SLOWLY shaking her head with disgust, Birhan Woldu is seething that her beloved Band Aid has come under attack. “That song helped keep me and thousands of others alive,” said the mother of two, with the grace and poise of an Ethiopian princess. Speaking to me at her rented apartment in the highlands of Tigray, Birhan is naturally protective over the 40-year-old pop song that has proved a constant milestone in her life. And the 43-year-old is also quick to defend the 1970s punk rocker whose sense of injustice created a social movement that defined a generation. Sir Bob Geldof calls Birhan “the daughter of Band Aid”. She considers him a second father. READ MORE ON BAND AID As a starving child, her image in a TV report helped alert the world to the tragedy unfolding in Africa . Today — 40 years after she almost perished in Ethiopia’s biblical famine — she has a heartfelt message for the Boomtown Rats frontman. Speaking down the lens of Sun man Louis Wood’s video camera, she told Geldof: “Hello my dad, how are you? I’d like to meet you again. “I need to introduce my husband and kiddies to you one day. Most read in The Sun “I hope we will meet again. I love you. Thank you, Bob.” As for the notion that the re-released Do They Know It’s Christmas? is tarnishing Africa’s image, she says of critics: “They are very wrong. “It’s a misunderstanding, misconception, a misrepresentation of Bob Geldof’s work. It’s not true. “I know the truth. Band Aid’s money has helped fund schools and hospitals. It’s very important for Tigray, Ethiopia and Africa.” ‘Hard nuts were crying’ Shortly after meeting Birhan on the day the new Band Aid single was released, my phone rings with an unmistakable Dublin accent on the other end. Some 3,700 miles away, Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof, 73, is about to go on BBC’s The One Show to push the latest remixed incarnation of Do They Know It’s Christmas? “Birhan is what Band Aid’s all about,” he told me. Hello my dad, how are you? I’d like to meet you again. I need to introduce my husband and kiddies to you one day. I hope we will meet again. I love you. Thank you, Bob The first time Geldof met Birhan was in a meeting engineered by The Sun in Ethiopia in 2004. Recalling our suggestion that Do They Know It’s Christmas? should be re-released that year, he said now: “I was tired. I told you, ‘If you f***ing organise it, I’ll do’.” So The Sun’s then-editor Dominic Mohan got Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Fran Healy from Travis on board and it was a goer. The 2024 version is a mash-up of the four previous incarnations of the song — including 2004’s rendition — remixed by producer Trevor Horn. As Geldof enthused when he told Live Aid viewers to “give us your f***in’ money” in 1985, he tells me: “The new version is really fantastic, absolutely beautiful. “ Zoe Ball was sobbing when she played it on Radio 2. She had to stop and put on another track. “All the f***ing hard nuts in the control room, I swear to you, they were crying. Trevor Horn has made this scrap of a song a work of art.” Not everyone agrees. Ed Sheeran said he would not have allowed his vocals from the 2014 version to be used had permission been sought. Geldof’s 1984 lyrics have come under intense scrutiny. It’s a f***ing pop song, not a doctoral thesis Sheeran endorsed a statement by British-Ghanaian rapper Fuse ODG who blamed Band Aid for “perpetuating damaging stereotypes” of Africa and “destroying” the continent’s “dignity, pride and identity”. But Geldof’s having none of it, telling me: “It’s a f***ing pop song, not a doctoral thesis.” Meanwhile, in her neat living room, Birhan performs Ethiopia’s coffee ceremony for us with daughters Claire, 13, and ten-year-old Ariam handing out popcorn. Her dad Woldu, 73, and husband Birhane, 43, proudly look on from the sofa. Incense is burned, mingling with the aroma of the roasting coffee beans. Dressed in a traditional white embroidered dress and shawl, Birhan looks back on an astonishing life. Born into this world on a dried ox skin splayed across the earthen floor of a mud-walled hut, she would go on to greet Madonna on the Live 8 stage in 2005 watched by billions around the world. Along the way she has met Brad Pitt , the Beckhams and Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates and appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Both her and Geldof’s lives are inextricably entangled with Band Aid. Bob was determined to do something after seeing BBC correspondent Michael Buerk’s harrowing 1984 reports from Ethiopia of thousands starving in a “hell on Earth”. Among the suffering masses, Birhan — stick-thin with her forlorn milky eyes rolling back into her head — was filmed apparently dying by a Canadian CBC film crew led by Brian Stewart. Her dad Woldu remembers: “Birhan was dying in my hands. I didn’t notice people were filming me.” A ragged funeral shroud had been laid out for three-year-old Birhan and her grave had already been dug at a clinic run by nuns on the outskirts of Tigrayan capital Mekele. Yet, by some miracle, her pulse returned and she survived. The CBC crew later returned to the clinic and to their amazement found Birhan alive. Today, she has little memory of famine times, saying: “Just to see my picture from then is upsetting.” Her mother Alemetsehay and big sister Azmera perished in the famine. Back in Britain, Geldof had rallied 80s pop and rock royalty — including Bono , Sting and Boy George — to sing his lyrics which Ultravox’s Midge Ure had put to music. The catchy pop record captured a public mood. Some bought boxes of the single to send as Christmas cards. Others bought 50 copies, kept one and put the others back. Geldof told me on Monday: “The bloke driving me around to all the studios today is a Serbian called Vlad. “He was watching Live Aid as a 21-year-old and thought Britain was so amazing, so exciting, that he just left his home and came here.” ‘Happy and healthy’ At the Wembley Stadium Live Aid concert the following summer in 1985, CBC’s desolate footage of starving Birhan was played on the big screens with The Cars’ haunting track Drive. The camera lingered on Birhan’s apparent final moments on Earth. It was the centrepiece of the gig watched on 85 per cent of the world’s TVs. After her unwitting brush with fame, Birhan carried on with her life, herding the family’s goats in the parched mountains of Tigray. Appearing on documentaries by CBC and the BBC , she studied plant science at college. Then in 2004, I travelled to Tigray and interviewed Birhan for a Band Aid anniversary piece. Geldof and Sir Tony Blair were in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa for a conference at the same time. What would happen if The Sun arranged for the father of Band Aid to meet its daughter for the first time? When Bob and the then Prime Minister clapped eyes on her, they both appeared close to tears. Birhan presented Blair with a cross from Lalibela, Ethiopia’s holiest Christian site. Today she recalls: “He was very happy. He said he’d keep it at home. “Bob hugged me and called me his daughter.” Sun Editor Dominic had called me moments before the meeting with the idea to ask Bob if he would re-record the Band Aid song. Geldof gave his expletive-laden affirmative without missing a beat. The Sun then flew Birhan over for the London recording and then for the massive Live 8 concert. Backstage a host of celebrities queued up to meet her. Brad Pitt quietly introduced himself, as did a chatty David and Victoria Beckham. Then the world’s richest man, Bill Gates, said hello. At the time she did not realise who most of the famous faces were. But when Jeremy Clarkson ambled past at the Hyde Park, London, supergig she shrieked with recognition. Top Gear was hugely popular in Ethiopia. Back in Ethiopia, she married and had her two daughters. Her marriage would break down, while she had to put up with assumptions from some in her community that fame had brought her wealth. Then, in 2020, a civil war broke out in Tigray with widespread atrocities, including massacres of civilians and rape, in the following two years. It resulted in famine and starvation again stalking the land. Birhan recalled: “Artillery was often passing over our heads.” To support her family, Birhan sold coffee beans on the street. Some three years ago she met new husband Birhane while working for the World Food programme where he was a supervisor. Today Birhan says she’s “happy and healthy”. Now the woman who has been an inspiration to so many wants to start her own charity to help children with disabilities. To date, Band Aid Charitable Trust has raised almost £150million, with Geldof adding: “The song’s vigour after 40 years is astonishing. “An American newspaper said recently it’s probably the most powerful song ever written in rock and roll.” Birhan now hopes Do They Know It’s Christmas? will be a huge hit once more and that another Live 8-style concert will follow. “I want my daughters to come and see me take part,” the daughter of Band Aid says. READ MORE SUN STORIES “It would make me so proud.” In tomorrow’s paper: how band aid’s cash is still changing lives.
The holidays are here, which means Christmas music has fully infiltrated the charts, radio and mall speakers alike. Most of that music precedes this year, from traditional classics sung by Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Brenda Lee to contemporary hits from Mariah Carey, Kelly Clarkson and Michael Bublé — all names that regularly appear on the Hot Holiday Songs chart each year. But like every year before it, 2024 is closing with a bevy of new Christmas recordings from modern artists spanning pop, R&B, hip-hop, K-pop, jazz and rock. Some of those artists — Lady Gaga, RAYE and Laufey, to name a few — put their own inventive spins on famous carols that originated long before this year. Others — such as FIFTY FIFTY, Coco Jones and GloRilla and Kehlani — released brand-new anthems celebrating love, light, mistletoe, snow, presents, family and all the good stuff we know and love about the best time of year. Meanwhile, a few musicians like Bleachers, Jessie Reyez and Conan Gray went the complete opposite direction with their original tracks, spurning festive stereotypes and tapping into the more melancholy parts of the holidays that people sometimes struggle with. If you’re ready to stir something new into your Christmas playlists, Billboard presents the 25 best new seasonal tracks from artists of all genres and backgrounds ready for playback as we bid adieu to 2024. And who knows? Some or all of these tracks might just end up becoming new favorites that you’ll return to for yearly listening. Keep reading to see our staff picks below. After performing it with Zane Lowe on Apple’s A Carpool Karaoke Christmas , Lady Gaga surprise-dropped her soulful rock cover of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” on streaming services, adding hers to a collection of famous spins on the classic by artists and acts including Bruce Springsteen, the Jackson 5 and more. Nigerian star Pheelz gave “Twelve Days of Christmas” a modern Afrobeats shakeup for Apple Music’s exclusive Carols Covered playlist . Also on Apple’s Carols Covered playlist is a gorgeous cover of “O Holy Night” from RAYE, whose effortless vibrato and gospel harmonies will take you to church. German pop-punk rebel Nina Hagen reemerged this holiday season to cover “Silent Night” in her native language — in which the original ode was written — combining peaceful lyrics with vibrant drums and a grooving bass line. Written and recorded for Netflix’s That Christmas , “Under the Tree” features Sheeran’s passionate vocals and swelling strings as he pines after a lost love over the holidays. As the flagship artist introducing younger generations to jazz, it was only right for Laufey to use her prodigal skills for Christmas music. The Icelandic musician sounds gorgeous on all four tracks of her new EP, A Very Laufey Holiday , but her orchestral “Santa Baby” cover is particularly warm and cozy. Brett Eldrege’s smooth crooning sounds exactly like the title of “Warm and Cozy” suggests. The cheerful track is one of eight songs on the singer-songwriter’s new album, Merry Christmas (Welcome to the Family) . Propelled by a slap bass, saxophone and bright harmonies, Jimmy Fallon and the Jonas Brothers’ “Holiday” collaboration is a funky standout from the late night host’s 2024 Holiday Seasoning album. The project also features tracks with Meghan Trainor, Justin Timberlake, Ariana Grande and Megan Thee Stallion, among others. Flirty and plucky, “Parson Brown” finds Dan + Shay paying tribute to one of Christmas’ most under-appreciated characters: the clergy member in “Winter Wonderland” who asks, “Are you married?” The tongue-in-cheek track appears on the country duo’s 2024 festive album, It’s Officially Christmas: The Double Album . The five voices of Pentatonix unite with the two voices behind A Great Big World for a moving ballad celebrating the arrival of the best time of year. Expect emotional piano, swelling strings and gorgeous harmonies when pressing “play,” and don’t be afraid to “sing it loud for all to hear.” Calum Scott and Christina Perri will have you feeling achingly nostalgic with “Kid at Christmas,” on which the duet partners’ voices cascade over emotional piano while singing about the magic of the holidays carrying over from childhood. Through voice-isolating technology , the late Bing Crosby’s estate was able to take an old recording and fashion it into a duet with one of the world’s biggest modern pop stars: V of BTS. The result was a revamped version of one of music’s most enduring holiday classics with the two cross-generational stars’ silky voices blending in perfect tandem. Jennifer Hudson’s dazzling personality and powerhouse vocals shine through on this soulful ode to one of the holiday season’s biggest stressors: Christmas shopping. The original tune is one of 16 tracks on the vocalist’s brand new album, The Gift of Love . The members of Little Big Town harmonize over finger-picked guitar on “Evergreen,” which poetically posits that our memories with late loved ones are forever, even if those people aren’t here with us anymore. The track is one of 11 on the band’s 2024 holiday album, The Christmas Record . On “Holidays,” Conan Gray reflects on the loss of youth, love and innocence measured incrementally with each passing Christmas. “The years have passed but you laugh exactly the same/ When I see you for the holidays,” the California native sings over tender strings and haunting bell tones. Saweetie’s “I Want You This Christmas” is the flirty holiday rap song equivalent of a romantic Christmas fireplace. For anyone you might want to meet under the mistletoe, this is the track to send them. Both Michael Bublé and Carly Pearce get solo moments to shine on the former’s original Christmas tune, each of the singers taking a verse before their voices twist together on the chorus. Bublé also dropped a solo version of the track, as well as one featuring Carlos Rivera. Forget hippopotamuses and two front teeth. Megan Moroney knows exactly what she wants under her Christmas tree: a strapping cowboy. Please, Santa, please. Mt. Joy teamed up with Philadelphia Eagles offensive linemen Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce and Jordan Mailata for “Santa Drives an Astrovan,” a folksy, “Jingle Bells”-sampling standout from The Philly Specials’ 2024 charity album, A Philly Special Christmas Party . Kelly Clarkson, one of the queens of contemporary Christmas music, returned with another holiday banger in 2024. The superstar’s vocals soar on the high-energy “You for Christmas,” which appears on her When Christmas Comes Around ... Again album. FIFTY FIFTY combine fun K-pop with snazzy retro jazz vibes on “Naughty or Nice,” a pace-changing banger that finds the girl group taking a page out of Santa Claus’ book and asking the eternal question: Are you naughty or nice? Only GloRilla and Kehlani could make a Christmas song that’s simultaneously beautiful and bada–. The two women perfectly complement each other’s energies on this dynamic track as the Memphis rapper’s swaggering bars contrast with the R&B vocalist’s melodic refrain: “Nothing compares to the love at Christmas time.” For anyone feeling more like a Grinch or Scrooge about the 2024 holidays, Jessie Reyez’s angry new post-breakup anthem cathartically disavows parties, mistletoe, Santa Claus and everything else about the season. Bleachers shared the melancholy rock track “Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call” in November for “everyone who experiences the holidays as a time to clean out those who have done you wrong,” frontman Jack Antonoff wrote on Instagram the day it dropped. Coco Jones breathed new R&B-pop life into the Christmas music canon with Coco by the Fireplace , a four-track holiday project. Standout track, “Santa Is Me,” is all about indulging in some well-earned self-love and retail therapy around the holidays, with the singer’s silky voice gliding over a punchy drum beat and lush harmonies as she sings, “If I don’t have anyone, I’m enough for me.”
Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid mixed trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% Monday after closing November at an all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared after saying an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or the company’s board. Retailers were mixed coming off Black Friday and heading into what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. On Monday: The S&P 500 rose 14.77 points, or 0.2%, to 6,047.15. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 128.65 points, or 0.3%, to 44,782. The Nasdaq composite rose 185.78 points, or 1%, to 19,403.95. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 0.59 points, or less than 0.1%, to 2,434.14. For the year: The S&P 500 is up 1,277.32 points, or 26.8%. The Dow is up 7,092.46 points, or 18.8%. The Nasdaq is up 4,392.60 points, or 29.3%. The Russell 2000 is up 407.06 points, or 20.1%.
The Atlanta Hawks were fined $100,000 by the NBA on Tuesday after a league investigation into star guard Trae Young missing an NBA Cup game two weeks ago. The NBA found the Hawks violated the league's Player Participation Policy when the 26-year-old American missed a November 12 contest at Boston. The probe, which included a review by an independent physician, determined the Hawks held Young out of a game, in which he could have played, under the medical standard clause of the policy, which is aimed at having top NBA talent play in regular-season contests. The Hawks, who beat Boston 117-116, said Young was unavailable due to tendinitis in his right Achilles tendon. Three-time NBA All-Star Young, who has not missed another game this season, has averaged 21.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and an NBA-best 11.9 assists so far this season. At 7-11, the Hawks are 11th in the Eastern Conference. The NBA also fined Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown $35,000 for aggressively pursuing a referee during his team's 108-103 home loss to Brooklyn on Sunday. The Kings are 8-10, 12th in the Western Conference after dropping four games in a row. js/bspNEW YORK — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid a mixed Monday of trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% from its all-time high set Friday to post a record for the 54th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 128 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared 28.7% to lead the market. Following allegations of misconduct and the resignation of its public auditor, the maker of servers used in artificial-intelligence technology said an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or by the company’s board. It also said it doesn’t expect to restate its past financials and that it will find a new chief financial officer, appoint a general counsel and make other moves to strengthen its governance. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up the market. Gains of 1.8% for Microsoft and 3.2% for Meta Platforms were the two strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500. Intel was another propellant during the morning, but it lost an early gain to fall 0.5% after the chip company said CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired and stepped down from the board. Intel is looking for Gelsinger’s replacement, and its chair said it’s “committed to restoring investor confidence.” Intel recently lost its spot in the Dow Jones Industrial Average to Nvidia, which has skyrocketed in Wall Street’s frenzy around AI. The majority of stocks in the S&P 500 fell, including California utility PG&E. It dropped 5% after saying it would sell $2.4 billion of stock and preferred shares to raise cash. Retailers were mixed amid what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record and coming off Black Friday. Target fell 1.2%. Walmart rose 0.2%. Amazon, which looks to benefit from online sales from Cyber Monday, climbed 1.4%. All told, the S&P 500 added 14.77 points to 6,047.15. The Dow fell 128.65 to 44,782.00, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 185.78 to 19,403.95. The stock market largely took Donald Trump’s latest threat on tariffs in stride. The president-elect on Saturday threatened 100% tariffs against a group of developing economies if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar. Trump said he wants the group, headlined by Brazil, Russia, India and China, to promise it won’t create a new currency or otherwise try to undercut the U.S. dollar. The U.S. dollar’s value rose Monday against several other currencies, but one of its strongest moves likely had less to do with the tariff threats. The euro fell amid a political battle in Paris over the French government’s budget. The euro sank 0.7% against the U.S. dollar and broke below $1.05. In the bond market, Treasury yields gave up early gains to hold relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury ended the day at 4.19%. Get local news delivered to your inbox!A judge has once again rejected Musk's multi-billion-dollar Tesla pay package. Now what? DETROIT (AP) — For a second time, a Delaware judge has nullified a pay package that Tesla had awarded its CEO, Elon Musk, that once was valued at $56 billion. On Monday, Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick turned aside a request from Musk’s lawyers to reverse a ruling she announced in January that had thrown out the compensation plan. The judge ruled then that Musk effectively controlled Tesla’s board and had engineered the outsize pay package during sham negotiations. Lawyers for a Tesla shareholder who sued to block the pay package contended that shareholders who had voted for the 10-year plan in 2018 had been given misleading and incomplete information. US job openings rose last month, though hiring slowed, in mixed picture for labor market WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of job postings in the United States rebounded in October from a 3 1/2 year low in September, a sign that businesses are still seeking workers even though hiring has cooled. Openings rose 5% to 7.7 million from 7.4 million in September. The increase suggests that job gains could pick up in the coming months. Still, the latest figure is down significantly from 8.7 million job postings a year ago. Last month, job openings rose sharply in professional and business services, a category that includes engineers, managers, and accountants, as well as in the restaurant and hotel and information technology industries. Trump vows to block Japanese steelmaker from buying US Steel, pledges tax incentives and tariffs HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is underscoring his intention to block the purchase of U.S. Steel by Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel Corp., and he’s pledging to use tax incentives and tariffs to strengthen the iconic American steelmaker. Trump said during the campaign that he would “instantaneously” block the deal, and he reiterated that sentiment in a Monday night statement. President Joe Biden also opposes Nippon Steel’s purchase of Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel. A secretive U.S. committee is reviewing the transaction for national security concerns, and federal law gives the president the power to block the transaction. Nippon Steel is pledging to invest in U.S. Steel’s factories and strengthen the American steel industry. China bans exports to US of gallium, germanium, antimony in response to chip sanctions BANGKOK (AP) — China has announced a ban on exports to the United States of gallium, germanium and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications. The Chinese Commerce Ministry announced the move after the Washington expanded its list of Chinese companies subject to export controls on computer chip-making equipment, software and high-bandwidth memory chips. Such chips are needed for advanced applications. Beijing earlier had required exporters to apply for licenses to send strategically important materials such as gallium, germanium and antimony to the U.S. The 140 companies newly included in the U.S. so-called “entity list” subject to export controls are nearly all based in China. Small business owners brace for Trump's proposed tariffs Small businesses are bracing for stiff tariffs that President-elect Donald Trump has proposed as one of his first actions when he takes office. Trump has proposed importers pay a 25% tax on products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, as one of his first executive orders. This means small businesses may end up paying more for goods and services. Small business owners say they’re waiting to see what final form the tariffs take, but are bracing for higher costs that they may in turn need to pass on to consumers. A top Fed official leans toward December rate cut but says it depends on economic data WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Federal Reserve official says he is leaning toward supporting an interest rate cut when the Fed meets in two weeks but that evidence of persistent inflation before then could cause him to change that view. Speaking at George Washington University, Christopher Waller, a key member of the Fed’s Board of Governors, said he was confident that inflation is headed lower and that the central bank will likely keep reducing its key rate, which affects many consumer and business loans. But he noted that there’s a risk that inflation “may be getting stuck above” the Fed’s 2% target, which would support an argument for keeping the Fed’s rate unchanged this month. US closes investigation into E. coli outbreak linked to onions in McDonald's Quarter Pounders The federal government has closed its investigation into an E. coli outbreak tied to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers after determining there is no longer a safety risk. The outbreak began in late October and sickened at least 104 people in 14 states, including 34 who were hospitalized, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. One person in Colorado died and four people developed a potentially life-threatening kidney disease complication. The FDA linked the outbreak to yellow onions distributed by California-based Taylor Farms and served raw on Quarter Pounders at McDonald’s restaurants in Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming and other states. McDonald’s briefly pulled Quarter Pounders from one-fifth of its U.S. restaurants. Melinda French Gates plans to match $1M in GivingTuesday gifts to groups that support women NEW YORK (AP) — Melinda French Gates is offering to match up to $1 million in gifts to two nonprofit organizations to help spur donations on GivingTuesday. The Tuesday after Thanksgiving, GivingTuesday has become a major annual fundraising day for nonprofits. Through her organization Pivotal Ventures, French Gates will match up to $500,000 in donations to the Vote Mama Foundation and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers. In an interview with The Associated Press, she said, “It’s a great time to remind people that we’re better off when we give something back and we all have something to give back." Stock market today: Wall Street inches higher to set more records NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks tiptoed to more records after a quiet day of trading. The S&P 500 edged up by 2 points, or less than 0.1%, on Tuesday to set an all-time high for the 55th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.4% to its own record set a day earlier. Treasury yields held relatively steady after a report showed U.S. employers were advertising slightly more job openings at the end of October than a month earlier. The South Korean won sank against the dollar after its president declared martial law and then later said he’ll lift it. Is Enron back? If it's a joke, some former employees aren't laughing HOUSTON (AP) — Enron, the Houston-based energy company that exemplified the worst in corporate fraud and greed in America after it went bankrupt in 2001, is coming back. But the infamous company's return seems to be an elaborate joke. If its return is comedic, some former Enron employees who lost everything in the company’s collapse aren’t laughing. They're angry at a publicity stunt they say minimizes what they went through. Enron was once the nation’s seventh-largest company, but it went bankrupt amid massive accounting fraud. On Monday, a company representing itself as Enron announced it was relaunching as a “company dedicated to solving the global energy crisis.” But a paper trail of legal documents points to the comeback being parody and performance art.
Spartan Capital Securities is Pleased to Announce the Hiring of Vito Coviello, Chief Financial ...
CARLSBAD, Calif. , Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IONS) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved TRYNGOLZATM (olezarsen) as an adjunct to diet to reduce triglycerides in adults with familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS), a rare, genetic form of severe hypertriglyceridemia (sHTG) that can lead to potentially life-threatening acute pancreatitis (AP). TRYNGOLZA is the first-ever FDA-approved treatment that significantly and substantially reduces triglyceride levels in adults with FCS and provides clinically meaningful reduction in AP events when used with an appropriate diet (≤20 grams of fat per day). TRYNGOLZA is self-administered via an auto-injector once monthly. Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/ionis-pharmaceuticals/9295551-en-tryngolza-olezarsen-fda-approval "Today's FDA approval of TRYNGOLZA heralds the arrival of the first-ever FCS treatment in the U.S. – a transformational moment for patients and their families. For the first time, adults with FCS can now access a treatment that substantially reduces triglycerides and the risk of debilitating and potentially life-threatening acute pancreatitis," said Brett P. Monia , Ph.D., chief executive officer, Ionis. "We are proud of our long-standing partnership with the FCS community and are grateful to the patients, families and investigators who participated in our clinical studies, enabling Ionis to make this new treatment a reality. The FDA approval of TRYNGOLZA is also a pivotal moment for Ionis, representing our evolution into a fully integrated commercial-stage biotechnology company – a goal we set out to achieve five years ago. With our rich pipeline of potentially life-changing medicines, we expect TRYNGOLZA to be the first in a steady cadence of innovative medicines we will deliver independently to people living with serious diseases." The FDA approval was based on positive data from the global, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind Phase 3 Balance clinical trial in adult patients with genetically identified FCS and fasting triglyceride levels ≥880 mg/dL. In the Balance study, TRYNGOLZA 80 mg demonstrated a statistically significant placebo-adjusted mean reduction in triglyceride levels of 42.5% from baseline to six months (p=0.0084). Reductions from baseline to 12 months were further improved, with TRYNGOLZA achieving a placebo-adjusted 57% mean reduction in triglycerides. TRYNGOLZA also demonstrated a substantial, clinically meaningful reduction in AP events over 12 months; one patient (5%) experienced one episode of AP in the TRYNGOLZA group compared with seven patients (30%) who experienced 11 total episodes of AP in the placebo group. TRYNGOLZA demonstrated a favorable safety profile. The most common adverse reactions (incidence >5% of TRYNGOLZA-treated patients and at a >3% higher frequency than placebo) were injection site reactions (19% and 9%, respectively), decreased platelet count (12% and 4%, respectively) and arthralgia (9% and 0%, respectively). Results from the Phase 3 Balance study were previously published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). "With no treatment options previously available, we were limited to relying only on extremely strict diet and lifestyle changes as the sole preventative treatment option," said Alan Brown , M.D., FNLA, FACC, FAHA, clinical professor of medicine, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science ; Balance trial investigator. "The FDA approval of TRYNGOLZA is an important moment for people living with FCS, their families and physicians who now, for the first time, have a treatment that significantly lowers triglycerides and decreases the risk of potentially life-threatening acute pancreatitis events, as an adjunct to a low-fat diet. I am excited to have a medicine I can prescribe to my patients that has been shown to change the course of their disease." FCS is a rare, genetic, potentially life-threatening form of sHTG that prevents the body from breaking down fats and severely impairs the body's ability to remove triglycerides from the bloodstream due to an impaired function of the enzyme lipoprotein lipase (LPL). While healthy levels for adults are below 150 mg/dL, people with FCS often have triglyceride levels of more than 880 mg/dL and often have a history of pancreatitis. Those living with FCS have a high risk of potentially fatal AP, which is a painful inflammation of the pancreas, and chronic health issues such as fatigue and severe, recurrent abdominal pain. People living with FCS can also experience psychological and financial stress, which can significantly impact their quality of life. In the U.S., FCS is estimated to impact up to approximately 3,000 people, the vast majority of whom remain undiagnosed. "As a rare and difficult to diagnose disease, FCS has a profound impact on the lives of patients and families. Many people living with FCS have experienced severe pain their whole lives – sometimes so intense they require lengthy hospitalization stays – and struggle through life with daily fatigue, nausea, brain fog and stomach pain," said Lindsey Sutton Bryan , co-founder and co-president, FCS Foundation. "Until now, our treatment options have been limited, relying on diet alone to try to manage triglyceride levels and keep acute pancreatitis attacks at bay. For the first time, adults with FCS have seen their hope for a treatment become a reality." TRYNGOLZA will be available in the U.S. before year end. Ionis is committed to helping people access the medicines they are prescribed and will offer a suite of services designed to meet the unique needs of the FCS community through Ionis Every StepTM. As part of Ionis Every Step , patients and healthcare providers will have access to services throughout the treatment journey provided by dedicated Patient Education Managers and Ionis Every Step Case Managers, including insurance and affordability support, as well as services and resources, such as disease and nutrition education. Visit TRYNGOLZA.com for more information. TRYNGOLZA was reviewed by the FDA under Priority Review and had previously been granted Fast Track designation for the treatment of FCS, Orphan Drug designation and Breakthrough Therapy designation. Olezarsen is undergoing review in the European Union and regulatory filings in other countries are planned. Olezarsen is currently being evaluated in three Phase 3 clinical trials – CORE, CORE2 and ESSENCE – for the treatment of sHTG. Olezarsen has not been reviewed or approved for the treatment of sHTG by regulatory authorities. Webcast Ionis will hold a webcast today at 6:45pm ET to discuss the FDA approval. Interested parties may access the webcast here . A webcast replay will be available for a limited time. About TRYNGOLZATM (olezarsen) TRYNGOLZATM (olezarsen) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an adjunct to diet to reduce triglycerides in adults with familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS). TRYNGOLZA is an RNA-targeted medicine designed to lower the body's production of apoC-III, a protein produced in the liver that is a key regulator of triglyceride metabolism. It is the only treatment currently indicated in the U.S. for FCS, a potentially life-threatening disease. For more information about TRYNGOLZA, visit TRYNGOLZA.com . IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION CONTRAINDICATIONS TRYNGOLZA is contraindicated in patients with a history of serious hypersensitivity to TRYNGOLZA or any of the excipients in TRYNGOLZA. Hypersensitivity reactions requiring medical treatment have occurred. WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Hypersensitivity Reactions Hypersensitivity reactions (including symptoms of bronchospasm, diffuse erythema, facial swelling, urticaria, chills and myalgias) have been reported in patients treated with TRYNGOLZA. Advise patients on the signs and symptoms of hypersensitivity reactions and instruct patients to promptly seek medical attention and discontinue use of TRYNGOLZA if hypersensitivity reactions occur. ADVERSE REACTIONS The most common adverse reactions (incidence >5% of TRYNGOLZA-treated patients and >3% higher frequency than placebo) were injection site reactions, decreased platelet count and arthralgia. Please see full Prescribing Information for TRYNGOLZA. About Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome (FCS) FCS is a rare, genetic disease characterized by extremely elevated triglyceride levels. It is caused by impaired function of the enzyme lipoprotein lipase (LPL). Because of limited LPL production or function, people with FCS cannot effectively break down chylomicrons, lipoprotein particles that are 90% triglycerides. FCS is estimated to impact up to approximately 3,000 people in the U.S. People living with FCS are at high risk of acute pancreatitis (AP) in addition to other chronic health issues such as fatigue and severe, recurrent abdominal pain. People living with FCS are sometimes unable to work, adding to the burden of disease. About the Balance Study Balance is a global, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 study evaluating the efficacy and safety of olezarsen in patients with FCS at six and 12 months. The primary endpoint was the percent change from baseline in fasting triglyceride levels at six months compared to placebo. Secondary endpoints included percent changes in triglyceride levels at 12 months, percent changes in other lipid parameters and adjudicated acute pancreatitis event rates over the treatment period. Following treatment and the end-of-trial assessments, patients were eligible to enter an open-label extension study to continue receiving olezarsen once every four weeks. About Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. For three decades, Ionis has invented medicines that bring better futures to people with serious diseases. Ionis has discovered and developed six marketed medicines for serious diseases, including breakthrough medicines for neurologic and cardiovascular diseases. Ionis has a leading pipeline in neurology, cardiology and other areas of high patient need. As the pioneer in RNA-targeted medicines, Ionis continues to drive innovation in RNA therapies in addition to advancing new approaches in gene editing. A deep understanding of disease biology and industry-leading technology propels our work, coupled with a passion and urgency to deliver life-changing advances for patients. To learn more about Ionis, visit Ionis.com and follow us on X (Twitter) , LinkedIn and Instagram . Ionis Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding Ionis' business and the therapeutic and commercial potential of TRYNGOLZA, Ionis' technologies and other products in development. Any statement describing Ionis' goals, expectations, financial or other projections, intentions or beliefs is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk statement. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those related to our commercial products and the medicines in our pipeline, and particularly those inherent in the process of discovering, developing and commercializing medicines that are safe and effective for use as human therapeutics, and in the endeavor of building a business around such medicines. Ionis' forward-looking statements also involve assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove correct, could cause its results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although Ionis' forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of its management, these statements are based only on facts and factors currently known by Ionis. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These and other risks concerning Ionis' programs are described in additional detail in Ionis' annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2023 , and most recent Form 10-Q, which are on file with the SEC. Copies of these and other documents are available at www.Ionis.com . Ionis Pharmaceuticals® and TRYNGOLZATM are trademarks of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Ionis Investor Contact: D. Wade Walke , Ph.D. info@ionis.com 760-603-2331 Ionis Media Contact: Hayley Soffer media@ionis.com 760-603-4679 View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tryngolza-olezarsen-approved-in-us-as-first-ever-treatment-for-adults-living-with-familial-chylomicronemia-syndrome-as-an-adjunct-to-diet-302336747.html SOURCE Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.WELLNESS
NoneAMESBURY, Mass. , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Provident Bancorp, Inc. (the "Company") (Nasdaq:PVBC), the holding company for BankProv (the "Bank"), today announced that its Board of Directors has adopted a new stock repurchase program. Under the repurchase program, the Company may repurchase up to 883,366 shares of its common stock, or approximately five percent of the current outstanding shares. The repurchase program was adopted following the receipt of non-objection from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston . The repurchase program permits shares to be repurchased in open market or private transactions, through block trades, and pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Repurchases will be made at management's discretion at prices management considers to be attractive and in the best interests of both the Company and its stockholders, subject to the availability of stock, general market conditions, the trading price of the stock, alternative uses for capital, and the Company's financial performance. Open market purchases will be conducted in accordance with the limitations set forth in Rule 10b -18 of the Securities and Exchange Commission and other applicable legal requirements. The repurchase program may be suspended, terminated or modified at any time for any reason, including market conditions, the cost of repurchasing shares, the availability of alternative investment opportunities, liquidity, and other factors deemed appropriate. These factors may also affect the timing and amount of share repurchases. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to purchase any particular number of shares. About Provident Bancorp, Inc. Provident Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:PVBC) is the holding company for BankProv, a full-service commercial bank headquartered in Massachusetts . With retail branches in the Seacoast Region of Northeastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire , as well as commercial banking offices in the Manchester / Concord market in Central New Hampshire , BankProv delivers a unique combination of traditional banking services and innovative financial solutions to its markets. Founded in Amesbury, Massachusetts in 1828, BankProv holds the honor of being the 10th oldest bank in the nation. The Bank insures 100% of deposits through a combination of insurance provided by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF). For more information, visit bankprov.com . Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain certain forward-looking statements, such as statements of the Company's or the Bank's plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as, "expects," "subject," "believe," "will," "intends," "may," "will be" or "would." These statements are subject to change based on various important factors (some of which are beyond the Company's or the Bank's control), and actual results may differ materially. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements (which reflect management's analysis of factors only as of the date on which they are given). These factors include: general economic conditions; interest rates; inflation; levels of unemployment; legislative, regulatory and accounting changes; monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. Government, including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Bank; deposit flows; our ability to access cost-effective funding; changes in liquidity, including the size and composition of our deposit portfolio and the percentage of uninsured deposits in the portfolio; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; competition; our ability to successfully shift the balance sheet to that of a traditional community bank; real estate values in the market area; loan demand; the adequacy of our level and methodology for calculating our allowance for credit losses; changes in the quality of our loan and securities portfolios; the ability of our borrowers to repay their loans; our ability to retain key employees; failures or breaches of our IT systems, including cyberattacks; the failure to maintain current technologies; the ability of the Company or the Bank to effectively manage its growth; global and national war and terrorism; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or any other pandemic on our operations and financial results and those of our customers; and results of regulatory examinations, among other factors. The foregoing list of important factors is not exclusive. Readers should carefully review the risk factors described in other documents that the Company files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Annual and Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Investor contact: Joseph Reilly President and Chief Executive Officer Provident Bancorp, Inc. jreilly@bankprov.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/provident-bancorp-inc-adopts-stock-repurchase-program-302320082.html SOURCE Provident Bancorp, Inc.
Tectonic Therapeutic to Host KOL Event on the Unmet Need in Group 2 PH-HFpEF and TX45 as a Potential Treatment on Thursday, December 12, 2024