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Newsmakers of the Week JULY 11, 2025 | The Indian Eye 30

NEWSMAKERS OF THE WEEK

Selected stories about Indian diaspora from our website www.theindianeye.com

Shubhanshu Shukla leads York Times Company and a board
member since 2018.
With a background in digital
space muscle research, teaches media and leadership roles at Time
Inc., Shah brings valuable experience
digestion in zero gravity to the institution’s mission of acces-
sible, high-quality journalism educa-
tion.
The Newmark J-School Founda-
tion funds a variety of initiatives, in-
cluding scholarships, stipends, train-
ing programs, and research, with a
renewed emphasis on equity and
accessibility. Shah’s appointment
marks a key moment in the school’s campaign for tuition-free education.

Kangana Ranaut

questions Zohran Mamdani’s

cultural identity post NYC

mayoral primary win

ndian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, aboard the International Space Sta-
tion (ISS) as part of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), is conducting cutting-edge
Iresearch into muscle regeneration in space. On Monday, Shukla used the
Kibo laboratory’s Life Sciences Glovebox to handle muscle stem cell cultures
under microgravity, part of ISRO’s Myogenesis experiment.
The aim is to understand how mitochondria dysfunction in space contrib-
utes to muscle loss, and whether metabolic supplements can aid repair. The
findings could benefit not just astronauts but also patients on Earth suffer-
ing from muscle-wasting diseases or age-related muscle decline. Shukla also
filmed an educational video for Indian school students, explaining how diges-
tion adapts in space.
Other Ax-4 astronauts carried out complementary exper-
iments. Peggy Whitson scanned the veins of Hungarian astro-
naut Tibor Kapu to study blood flow in space, while Polish astro-
naut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski tested a brain-computer interface
designed by the ESA and later joined a mental health study with Shukla.
Shukla, who became the first Indian aboard the ISS on June 26, launched fter winning the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, Zohran
with the Ax-4 team aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The Dragon spacecraft Mamdani, a 33-year-old Indian-origin democratic socialist and New
docked with the ISS on June 26. The mission is expected to last 14 days. AYork State Assembly member, faced sharp commentary from actor-pol-
itician Kangana Ranaut.
Taking to X, Ranaut questioned Mamdani’s cultural and religious identity,
Vivek Shah elected Chair of writing, “Whatever happened to his Hindu identity or bloodline?” while congrat-
ulating his filmmaker mother Mira Nair and author father Mehmood Mamdani.
Craig Newmark J-School Mamdani, born in Uganda and raised in the US, has emerged as a rising pro-
gressive voice, advocating for rent freezes, universal childcare, public trans-
port access, and tax reform.
Foundation Board His platform and grassroots campaign won praise from rivals, including An-
His historic run positions him as potentially the city’s first Muslim mayor.

drew Cuomo, who conceded defeat graciously. Support also came from prom-
he Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY has ap- inent progressives like AOC and Bernie Sanders. Ranaut’s remarks sparked
pointed Vivek Shah, CEO of Ziff Davis, as Chair of its Foundation debate, drawing attention to identity politics amid Mamdani’s political ascent.
TBoard. Shah succeeds Arthur Sulzberger Jr., former chair of The New Continued on next page... >>

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