80-90 jin

80-90 jin Sugar addiction is on the rise. Globally, sugar intake has quadrupled over the last 60 years, and it now makes up around 8 percent of all our calories. This sounds like sugar's keeping us fed, but added sugars are actually empty calories – they are bereft of any nutrients like vitamins or fibres. The result is massive health costs , with sugars linked to obesity around the world. Some estimates suggest that half the global population could be obese by 2035. A limited 20 percent reduction in sugar is estimated to save US$10.3 billion (£8.1 billion) of health costs in the US alone. Yet, sugar's impacts go far beyond just health and money. There are also many environmental problems from growing the sugar, like habitat and biodiversity loss and water pollution from fertilisers and mills . But overall, sugar hasn't received a lot of attention from the scientific community despite being the largest cultivated crop by mass on the planet . In a recent article , we evaluated sugar's environmental impacts and explored avenues for reducing sugar in the diet to recommended levels either through reducing production or using the saved sugar in environmentally beneficial ways. By phasing out sugar, we could spare land that could be rewilded and stock up on carbon. This is especially important in biodiverse tropical regions where sugar production is concentrated such as Brazil and India . But a different, more politically palatable option might be redirecting sugar away from diets to other environmentally-beneficial uses such as bioplastics or biofuels. Our study shows that the biggest opportunity is using sugar to feed microbes that make protein. Using saved sugar for this microbial protein could produce enough plant-based, protein-rich food products to regularly feed 521 million people. And if this replaced animal protein it could also have huge emission and water benefits. We estimate that if this protein replaced chicken, it could reduce emissions by almost 250 million tonnes, and we'd see even bigger savings for replacing beef (for reference, the UK's national fossil fuel emissions are around 300 million tonnes ). Given sugar has a far lower climate impact than meat, this makes a lot of sense. Another alternative is to use the redirected sugar to produce bioplastics, which would replace around 20 percent of the total market for polyethelyne, one of the most common forms of plastic and used to produce anything from packaging to pipes. Or to produce biofuels, producing around 198 million barrels of ethanol for transportation. Brazil already produces around 85 percent of the world's ethanol and they produce it from sugar, but instead of having to grow more sugar for ethanol we could redirect the sugar from diets instead. This estimation is based on a world where we reduce dietary sugar to the maximum in dietary recommendations (5 percent of daily calories). The benefits would be even larger if we reduced sugar consumption even further. Supply chain challenges This sounds like a big win-win: cut sugar to reduce obesity and help the environment. But these changes present a huge challenge in a sugar supply chain spanning more than 100 countries and the millions of people that depend on sugar's income. National policies like sugar taxes are vital, but having international coordination is also important in such a sprawling supply chain. Sustainable agriculture is being discussed at the UN's climate summit, Cop29, in Azerbaijan this week. Sustainable sugar production should factor into these global talks given the many environmental problems and opportunities from changing the way we grow and consume sugar. We also suggest that groups of countries could come together in sugar transition partnerships between producers and consumers that encourage a diversion of sugar away from peoples' diets to more beneficial uses. This could be coordinated by the World Health Organization which has called for a reduction in sugar consumption . Some of the money to fund these efforts could even come from part of the health savings in national budgets. We can't hope to transition the way we produce and eat sugar overnight. But by exploring other uses of sugar, we can highlight what environmental benefits we are missing out on and help policymakers map a resource-efficient path forward to the industry while improving public health. Paul Behrens , British Academy Global Professor, Future of Food, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford and Alon Shepon , Principal Investigator, Department of Environmental Studies, Tel Aviv University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article .Eight years on from the formation of the Human Cell Atlas (HCA) consortium, which set out with the hugely ambitious task of mapping the entire human body – around 37.2 trillion cells – scientists reveal that it's nearly at its first draft stage. This week, we got more of a glimpse of what's coming, with stunning images that belie the thousands and thousands of hours invested in creating this historic 'cell atlas.' THE HCA now has more than 3,600 researchers across 102 countries, collaborating on data that covers 18 biological networks in the body. For one of those networks, more than 30 scientists have , with the video below detailing skeletal formation, where cartilage (blue) acts as a scaffold before bone (purple) is formed. It also details the cellular composition of a developing cranium, where the top has no cartilage. It reveals the unique process of how our skulls form without first having the cartilage blueprint for it. "While genetic studies have mapped more than 100,000 disease-associated variants in the human genome, we do not know in which cells the majority of these variants are active, and which function they perform," noted researchers in their . As well as skull bones, the many collaborative teams have looked at the make-up of joints, the gastrointestinal tract, the lungs (above) and aspects of the brain. The aim is to better understand disease development and treatment efficacy, which could have a profound impact on the medical world. And, thanks to technology including AI and machine learning, the project has rapidly accelerated since its 2016 inception. There is a being used to build this complex atlas, too. Overall, it's a massive step forward in understanding cellular behavior, why some treatments work for some and not others, and in finding personalized therapeutics to account for cellular diversity. This groundbreaking work is expected to provide a comprehensive foundation to make research and drug development far more efficient. The large collection of new studies have been published across journals. Sources: ,Victoria Police has announced it's treating the Melbourne synagogue fire as a terrorist attack. The blaze at the Adass Israel synagogue in Ripponlea soon appeared to many, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, to be motivated by terror, but it took authorities four days to declare it. To the casual onlooker, this might seem odd. On December 6, masked men were seen pouring liquid on the floor while people were inside, before the building burst into flames. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, among others, was adamant it was clearly an act of terror. But whether or not something is terrorism isn't always easy to determine, nor is the current political argument about it very useful. If holding those responsible is the goal, careful investigation from the outset is the only way to achieve it, even if it means waiting longer. À lire aussi : Albanese announces antisemitism taskforce, as synagogue firebombing investigation upgraded What have police said? In a press conference, Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett outlined how the investigation has been upgraded from arson to counter-terrorism, based on investigations over the weekend. The main thing that changes operationally is unlocking more resources: more people with specific expertise, more federal and state cooperation and more agencies involved, including ASIO. Legally, it means those responsible potentially face harsher penalties. Any charges laid would likely be related to terrorism rather than regular arson or property destruction. Police have identified three suspects, but have said little about them. This is usual practice in these sorts of investigations as they don't want to alert the perpetrators that authorities are onto them. While police haven't explicitly said so, it's likely they've found evidence of the suspects' motivations. This could include finding their online footprints, social media posts and communications with...

NEW YORK (AP) — The huge rally for U.S. stocks lost momentum on Thursday as Wall Street counted down to a big jobs report that’s coming on Friday. The crypto market had more action, and bitcoin briefly burst to a record above $103,000 before pulling back. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% from the all-time high it had set the day before, its 56th of the year so far, to shave a bit off what’s set to be one of its best years of the millennium . The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 248 points, or 0.6%, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2% from its own record set the day before. Bitcoin powered above $100,000 for the first time the night before, after President-elect Donald Trump chose Paul Atkins, who's seen as a crypto advocate, as his nominee to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. The cryptocurrency has climbed dramatically from less than $70,000 on Election Day, but it fell back as Thursday progressed toward $99,000, according to CoinDesk. Sharp swings for bitcoin are nothing new, and they took stocks of companies enmeshed in the crypto world on a similar ride. After rising as much as 9% in early trading, MicroStrategy, a company that’s been raising cash just to buy bitcoin, swung to a loss of 4.8%. Crypto exchange Coinbase Global fell 3.1% after likewise erasing a big early gain. Elsewhere on Wall Street, stocks of airlines helped lead the way following the latest bumps up to financial forecasts from carriers. American Airlines Group soared 16.8% after saying it’s making more in revenue during the last three months of 2024 than it expected, and it will likely make a bigger profit than it had earlier forecast. The airline also chose Citi to be its exclusive partner for credit cards that give miles in its loyalty program. That should help its cash coming in from co-branded credit card and other partners grow by about 10% annually. Southwest Airlines climbed 2% after saying it’s seeing stronger demand from leisure travelers than it expected. It also raised its forecast for revenue for the holiday traveling season. On the losing end of Wall Street was Synposys, which tumbled 12.4%. The supplier for the semiconductor industry reported better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected, but it also warned of “continued macro uncertainties” and gave a forecast for revenue in the current quarter that fell short of some analysts’ estimates. American Eagle Outfitters fell even more, 14.3%, after the retailer said it’s preparing for “potential choppiness” outside of peak selling periods. It was reminiscent of a warning from Foot Locker earlier in the week and raised more concerns about how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain. Solid spending by U.S. consumers has been one of the main reasons the U.S. economy has avoided a recession that earlier seemed inevitable after the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates to crush inflation. But shoppers are now contending with still-high prices and a slowing job market . This week’s highlight for Wall Street will be Friday’s jobs report from the U.S. government, which will show how many people employers hired and fired last month. A report on Thursday said the number of U.S. workers applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but remains at historically healthy levels. Expectations are high that the Fed will cut its main interest rate again when it meets in two weeks. The Fed began easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high in September, hoping to offer more support for the job market. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.17% from 4.18% late Wednesday. The S&P 500 fell 11.38 points to 6,075.11. The Dow sank 248.33 to 44,765.71, and the Nasdaq composite lost 34.86 to 19,700.26. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mostly calm in Europe after far-right and left-wing lawmakers in France joined together to vote on a no-confidence motion that will force Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his Cabinet to resign. The CAC 40 index in Paris added 0.4%. In South Korea, the Kospi fell 0.9% to compound its 1.4% decline from the day before. President Yoon Suk Yeol was facing possible impeachment after he suddenly declared martial law on Tuesday night. He revoked the martial law declaration six hours later. Crude oil prices slipped after eight members of the OPEC+ alliance of oil exporting countries decided to put off increasing oil production. AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed.

Santa Claus has no need to worry about recent mystery drone sightings over New Jersey, a US Air Force general said Tuesday, as an annual tradition of "tracking" Saint Nick swung into action. General Gregory Guillot's reassurances came as the joint US-Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command reported that Santa and his reindeer were making stops across Asia, including Japan and North Korea. Santa's journey this year comes after weeks of mysterious sightings of alleged drones in New Jersey, sparking worldwide curiosity even as many of the reported sightings were debunked. "Of course we are concerned about drones and anything else in the air," NORAD commander Guillot told Fox News. "But I don't foresee any difficulty at all with drones for Santa this year." NORAD's Santa tracker dates to 1955, when a Colorado newspaper advertisement printed a phone number to connect children with Santa -- but mistakenly directed them to the hotline for the joint military nerve center. To avoid disappointing the little ones, NORAD's director of operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, ordered his staff to "check" the radar to see where Santa might be and update the children calling in on his location. When not spreading holiday cheer, NORAD conducts aerospace and maritime control and warning operations -- including monitoring for missile launches from North Korea, something perhaps on Santa's mind as he guided his reindeer-hauled sleigh over Pyongyang. The tracker, which has been modernized and moved online to noradsanta.org , includes a 3D map showing Santa's movements in real time, as well as a ticker -- constantly shooting upward -- showing approximately how many presents have been delivered. "North American Aerospace Defense Command always does a fantastic job helping us keep tabs on Santa's navigational heading and bearing in the skies above," astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second person to ever walk on the Moon, said on social media. Last year, US President Joe Biden joined in the fun at NORAD's call center, taking calls from children. As of Tuesday morning, some 1.2 billion presents had been delivered, according to NORAD. nro/bgs

Boise State naturally takes pride in its Fiesta Bowl heritage. The Broncos have been an FBS program for not quite three decades, but they have been to one of the grandest of the bowl games, the Fiesta, three times — and have won all three. All three of those trophies sit in the Bleymaier Football Center at Albertsons Stadium. Adding a fourth would be a significant step forward for a program that has re-emerged on the national stage. In the first year of the expanded College Football Playoff, No. 3 seed Boise State (12-1) will take on No. 6 Penn State (12-2) in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve, which is one of the quarterfinal games. The Nittany Lions have an impressive Fiesta Bowl legacy as well. They have been to the game seven times and won all seven. No team has won more — Ohio State and Arizona State each won five. “Our guys are very aware of our history here at Penn State,” head coach James Franklin said Monday morning. “And we spend a lot of time in the offseason talking about those things, or former players coming back to talk to our guys.” Penn State won its first Fiesta Bowl in 1977, defeating Arizona State 42-30 in the Sun Devils’ own stadium, where the game used to be played. Since then, the Nittany Lions emerged victorious in 1980, ‘82, ‘87, ‘92, ‘97 and 2017 — when they defeated Chris Petersen’s Washington team 35-28. The Broncos won their three Fiesta Bowls between 2007 and 2014. The first of those was a classic: a 43-42 overtime victory over the Adrian Peterson-led Oklahoma Sooners in 2007 that is considered one of the greatest college football games of the past 25 years. The Broncos’ other Fiesta Bowls were a 17-10 win over TCU in 2010 and a 38-30 victory over Arizona in 2014. They were underdogs in all three games and will be again on New Year’s Eve, with Penn State opening as 10.5-point favorites . Boise State remains the last non-Power 5 conference team to win the Fiesta Bowl. “We might not have what everybody else has, but we definitely have enough,” head coach Spencer Danielson said Monday. “And we’re going to continue to push forward.” Franklin, who briefly lived in Pocatello as Idaho State’s wide receivers coach in 1999, said Boise State has the “ingredients to succeed” that other schools often lack. “It’s in the university, it’s in the community, it’s embedded there. And that’s why you’ve seen so many people be able to go there and have success,” Franklin said. “... I’ve got a ton of respect for Boise, the university, the history, the traditions. We’re excited to play them.” The Broncos will have a big piece of that tradition on display in the game: the uniform combination they’ve had in every Fiesta Bowl victory. That consists of a blue helmet, white jerseys and orange pants. “I am a huge fan of the all-blues, the all-blacks and the all-whites. I have zero swag. I have zero feel of what people might want,” Danielson said with a laugh. “So I’m probably the wrong guy to ask, but I knew the second we were playing the Fiesta Bowl, (the uniform) wasn’t even going to be a conversation for me.” Fiesta Bowl, Boise State vs. Penn State When: 5:30 p.m. Mountain time Tuesday, Dec. 31 Where: State Farm Stadium (63,400, natural grass) TV: ESPN Radio: KBOI 670 AM and KBOI 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender) Records: Boise State 12-1; Penn State 12-2 Series: First meeting Vegas line: Penn State by 10.5 points Weather: Indoors This story was originally published December 24, 2024, 3:08 PM.RALEIGH, N.C. — “It was a somber afternoon.” Nico Sturm shared how the San Jose Sharks found out about the Mackenzie Blackwood trade to the Colorado Avalanche. The Sharks had just practiced at Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale on Monday, right before a flight to Raleigh. Blackwood was a full participant in a hard, hour-long practice, and it looked like business as usual for a San Jose squad that was trying to keep its spirits up after back-to-back lopsided losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers. Jake Walman, for example, tried to engage Mario Ferraro in a play-fight in a lighter moment on the ice. “After practice, we all went on the bus,” Sturm said after Tuesday morning skate at Lenovo Center, before the Sharks take on the Carolina Hurricanes tonight. “Bus doesn’t leave, something’s going on, you hear some rumors, and then, I think Warso talked to the leadership group and find out, made a trade.” San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky shared, “When Blacky gets traded, it was right in front of the bus, and every guy got off the bus and gave him a hug.” None of this was for show: Mackenzie Blackwood was genuinely beloved in the Sharks locker room, which GM Mike Grier spoke to yesterday. Alternate captain Ferraro, much the same way himself, appreciated Blackwood’s relentless positivity through two tough seasons. The Sharks have won just 29 of their last 112 games since Blackwood joined the team in the summer of 2023. “When the season may not be going your way, which happens to every team, you need guys to be positive and stay positive and believe in the group,” Ferraro said. “He was always someone that did that and then went out there and played his heart out for us and gave us a chance.” “Infectious guy, always positive attitude, a smile, cracking jokes. Knows when to work hard. Knows when to keep it a little looser when it’s needed,” Sturm said. “I was really close with him,” Ferraro added. “A lot of guys were, he was a team guy, great teammate, great guy to spend some time off the ice with.” Those good vibes reached even Yaroslav Askarov, who Blackwood knew was in line to eventually take his job as San Jose Sharks starter. After the 22-year-old super prospect’s first win as a Shark and first NHL assist on Nov. 25 against the Los Angeles Kings, Blackwood, who backed up Askarov that night, could be heard telling his understudy in the locker room post-game, “You’re like Bobby Orr back there with the puck!” “Loves when the boys do well, just loves the guys. He’s a great team guy,” Jake Walman said. “Any team is pretty lucky to have a guy like that.” And of course, Blackwood kept the rebuilding San Jose Sharks in a lot of games that they had no business being in over the last two years. Exhibit A, Blackwood’s debut in teal last year, a 51-save 2-1 shootout loss to the Avs. Exhibit B, Blackwood’s last game as a Sharks, a 51-save 3-1 defeat to the Florida Panthers. Mackenzie Blackwood appreciation tweet: He is the only goaltender in @NHL history who made 50 saves or more in both his first and last games for a team. He is also the first goalie in #SJSharks history to make 50+ saves in more than one game. He will do well in COL. A great guy. — Dan Rusanowsky (@DanRusanowsky) December 10, 2024 “Obviously, he’s had our back. I think you saw it last game,” Sturm said. “Bailed us out big time.” “Obviously, you know what he did for our group,” Ferraro said. “He competed every night. He kept us in a lot of games.” But like Grier alluded to yesterday, Blackwood played his way out of San Jose. There’s a reason why Colorado, eyeing a deep playoff run, wanted the talented netminder. The rebuilding Sharks didn’t necessarily need to lock up an overperforming 28-year-old UFA-to-be goaltender to a long contract, especially with Askarov waiting in the wings. “We all love him in here, and obviously he’ll be missed,” alternate captain Luke Kunin said. “Like everyone says, that’s an unfortunate part of the business.” It’s Warsofsky’s job to find the silver linings in a somber day, and he did. “Just like we did when we lost Matt Benning, high character people that we lose, we gotta move forward, and it almost has to bring us closer together,” he said. “That’s the type of group we have, I think they love each other and they’re brothers, and it’s painful when those decisions happen, and the business side comes out. But we got to move forward.” Sturm was part of the 2022 Stanley Cup-winning Avalanche, and he’s looking forward to that for Blackwood. “I texted him yesterday, bummed to see him go, good friend, but I told him, I’m excited for him, going to a world-class organization, top-to-bottom, very structured,” Sturm shared. “I told him he’ll be a better player for it at the end of the day, you leave practices every day, you leave the rink thinking, you got better because of the quality of the organization, the coaches, the players.” Frankly, that’s not the San Jose Sharks, yet. Which is why there will be more sad days like this coming for cellar-dwellers, from now until the Mar. 7 Trade Deadline. But as the song goes, first cut is the deepest. This article first appeared on San Jose Hockey Now and was syndicated with permission.

Galaxy aim to complete journey back to top in MLS Cup final

House approves $895B defense bill with military pay raise, ban on transgender care for minorsFor all their moral superiority, it turns out Democrats are every bit as willing to sacrifice democracy to their personal interests as are Republicans. President Joe Biden stood on high ground for the past year as his son, Hunter, moved his way through the courts on felony gun and tax-evasion charges. Asked repeatedly whether he’d pardon his son to spare him from prison, the president was adamant. He wouldn’t do it, he pledged. His allegiance was to the rule of law, he said, and the idea that no one is above it. He respected the legal process and would let the courts do their jobs, he vowed. But as the hour approached for Hunter to be sentenced and packed off to a prison cell, Biden changed his tune. Hunter is a victim of politics, he declared, prosecuted at the behest of the president’s political enemies. Hunter is a good guy, he claimed, who did bad things because of his past addiction to drugs. And so, Biden did what he promised not to do and signed a sweeping pardon sparing Hunter the legal consequences of his crimes. In putting his name on his son’s pardon, Biden laid waste to the foundational principle of our democracy that all Americans are equal under the law. Try to get the mother of a son rotting in prison because his love of crack led him astray to believe the justice her boy received was equal to that meted out to Hunter. The president’s son is now free to resume partying without paying off any of his debt to society. The pardon is the final smackdown to Democrats’ puffed-up claim to be all that stands between democracy and tyranny. That’s never been true, and certainly wasn’t in 2024, a year in which the Democratic Party abandoned democracy wholesale in its quest to hold onto power. Ironically, Biden was one of the main victims. Having won the primary votes necessary to claim the party’s nomination, the president was ousted from his reelection race in an intra-party coup orchestrated by the Democratic elite. The party politburo then abandoned the democratic nominating process and bestowed its nomination on Vice President Kamala Harris, who didn’t win a single primary vote. When it comes to assaults on democracy, however, that usurping of the electoral process pales in comparison with what Democrats did to the centrist No Labels movement. In a year in which a majority of Americans were unhappy with the major-party ballot choices, No Labels sought to offer a third choice selected from the political middle. Democrats declared war. Documents recently unsealed in a No Labels lawsuit against Democratic operatives reveal the length to which the party went to deny voters that option. Allegations raised in the lawsuit accuse party strategists of deploying an all-fronts offensive to intimidate both donors and potential candidates. They launched a false website that presented itself as the official No Labels site, espousing all sorts of extreme positions. Democrats also attempted to use the courts to block ballot access for No Labels and other third-party campaigns, including those of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Black activist Cornel West. Democrats will fight hard for your right to vote, as long as you vote for them. So spare us the smug Democratic claim to being the defenders of democracy. It’s a lie. But this is true: There are no righteous political parties. Finley writes for The Detroit News: detroitnews.com . Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Biden facing pressure to grant additional pardons

US Department Of Energy releases energy storage strategy and roadmap

NoneUS President-elect Donald Trump says he will direct his Justice Department to "vigorously pursue" the death penalty to protect Americans from "violent rapists, murderers, and monsters" when he takes power on January 20. or signup to continue reading Trump's statement on his social media platform Truth Social on Tuesday was in response to President Joe Biden's announcement on Monday that he had commuted the sentences of 37 out of 40 federal inmates on death row, converting them to life in prison without parole. "As soon as I am inaugurated, I will direct the Justice Department to vigorously pursue the death penalty to protect American families and children from violent rapists, murderers, and monsters," Trump said. Trump restarted federal executions during his first term in office from 2017 to 2021 after a nearly 20-year pause. Biden, who ran for president opposing the death penalty, put federal executions on hold when he took office in January 2021. Unlike executive orders, clemency decisions cannot be reversed by a president's successor, although the death penalty can be sought more aggressively in future cases. The Trump transition team on Monday had denounced Biden's decision, calling it abhorrent and favouring convicts who are "among the worst killers in the world." DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement Advertisement

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers headline the action-packed Christmas Day lineup and will go against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors . James still looks forward to playing against his former foe during the holiday season because of their shared court experience. Fans will tune in to ESPN and ABC on Dec, 25 as the Lakers-Warriors game will be the fourth out of the five games on the special day. On Monday, James and his team suffered a 117-114 loss against the Detroit Pistons . The All-Star forward discussed playing his former adversary over the holidays after the game. “Anytime you get an opportunity to be on the court and compete versus one of the greats that have played this game,” James said. “You don’t take it for granted. Like I said, ‘How many more opportunities we’ll get them to go against each other, so it’s always fun.” Over the summer, James and Curry played together for Team USA, leading the national team to a gold medal finish. The Lakers star was asked what it would mean if he wins against his former national team colleague on Christmas. “Depends on what side I’m on,” he continued. “Got to see it this past summer with Team USA and it’s been a great feeling, I’ve seen on the other side and that’s what we’re for.” When the Lakers and Warriors match up Wednesday, it will be the 4th time LeBron James and Stephen Curry will have played each other on Christmas. LeBron: “I don’t know how many more opportunities we’re going to get to go against each other ...” pic.twitter.com/y8MCZJR1aD — Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 24, 2024 James has been around in the league and appeared in 18 Christmas Day games. During that stretch, he’s averaged 26.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists with a 10-8 record. Curry, on the other hand, has played 10 games on the special holiday, earning a 4-6 record. During the holidays, he’s averaged 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists. LeBron James wants the Lakers to play with more physicality Following the Lakers’ loss to the Pistons, LeBron James addressed one of the main issues the team has struggled with. According to him, Los Angeles needs to match the opposing team’s physicality to try and win. “We just gotta match physicality with physicality,” James said. “ I can’t speak for nobody but myself when it comes to there. I’m a football player so I don’t mind physicality, to be honest. As a team, we just gotta be better with it – just be strong, that’s all.” LeBron was asked if opposing teams’ physicality is getting the best of the Lakers. His response: “I’m a football player so I don’t mind physicality, to be honest.” (via @mcten ) pic.twitter.com/1eNGRLTdVr — Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 24, 2024 This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A southeast Louisiana official has been accused of committing perjury for failing to disclose information related to a controversial grain terminal in the state's Mississippi River Chemical Corridor in response to a lawsuit brought by a prominent local climate activist. St. John the Baptist Parish President Jaclyn Hotard denied in a deposition that she knew her mother-in-law could have benefited financially from parish rezoning plans to make way for a 222-acre (90-hectare) grain export facility along the Mississippi River. Hotard also said in court filings, under oath, that no correspondence existed between her and her mother-in-law about the grain terminal, even though her mother-in-law later turned over numerous text messages where they discussed the grain terminal and a nearby property owned by the mother-in-law's marine transport company, court records show. The text messages were disclosed as part of an ongoing lawsuit filed by Joy Banner, who along with her sister, Jo Banner, successfully led efforts to halt the $800 million grain terminal earlier this year. It would have been built within 300 feet (91 meters) of their property and close to historic sites in the predominantly Black community where they grew up. The legal dispute is part of a broader clash playing out in courts and public hearings , pitting officials eager to greenlight economic development against grassroots community groups challenging polluting industrial expansion in the heavily industrialized 85-mile industrial corridor between Baton Rouge and New Orleans often referred to by environmental activists as “Cancer Alley.” “We are residents that are just trying to protect our homes and just trying to live our lives as we have a right to do,” Banner said in an interview with The Associated Press. The Banner sisters gained national attention after cofounding the Descendants Project, an organization dedicated to historic preservation and racial justice. In the text messages turned over as part of Joy Banner's lawsuit, Hotard, the parish president, says that she wished to “choke” Joy Banner and used profanities to describe her. Hotard also said of the Banner sisters: “I hate these people.” Hotard and her attorney, Ike Spears, did not respond to requests for comment after Tuesday's filing. Richard John Tomeny, the lawyer representing Hotard's mother-in-law, Darla Gaudet, declined to comment. Banner initially sued the parish in federal court in December 2023 after Hotard and another parish councilman, Michael Wright, threatened her with arrest and barred her from speaking during a public comment period at a November 2023 council meeting. “In sum: a white man threatened a Black woman with prosecution and imprisonment for speaking during the public comment period of a public meeting,” Banner's lawsuit says. It accuses the parish of violating Banner's First Amendment rights. Wright and his lawyer did not respond to requests for comment. Hotard and Wright have disputed Banner's version of events in court filings. At the November 2023 meeting, Banner attempted to highlight Hotard's alleged conflict of interest in approving a zoning change to enable the grain export facility's construction. Banner had also recently filed a complaint to the Louisiana Board of Ethics against Hotard pointing out that her mother-in-law allegedly would benefit financially because she owned and managed a marine transport company that had land “near and within” the area being rezoned. In response to a discovery request, Hotard submitted a court filing saying “no such documents exist” between her and her mother-in-law discussing the property, the grain terminal or Joy Banner, according to the recent motion filed by Banner's attorneys. Hotard also said in her August deposition that she had “no idea” about her mother-in-law's company's land despite text messages showing Hotard and her mother-in-law had discussed this property less than three weeks before Hotard's deposition. Banner's lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial early next year. Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96

RA Capital Management Announces Close of $1.4 Billion Acquisition of Aliada Therapeutics by AbbVie

Closing marks second significant acquisition from RA Capital's Raven incubator in 2024, and first acquisition of a company built by Raven from a technology platform in-licensed from a large pharmaceutical company BOSTON , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- RA Capital Management, LP (RA Capital), a multi-stage investment manager dedicated to evidence-based investing in public and private healthcare, life sciences, and planetary health companies, today announced that AbbVie has closed its $1.4 billion acquisition of RA Capital's portfolio company Aliada Therapeutics. Aliada's lead investigational asset is ALIA-1758, an anti-pyroglutamate amyloid beta (3pE-Aβ) antibody, which is in development for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and is currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial. ALIA-1758 utilizes a novel blood-brain barrier-crossing technology that enhances delivery of targeted drugs into the central nervous system. Johnson & Johnson (through its venture capital arm, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc.), RA Capital, and Raven (RA Capital's healthcare incubator) co-founded Aliada and co-led the series seed financing in 2021 to advance the MODELTM platform created by Johnson & Johnson scientists that was licensed to Aliada at its inception. "Congratulations to the Aliada and AbbVie teams and our fellow investors on the close of this transaction," said Joshua Resnick , MD, Senior Managing Director at RA Capital Management and former board director at Aliada. "The acquisition of Aliada is the second significant acquisition of a Raven-grown company this year, joining Novartis' $1 billion upfront acquisition of radiopharmaceutical developer Mariana Oncology in May." "Delivering therapeutics across the blood-brain barrier with a low-volume, subcutaneous injection would be revolutionary for treating Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders, and has long been a dream in the field," said Laura Tadvalkar , PhD, Managing Director at RA Capital Management and former board chair at Aliada. "We look forward to following ALIA-1758's progress through the clinic, as AbbVie advances this important medicine for Alzheimer's disease patients." About Raven Raven is RA Capital Management's healthcare incubator. Raven's experienced team of scientists, operators, and innovators bring deep sector expertise, insight and executional capabilities across therapeutics, diagnostics, devices, and services. Raven builds companies: from originating and incubating new ideas to accelerating compelling innovations and rejuvenating promising assets. About RA Capital Founded in 2004, RA Capital Management is a multi-stage investment manager dedicated to evidence-based investing in public and private healthcare, life sciences, and planetary health companies. RA Capital creates and funds innovative companies, from private seed rounds to public follow-on financings, allowing management teams to drive value creation from inception through commercialization and beyond. RA Capital's knowledge engine is guided by our TechAtlas internal research division, and Raven, RA Capital's company creation team, offers entrepreneurs and innovators a collaborative and comprehensive platform to explore the novel and the re-imagined. RA Capital has more than 175 employees and over $10 billion in assets under management. The companies presented herein were selected to demonstrate a potential successful outcome of a company being incubated within our Raven incubator. They are not intended to represent a complete picture of RA Capital's portfolio, its exposures, risks or potential for positive or negative returns. Past performance is not indicative of future results. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ra-capital-management-announces-close-of-1-4-billion-acquisition-of-aliada-therapeutics-by-abbvie-302329567.html SOURCE RA Capital Management, LPBERLIN: Lois Openda scored a brace as RB Leipzig roared back into form with a 3-0 home win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Cup last 16 on Wednesday, while Cologne found a winner in the 121st minute to advance. Leipzig and their coach Marco Rose came into the game under pressure, after five losses and a draw during a winless November, against a Frankfurt side sitting second in the league. The hosts, however, started with a flurry and had two goals ruled out for offside before Benjamin Sesko broke through after 31 minutes. The Slovenian striker collected an Antonio Nusa pass on the turn and bewitched the Frankfurt defence with some clever footwork before tapping home. Nusa was the provider again to double Leipzig’s lead four minutes after half-time, sliding the ball into the path of Openda, who hammered home. Nusa, still just 19, collected his third assist of the game nine minutes later, again finding Openda who rifled in from long range. After the goal, Openda ran straight to Rose on the sideline, leading his teammates who piled on and embraced the coach. “Today we wanted to do something, we wanted to fight together as a team — and we did that tonight,” Openda told Sky. “We wanted to win today and show we are all strong together, with the coach, the fans and the players — that we are one family.” Speaking with Sky, Leipzig and Germany wing-back Benjamin Henrichs praised his coach. “It’s not an easy time for him and for us as well, but it all came out (when we scored). The win was very, very important,” the 27-year-old said. German Cup winners in 2022 and 2023, Leipzig have made the final in four of the past seven seasons. The loss breaks a run of seven straight wins for Frankfurt and is their first loss since mid-October. Late, late goals Earlier, a 121st-minute Dejan Ljubicic penalty took Cologne to a 2-1 win over 10-man Hertha Berlin. Hertha took the lead early when Ibrahim Maza converted a penalty after Derry Scherhant was felled in the box. Berlin’s hopes took a hit soon after when Deyovaisio Zeefuik was red carded for a headbutt in the 25th minute. The visitors equalized five minutes later when Florian Niederlechner scored an own goal from a Cologne corner. With scores locked at 1-1, the match went to extra time. Ljubicic missed a sitter inches from goal on the 100th-minute mark but made good on his error, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, with penalties looming, to book Cologne’s place in the last eight. 2015 winners Wolfsburg beat Hoffenheim 3-0 at home thanks to three goals in 22 second-half minutes. Scoreless at half-time, Denis Vavro and Jonas Wind scored within four minutes of each other midway through the second half, before Yannick Gerhardt added a third to seal the game in the dying stages. The win continues Wolfsburg’s improvement under former Southampton and RB Leipzig manager Ralph Hasenhuettl, with the Wolves now unbeaten in seven games. Augsburg beat second-division Karlsruhe 5-4 on penalties away after visiting midfielder Ruben Vargas scored in the 123rd minute to level the scores at 2-2. Bayer Leverkusen, who eliminated 20-time winners Bayern Munich on Tuesday, have already booked their spot in the quarter-finals along with Stuttgart, Werder Bremen and Arminia Bielefeld, who are the sole third-division side in the final eight. — AFP

Beyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to ChabadContent Marketing Market to Grow by USD 654.78 Million (2024-2028), Driven by Social Media User Growth and AI-Redefining the Market Landscape - TechnavioA top Manchester bakery which often goes viral with its creations has announced it will be remaining open on Christmas Day for a special reason that has been hailed by customers as ‘wonderful’. Loaf MCR , which is based on Oxford Road , started life in the pandemic when founder Aiden Ryan began baking to raise money for the NHS. Stocked in the likes of Selfridges, Aiden opened his city centre spot, which is kitted out in bright pink, in 2022. Known for his mini loafs featuring everything from Oreo and Lotus Biscoff, alongside his own Pink Panther and Manchester Tart flavours, his Instagram-worthy creations are often a hit online. Aiden has now announced that the Oxford Road bakery will open for five hours on December 25 to help reduce isolation and loneliness on Christmas Day. There will also be reduced drinks and cakes with the bakery not making a profit on its expanded hours. In a post on Instagram, he wrote: “Tomorrow, we’ll be open on Christmas Day for a very special reason... For many, Christmas is a time filled with love, presents, family, and friends. But for others, it can be an incredibly difficult time of year. Some people are alone, and some don’t even have a safe space to enjoy the season. Aiden said he had decided to open on Christmas Day so people could 'have a safe space to enjoy the season' (Image: Instagram: @loaf_manchester) “That’s why I want Loaf to remain a place for everyone—especially on Christmas Day! Our Oxford Street store will be open from 11am to 4pm, offering plenty of hot drinks and cakes at a reduced price—or free for those in need. We won’t be making a profit tomorrow; we’re just covering costs to make it possible to open our doors.” Aiden has also encouraged customers to spread the festive joy at Loaf MCR by donating any wrapped gifts, toiletries or clothes they can, which will then be donated to local charities. He said: “We’d love to welcome anyone today or tomorrow, whether it’s to stop by or to drop off wrapped gifts, hats, gloves, scarves, or toiletries. These will be shared with visitors on the day or donated to local charities supporting vulnerable people. Loaf MCR's creations are often shared across social media, including their Custard Cream loaf cake (Image: Supplied) “This has been a big part of my family’s Christmas tradition for years, and it’s wonderful to now offer not just gifts, but also a warm, kind space for those who need it most in the city centre. Everyone deserves warmth and kindness on Christmas Day!” The news was praised by many of Loaf’s followers. One person said: This is why we love you..... Merry Christmas xxx". Another said: "You are wonderful." Gran T Coffee House added: "You are truly a beautiful human". Loaf Mcr (Oxford Road, M1 6EG) will be open from 11am to 4pm on Christmas Day. More information on Instagram .

In Kolhan, ‘derailed’ BJP improves tally, but INDIA bloc has last laugh