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As part of a national “moonshot” to cure blindness, researchers at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus will receive as much as $46 million in federal funding over the next five years to pursue a first-of-its-kind full eye transplantation. “This is no easy undertaking, but I believe we can achieve this together,” said Dr. Kia Washington, the lead researcher for the University of Colorado-led team, during a press conference Monday. “And in fact I’ve never been more hopeful that a cure for blindness is within reach.” The CU team was one of four in the United States that received funding awards from the federal Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health , or ARPA-H. The CU-based group will focus on achieving the first-ever vision-restoring eye transplant by using “novel stem cell and bioelectronic technologies,” according to a news release announcing the funding. The work will be interdisciplinary, Washington and others said, and will link together researchers at institutions across the country. The four teams that received the funding will work alongside each other on distinct approaches, though officials said the teams would likely collaborate and eventually may merge depending on which research avenues show the most promise toward achieving the ultimate goal of transplanting an eye and curing blindness. Dr. Calvin Roberts, who will oversee the broader project for ARPA-H, said the agency wanted to take multiple “shots on goal” to ensure progress. “In the broader picture, achieving this would be probably the most monumental task in medicine within the last several decades,” said Dr. Daniel Pelaez of the University of Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, which also received ARPA-H funding. Pelaez is the lead investigator for that team, which has pursued new procedures to successfully remove and preserve eyes from donors, amid other research. He told The Denver Post that only four organ systems have not been successfully transplanted: the inner ear, the brain, the spinal cord and the eye. All four are part of the central nervous system, which does not repair itself when damaged. If researchers can successfully transplant the human eye and restore vision to the patient, it might help unlock deeper discoveries about repairing damage to the brain and spine, Pelaez said, as well as addressing hearing loss. To succeed, researchers must successfully remove and preserve eyes from donors and then successfully connect and repair the optical nerve, which takes information from the eye and tells the brain what the eye sees. A team at New York University performed a full eye transplant on a human patient in November 2023, though the procedure — while a “remarkable achievement,” Pelaez said — did not restore the patient’s vision. It was also part of a partial face transplant; other approaches pursued via the ARPA-H funding will involve eye-specific transplants. Washington, the lead CU researcher, said she and her colleagues have already completed the eye transplant procedure — albeit without vision restoration — in rats. The CU team will next work on large animals to advance “optic nerve regenerative strategies,” the school said, as well as to study immunosuppression, which is critical to ensuring that patients’ immune systems don’t reject a donated organ. The goal is to eventually advance to human trials. Pelaez and his colleagues have completed their eye-removal procedure in cadavers, he said, and they’ve also studied regeneration in several animals that are capable of regenerating parts of their eyes, like salamanders or zebra fish. His team’s funding will focus in part on a life-support machine for the eye to keep it healthy and viable during the removal process. InGel Therapeutics, a Massachusetts-based Harvard spinoff and the lead of a third team, will pursue research on 3-D printed technology and “micro-tunneled scaffolds” that carry certain types of stem cells as part of a focus on optical nerve regeneration and repair, ARPA-H said. ARPH-A, created two years ago, will oversee the teams’ work. Researchers at 52 institutions nationwide will also contribute to the teams. The CU-led group will include researchers from the University of Southern California, the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University and Johns Hopkins University, as well as from the National Eye Institute . The teams will simultaneously compete and collaborate: Pelaez said his team has communicated with researchers at CU and at Stanford, another award recipient, about their eye-removal research. The total funding available for the teams is $125 million, ARPA-H officials said Monday, and it will be distributed in phases, in part dependent on teams’ success. U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, a Democrat who represents Denver in Congress, acknowledged the recent election results at the press conference Monday and pledged to continue fighting to preserve ARPA-H’s funding under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. The effort to cure blindness, Washington joked, was “biblical” in its enormity — a reference to the Bible story in which Jesus cures a blind man. She and others also likened it to a moonshot, meaning the effort to successfully put Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon nearly 50 years ago. If curing blindness is similar to landing on the moon, then the space shuttle has already left the launchpad, Washington said. “We have launched,” she said, “and we are on our trajectory.”The newly elected president Donald Trump communicated that Kevin Marino Cabrera is his nominee for the new U.S. ambassador to Panama, just days after announcing that his country should take control of the Panama Canal, sparking a diplomatic crisis with an allied country. PUBLICIDAD "I am pleased to announce that Kevin Marino Cabrera will serve as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Panama, a country that is ripping us off on the Panama Canal, far beyond their wildest dreams," Trump posted on his social network Truth Social. PUBLICIDAD Trump wants to fight for the Panama Canal "Few understand Latin American politics as well as Kevin. He will do a FANTASTIC job representing the interests of our nation in Panama!" added on Truth Social. During his announcement on Christmas Day, Trump mentioned that the United States should extend its territory by taking control of the Panama Canal, Greenland, and Canada. While Trump wished a Merry Christmas, he added that "including the wonderful soldiers from China, who operate with love, but illegally, the Panama Canal". Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino rejected Trump's sudden idea: "The sovereignty and independence of our country are not negotiable," he said in a video. The Panama Canal is an important commercial route that was originally built by the United States in 1904. The waterway has been under Panama's control since 1999 after negotiations between the Carter administration and Panamanian dictator Omar Torrijos in 1977 led to the establishment of two treaties. Who is the new ambassador of Panama? Cabrera was born in Miami and won the elections in his county two years ago. He is loyal to Trump and in 2020 he was the state director of Florida for the campaign and a member of the Platform Committee of the National Republican Committee. According to their social media, they were born to Cuban parents in exile and graduated from Miami Dade College and Florida International University.

NoneResearchers launch “moonshot” to cure blindness through eye transplantsOpinion: Teachers lack resources to meet classroom needs, and absences shouldn't surprise us

Year in Review: North Carolina’s 24 in 2024Everything You Need To Know About The $7 Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W2025 predictions: How creators will beat the algorithmArticle content Premier Danielle Smith is making good on her promise to fight the federal government’s draft emissions cap regulations, saying she plans to pursue measures like withholding data related to emissions from the federal government unless approved by the province and barring any federal officials from entering oil and gas facilities. At a press conference on Tuesday, Smith said the province plans to invoke the Alberta Sovereignty Within A United Canada Act, which allows the province to push back against federal laws or policies that negatively impact Alberta. A motion could come as soon as Monday. “We’re telling Ottawa your cap goes too far,” Smith said. “This is not the way federal-provincial relations should be.” Miles ahead of the issue Postmedia spoke to Eric Adams, a law professor at the University of Alberta, about what this means, the timeline, and the necessity. Adams said the federal regulations are still only drafts and have not come into force yet. He said if the regulations were enacted, they would not have compliance requirements until 2030 at the earliest. He said in some ways, the province is announcing a future fight that “may not come to pass.” “I think it’s an attempt to get in front of the issue,” Adams said. “There (are) a lot of miles on the highway between now and then, and so the political context of this entire matter may change, and it may change dramatically, especially if there’s a change in government at the federal level.” On Nov. 4, federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault announced draft regulations that would force oil and gas producers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about one-third over the next eight years. The regulations look to force emissions from upstream oil and gas operations to fall to 35 per cent less than they were in 2019 sometime between 2030 and 2032. Upstream oil and gas operations contributed around 31 per cent of Canada’s total emissions in 2022, according to Guilbeault. From 2019 to 2022, emissions from the sector fell by seven per cent. Motion needs to be debated, passed For the province to invoke the Sovereignty Act, a motion first needs to be introduced in the legislature that says the proposed federal emissions regulations are unconstitutional in the view of the legislature. Reporters were told this would likely happen next week. The motion would first be debated, and if it is passed by a majority vote of MLAs, it would trigger cabinet to make a series of orders. Smith outlined measures her government plans to pursue through a mix of police regulations and legislation but said other changes would also be considered: “If any of this comes to pass, many years from now, then I think those will be future lawsuits to be had, but in the meantime, I think (this is) intended to present a response that is demanded by the political constituency that supports getting tough on Ottawa,” Adams said. Alberta cannot pursue legal action against the federal government because the act has not been made into law yet. Feds push back In a joint statement to Postmedia, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Canada Jonathan Wilkinson and Guilbeault said under the regulations, production and jobs will increase while pollution goes down, calling it “a win-win-win.” “While we fight for workers, the only people Premier Smith is fighting for are oil and gas CEOs taking home multimillion-dollar salaries and declaring that Christmas is coming early for their shareholders,” the statement said. “We are very confident in the constitutionality of the regulations. The Supreme Court has confirmed the federal government’s role on environmental issues and the regulation of greenhouse gas pollution.” — with files from Matthew Black and Tyler Dawson ctran@postmedia.com @kccindytran Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters . You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun

Rubbish clearing delays Sungai Subang projectNIGEL Farage is considering legal action after Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused him of using a fake membership counter. The Reform UK boss hit back after the Opposition leader claimed he was “manipulating his own supporters” with a website display which was “coded to tick up automatically”. Last night, the ticker showed Reform’s membership hitting over 144,000 — making it bigger than the Conservative party , which stands at about 132,000. Mr Farage called Ms Badenoch’s claims “disgraceful” and demanded an apology. He vowed: “I’m going to take some action in the next couple of days. I’ve got to decide what it is.” And asked if he was going to sue for libel, Mr Farage told reporters: “I am certainly not going to take it lying down. READ MORE ON NIGEL FARAGE “I think it’s an absolutely outrageous thing for her to have said. “I know she’s got a very bad temper. I know she’s well known for lashing out at people, but I am not at all happy.” He says he will confirm within two days exactly what he plans to do if she does not apologise for her “intemperate outburst”. Reform UK demonstrated to several media outlets its ticker was linked to real-time member counts, showing evidence it is not automated. Most read in The Sun The row erupted after Mr Farage declared on Boxing Day that Reform UK had surpassed the Tories in membership, projecting the ticker on to Tory HQ in London . But a Tory source said: “Fake Farage is clearly rattled.”

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Everything You Need To Know About The $7 Raspberry Pi Pico 2 WLeader of the people When she left venue after addressing rally, large of people came out onto streets to catch glimpse of their great leader Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. — TheNews/File December 27 is indeed the darkest day in our country's history – the day Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, the courageous champion of democracy, was brutally targeted by terrorists after addressing a grand public jalsa in Rawalpindi. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); I still remember that the daughter of the East and the first female elected prime minister of the Islamic world was paying tribute to her great legendary father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and millions of people attending the rally were raising slogans in support of the PPP. When she left the venue after addressing the rally, a large of people came out onto the streets to catch a glimpse of their great leader. This was the vulnerable moment when terrorists carried out a murderous attack on Benazir Bhutto. When she was martyred, Pakistan was on the verge of breaking up. Her courageous spouse, Asif Ali Zardari, stepped forward in such critical circumstances to safeguard our beloved country. Playing a leading role, he raised the slogan “Pakistan Khappay” bravely. He convinced the political stakeholders that the best revenge is democracy while emphasising that the real source of power in any country are the people and that there is a dire need for a politics of reconciliation to move Pakistan forward in the right direction. No doubt, he made the tough decision to embrace all his past political opponents heroically for the survival of Pakistan. Today, when I say that the PPP is the only political party whose workers and leaders have sacrificed their lives for Pakistan, I face criticism from some circles. However, on the occasion of the martyrdom anniversary of Mohtarma Shaheed Rani, I would like to reiterate my principled position once again that if Quaid-e-Azam founded Pakistan, then Zulfikar Ali Bhutto saved Pakistan. Even when I was not a part of the PPP, I had made Zulfikar Ali Bhutto my role model politician. On the occasion of the annual death anniversary of the PPP founder on April 6, 2018, my column was published in these pages of The News when I was part of the PML-N. Terming Bhutto Sahib as a charismatic leader, I expressed that Bhutto is the name of an ideology and ideology never dies. Later, during the reign of Imran Khan, I was part of the PTI but even at that time, I acknowledged Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari following the democratic mission of his great mother. In my weekly column published on March 10, 2022, I stated that Bilawal Bhutto's power show was very impressive. That’s why, today, I feel eternal satisfaction that I have succeeded in becoming a part of a caravan of democracy in the form of the PPP, which has made valuable sacrifices for the continuation of democracy. Undoubtedly, Benazir Bhutto was a great asset to Pakistan. She had the status of a complete institution in herself. How can someone who was raised in the embrace of such a brilliant personality not possess political insight, foresight and leadership skills? Today, if her spouse is serving the highest post of the federation in the Aiwan-e-Sadr, then Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has emerged as a prominent democratic political leader. A few days ago, Ms Aseefa Bhutto Zardari was attending a ceremony, and I saw a clear glimpse of her great mother in her charismatic personality. Today, after seeing the enthusiasm of the caravans of supporters moving towards Larkana, I can confidently claim that the PPP lives in the hearts of the people. Although Shaheed Rani is currently not present among us, it is a source of satisfaction for me that President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Ms Aseefa Bhutto Zardari and Ms Faryal Talpur all are committed to carry forward her noble mission. The writer is a member of the National Assembly and patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council. He tweets/posts @RVankwani

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Attorneys want the US Supreme Court to say Mississippi's felony voting ban is cruel and unusualResearchers launch “moonshot” to cure blindness through eye transplants

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