combined response of interconnected industries that utilize NDT for their operations. One such example is the defense industry, which has experienced a relatively mild impact compared to other sectors. This can be attributed to government budget allocations that safeguard the supply and demand ecosystem. While certain defense companies have been significantly affected by the financial shock, the impact is comparatively lesser than that observed in the aerospace sector.

Browse through Grand View Research's Electronic Devices Industry Research Reports.

• The global laser printer market size was estimated at USD 9.62 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2024 to 2030.

• The global power electronics market size was valued at USD 38.12 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% from 2024 to 2030.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Some of the key players operating in the market include MISTRAS Group, Olympus Corporation, Bureau Veritas, and General Electric.

General Electric has a diverse set of business units, including GE Power, GE Healthcare, GE Aviation, GE Digital, GE Transportation, GE Renewable Energy, GE Addictive, GE Lighting, GE Capital, GE Global Research, and Baker Hughes, a GE Company (BHGE). BHGE was formed by merging GE Oil & Gas with Baker Hughes Company in July 2017. In 2020, Baker Hughes Digital Solutions' Inspection Technologies division was rebranded as Waygate Technologies.

MISTRAS Group is a provider of asset protection solutions for evaluating the structural reliability and integrity of critical industrial, public, and energy infrastructure. The company specializes in integrating products and technologies to deliver customized solutions ranging from complex to routine inspections. It offers destructive testing, non-destructive testing, predictive maintenance, and mechanical integrity services.

Sonatest and Comet Group (YXLON International) are some of the emerging Non-destructive Testing (NDT) manufacturers.

Sonatest is a provider of non-destructive testing equipment. The company caters to industries such as manufacturing, marine, oil & gas, power generation, chemical, and railways. The company has a research center in Québec City, Canada, and a production facility in Texas, U.S. Moreover, the company’s distributors and agents offer sales and service coverage worldwide.

YXLON International offers Computed Tomography (CT) and X-ray systems for non-destructive testing and analysis. The company is part of Comet Holding AG, which was founded in 1948, and offers ebeam, radio frequency, and X-ray technology solutions worldwide. The company has a wide range of product portfolios, from modular CT & X-ray systems to fully automated, customized, and complex systems. It also offers training, remote diagnostics, and installation of X-ray & CT systems worldwide

Key Non-destructive Testing Companies:

Previan Technologies, Inc.

Bureau Veritas

Fischer Technology Inc. (Helmut Fischer)

MISTRAS Group

Comet Group (YXLON International)

MME Group

TWI Ltd.

Nikon Corporation

Olympus Corporation

Sonatest

Acuren

Intertek Group plc

CREAFORM

Vidisco Ltd.

SGS S.A.

General Electric

Recent Developments

In February 2023, Sonatest announced a collaboration with Echobolt, a U.K.-based operations and maintenance service provider. As part of the collaboration, the company combines its advanced hardware solutions with Echobolt's innovative services to offer Phased Array Ultrasonic Technology (PAUT) to the wind industry. It provides a solution for the inspection of bolts in wind turbines.

In February 2023, Waygate Technologies, a Baker Hughes business, announced a significant upgrade to its Krautkramer USM 100 ultrasonic testing device. The upgrade includes new features and improvements aimed at enhancing the device's performance and functionality. Krautkramer USM 100 is widely used in non-destructive testing applications across various industries, and the upgrade is intended to provide users with enhanced capabilities and efficiency.

In May 2021, MISTRAS Group introduced advanced Automated Ultrasonic Testing (AUT) pipeline inspection solutions in the Netherlands. The solution provides enhanced efficiency and safety during inspections

Order a free sample PDF of the Non-destructive Testing Market Intelligence Study, published by Grand View Research.

[docmerry]

Health is on the ballot in November

I’ve seen the gurney from both sides now (with apologies to Joni Mitchell)

In the early eighties, I studied Naturopathic Medicine at Bastyr University. A beloved teacher of mine often joked, "If you ever get diagnosed with cancer, don't call your doctor, call your travel agent." That line always got a laugh. Then, I was diagnosed with cancer.

Thirty years later, as I was being wheeled into the operating room, my wonderful surgeon, Joanie Hope, leaned over the gurney and reassured me, "I'm going to take good care of you."

"I know you will," I replied.

That’s what medicine is supposed to be about. A trusting relationship between patient and provider. At no point should the grinding stress of financial ruin be layered on top of the hard work of not dying.

In my practice, I've often told patients, "I can't dictate what you can afford, but this is what you need." When I was a student, I didn't realize the significant impact cost would have on deciding which tests and procedures, even routine ones, to order. Like many in the medical field, my primary desire was to assist people in line with my training.

If nothing else, COVID-19 has shown that our healthcare providers are exceptional, with nurses donning garbage bags, refrigerator trucks filled with bodies, and a sense of building the plane while flying it. They have indeed risen to the occasion.

It also revealed a couple of glaring flaws. Not everyone has access to care, despite the Affordable Care Act, and it is unbelievably expensive when compared to the rest of the world

The United States held the unfortunate record for the highest number of Covid cases and deaths globally.       

May 2021

COVID hit us hard. But did it hit hard enough to convince us to take some strong medicine?

Even though the US spends more, a lot more, on healthcare than any other country, we are not a nation of healthy people.

I cannot go through the whole "Medicine according to Marx " lecture here. For now, I will borrow the words of Yashaswini Singh, a Healthcare economist at Johns Hopkins University.

"There has been a longstanding tension between medicine as a profession and healthcare as a business. The key concern has always been that business obligations to shareholders might not align with physicians' obligations to patients"

Healthcare expenditures, measured as a percentage of GDP (the total value of goods and services produced annually), have risen from 5% in 1960 to 17.3% in 2022, according to Vankar. While I am not an economist, this represents a significant sum of money, predominantly managed by private equity funds, hedge fund managers, and pharmacy benefit managers. One might wonder, what could possibly go wrong?

Financial crisis of 2008-2009

HEALTH CARE ACCESS

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, also known as the ACA or Obamacare, has made strides in addressing the issue of access to health insurance for those who cannot afford it. The strategy includes expanding Medicaid—a move adopted by most but not all states—establishing a marketplace for individual health insurance, and offering subsidies to reduce the cost of policies. The uninsured rate decreased from 17.8% in 2010 to 8% in 2022, according to Tolbert, marking a significant benefit for the insurance industry.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, enacted during the Trump administration, mandated continuous Medicaid enrollment throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency. Upon its expiration at the end of March 2023, an estimated 25 million individuals, including a significant number of children, were disenrolled from health coverage, according to KFF.

Under the Biden administration, the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act have extended ACA subsidies until 2025, offering an average annual saving of $800 to 13 million people. (Dept. of Health and Social Services)

MAGA and Republican members of congress

Currently, the campaign is light on details, but it's known that in the summer of 2017, Congressional Republicans attempted unsuccessfully to dismantle Obamacare. This time around, Trump isn't focusing on repeal and replace rhetoric, but he claims to know how to fix our healthcare problems-because of course he does.

Project 2025 is an initiative developed by the conservative Heritage Foundation, aimed at influencing a new, like-minded President. Despite Trump's denial of any knowledge of this play book, many of the over 400 scholars and experts involved in Project 2025 have ties to his administration. The healthcare aspects focus predominantly on contentious cultural issues such as abortion, gender-affirming care, and fetal tissue research. It also proposes extensive changes to agencies like Health & Human Services, National Institutes of Health, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Further details will be covered in my upcoming issue on reproductive health.

In March of this year, the budget proposed by the Republican Study Committee in the House of Representatives, if enacted, would have cut $4.5 trillion from the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Additionally, it would have removed certain protections for consumers, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities. (White House briefing 3/26/2024)

Biden/Harris

The Biden administration has primarily concentrated on managing the costs of prescription drugs such as insulin for Medicare recipients. While this approach may be beneficial in the short term and on a superficial level, it does not address the core issue. To effectively tackle the problem, the administration might need to heed the counsel of Republican Teddy Roosevelt to "speak softly and carry a big stick." The negative impact of banks being "too big to fail" is well-known, but the consequences are far more severe when hospital chains reach such a magnitude. This principle also extends to medical appliance manufacturers, Big Pharma, and hospitals that claim non-profit status.

During her tenure as California's Attorney General, Harris was an active opponent of healthcare consolidation for seven years. It is anticipated that she will seek methods to restrict private equity ownership of healthcare facilities, prioritizing public health over shareholder interests.

During her 2020 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, Senator Harris endorsed a "Medicare for all" plan among several proposals. Subsequently, she has aligned with the Biden Administration's strategy to expand upon Affordable Care Act. The progressive members of the caucus are expected to persist in their strong advocacy for a single-payer option.

My Take:

It has been seven years, six months and twenty-one days since I was wheeled into that operating room and had that exchange with my doctor/friend Joanie Hope, and to date I have no evidence of disease. I am lucky. I know that.

I believe everyone deserves equal access to quality care and expertise. That's why I pay attention to what political candidates promise, but I place greater importance on their actions. Health is on the ballot.

Bibliography

DHHS, Inflation Reduction Act Toolkit. retrieved 9/2/2024

KFF.otg, Medicaid Enrollment and unwinding tracker, (8/24/2024) retrieved 9/2/2025

Tolbert J, Sing R, Drake P, (5/28/2024), The uninsured population and health coverage. KFF.org retrieved 9/2/2024

Vankar, Preet (2/16/2023), US Health expenditures as percent of GDP 1960-1922, statista. retrieved 9/1/2024.

Whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statement-releases/2024/03/26/fact-sheet-us-house-republicans-release budget-to-increase-health-care-costs. retrieved 9/2/2024

[visionarycios]

13 Major Lifestyle Changes After COVID-19 in 2024

Coronavirus is a term that the world has been uttering for almost two years now. Since the birth of the pandemic, the world has shifted to a new normal. The COVID-19 pandemic caused lasting changes to our lifestyle. These changes have continued and evolved into 2024. The virus’s impact has reshaped the way we live, work, eat, and play. Even in our daily social interactions, there are major changes. This article will give more information about 13 major lifestyle changes that society has adopted in the post-pandemic era.

Here are the 13 Major Lifestyle Changes After COVID-19 in 2024:

1. Remote Work Becomes the Norm

The most significant shift has been in the realm of work. Remote working is a major lifestyle change in industries. Companies have seen the benefits of flexible work. This has led to the widespread adoption of hybrid models. Employees enjoy the mix of working from home and the office. This has led to better productivity and work-life harmony.

2. Emphasis on Health and Wellness

Health and wellness are now center stage. People now prioritize their physical and mental well-being. The pandemic showed the need for a strong immune system. It led to more interest in fitness, healthy eating, and mental health. Online fitness classes, meditation apps, and telehealth services have become popular. Lifestyle changes like these have improved our productivity and mental health in general.

3. Rise of Telehealth Services

Telehealth services have revolutionized healthcare. They provide a safe and convenient way to consult with medical professionals. Virtual appointments are common now. They reduce the need for in-person visits and lower infection risk. Such lifestyle changes have made healthcare more accessible, especially for those in remote areas.

4. Increased Online Shopping

The shift to online shopping, accelerated by lockdowns and social distancing measures, has remained strong in 2024. Consumers appreciate the convenience and variety offered by e-commerce platforms. From groceries to luxury goods, almost everything can be purchased online, with quick and often contactless delivery options.

5. Home as a Multifunctional Space

Our homes have transformed into multifunctional spaces, serving as offices, gyms, schools, and entertainment centers. The demand for home improvement and renovation projects has soared as people seek to create comfortable and efficient environments that cater to their varied needs.

6. Digital Entertainment and Socializing

With traditional forms of entertainment and socializing disrupted, digital alternatives have flourished. Streaming services, virtual reality experiences, and online gaming have become primary sources of entertainment. Social interactions have shifted to digital platforms and are major lifestyle changes that affect us both positively and negatively.

7. Focus on Sustainable Living

The pandemic highlighted the fragility of our environment, prompting a shift towards more sustainable living practices. People are increasingly mindful of their ecological footprint, embracing eco-friendly products, reducing waste, and supporting sustainable brands. This change is reflected and has become one of the essential lifestyle changes ranging from diet to fashion.

8. Travel and Tourism Evolution

Travel has seen a cautious but steady resurgence, with a preference for domestic and nature-focused destinations. People are prioritizing health and safety, opting for smaller, less crowded locations and accommodations with stringent hygiene practices. The concept of “workations” — combining work with vacation — has also gained traction.

9. Community and Local Support

The pandemic fostered a sense of community and the importance of supporting local businesses. People are more inclined to shop locally, engage in community activities, and support small enterprises. This shift has strengthened local economies and fostered a sense of solidarity.

10. Financial Prudence

The economic uncertainties brought on by the pandemic have instilled a sense of financial prudence. People are more focused on saving, investing wisely, and managing debt. Financial literacy has gained importance, with individuals seeking knowledge and tools to secure their financial future. Such lifestyle changes are very important as people are becoming financially literate.

11. Changes in Education

Education has changed a lot. It now uses a hybrid model of in-person and online learning. Schools and universities have adapted to offer flexible learning options. This ensures that education continues uninterrupted. Online courses and digital resources have become integral to the learning process. Online education has made significant lifestyle changes in the lives of students. Students can now seek knowledge globally through online education.

12. Adaptation of Public Spaces

We have reimagined public spaces to accommodate new health and safety standards. Parks, restaurants, and recreational facilities have taken steps. They include social distancing, better cleaning, and outdoor seating. These changes ensure that people can enjoy public spaces. This is one of the lifestyle changes and adaptations that have reduced health risks.

13. Digital Transformation

The pandemic accelerated the digital transformation across various sectors, including business, education, and healthcare. The integration of digital tools and technologies has streamlined processes, improved efficiency, and enhanced user experiences. This trend is expected to continue, driving innovation and growth in the digital age.

The lifestyle changes brought about by COVID-19 have been profound and far-reaching. As we navigate 2024, these changes keep shaping our daily lives. They cultivate a society that’s adaptable, wellness-focused, and technology-driven. Embracing these new norms can help us build a tough and flexible future. We can thrive despite the challenges that come our way.

We can navigate the post-pandemic world better. We can do this by understanding and adapting to these 13 major lifestyle changes. These lifestyle changes help us lead fulfilling lives. The key is to stay flexible, put health first, and use digital tools to improve our quality of life. These adaptations show humanity’s resilience and cleverness. They prove that even with big challenges, we’ve emerged stronger and more united.

Also Read: The Different Types of Commodities

[ainews]

Rent is one of the most expensive costs of campaigning for politicians running for office at all levels – from local to federal. But with the coronavirus pandemic straining public finances and making it difficult for many to pay the rent, some candidates across the country have decided to donate their rent money to charity or put it toward a campaign fund.

The decision to forgo rent in order to fuel a political campaign is becoming increasingly popular among today’s politicians, who are juggling multiple responsibilities during this tough economy. From running a single-person grassroots campaign to managing a multi-million dollar political apparatus, rent payments can quickly pile up and become a significant financial burden.

In addition to rent, candidates also have to worry about other expenses such as paying staff, running online ads, and financing yard signs and mailers. For these reasons, some candidates have decided that their rent money should be put toward these needs instead.

The logic behind donating or diverting rent money for a campaign is simple – the money can be better used to get a message out across digital channels, canvassing neighborhoods, and giving people a chance to hear a candidate’s platform. That platform will likely have more of an impact on the elections than just paying rent.

For many candidates, this is the first time they are running a political campaign, and so far, the decision to donate or divert rent money to their campaign has paid off, according to recent polls. A good platform involving able communication can help candidates reach people who might otherwise not know about them and their work.

Ultimately, whether to donate or divert rent money for a campaign is a personal choice, and there is no right or wrong answer. However, it is important to remember that the decision can have far-reaching consequences for the very cause that candidates are running for.