Sinn Fein ‘ignored role of 3,000 deaths in damaging community relations’Former NBA Star Says Caitlin Clark is Not the Face of the LeagueAs you hopefully saw in our stories, and early this week, we had a festive time celebrating the winners of the 2024 Best of Central Valley Business Readers’ Choice Awards. About 250 people gathered at Pardini’s in Fresno on Wednesday to witness The Business Journal crown the winners and esteemed finalists in 40 different categories. We were blessed to be able to host the CEOs, vice presidents, team members, family and guests of the finest businesses the Valley has to offer. We even had a visit from “El Jefe” himself, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, who won the award for Best Elected Official for the third year in a row. We were equally privileged to have Fresno City Councilmember Mike Karbassi, a finalist in that category. When it came time to break down the nearly 141,000 online votes we received this year, there wasn’t much daylight between winners and finalists. Seriously, some of these totals were only a few votes apart. Next year we will have the top 10 vote getters ready to select in our survey so mark your calendars for Sept. 1, 2025, to start voting. But back to Wednesday — we have so many to thank for making this event possible. That includes our sponsors , , , and our presenting sponsor for the 11th year in a row — . We were also proud to have working with to photograph the event. We look forward to sharing more of these images on the events section of thebusinessjournal.com, in print and social media. But please . If you are a category winner, please feel free to download your photos to share on your own social media. One last thanks to everyone for a wonderful Best of Central Valley Business 2024. From The Business Journal family to yours, we hope you have a wonderful holiday season. As you hopefully saw in our social media stories, web The end of the year is an important time for Our modern world of work is undergoing a tectonic shift. The sons of an American woman executed for spying on
Irish civil servants compiled a list of “major leaks” they claimed originated from the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and Special Branch officers in the region, records show. The confidential briefing note is part of the tranche of documents made public in the annual release of State papers from the Irish National Archives. An Irish Department of Foreign Affairs official focusing on justice and security created the list in October 2002. The document starts by referencing a 1999 interview given by George Mitchell, the chairman of the Good Friday Agreement negotiations, in which he claimed the British and Irish governments, as well as Northern Ireland’s political parties, had leaked information to manipulate public opinion. However, he further accused the NIO of attempting to sabotage the process by leaking information on British Government policy to the media. Mr Mitchell, a former US senator, is said to have expressed alarm and anger over the frequency of leaks from the NIO – saying they were uniquely “designed to undermine the policy of the British Government of which they were a part”. The Irish civil servant notes Mr Mitchell himself was subjected to an attempted “smear” when he first arrived in Northern Ireland, as newspaper articles falsely claimed his chief of staff Martha Pope had had a liaison with Sinn Fein representative Gerry Kelly with ulterior motives. The Irish civil servant goes on to list several “leaks”, starting with the publication of a proposed deal in a newspaper while “intense negotiations” for the Downing Street Declaration were under way. Next, the Department lists two “high-profile and damaging leaks issued from the NIO”. A so-called “gameplan” document was leaked in February 1998, showing papers had been prepared weeks before the Drumcree march on July 6, 1997. In the preceding years, there had been standoffs and clashes as nationalists opposed the procession of an Orange parade down Garvaghy Road in Portadown. The gameplan document showed then secretary of state for Northern Ireland Mo Mowlam, who was publicly expressing a desire for a negotiated solution to the 1997 parade, advocated “finding the lowest common denominator for getting some Orange feet on the Garvaghy Road”. In 1997, a large number of security forces were deployed to the area to allow the march to proceed. The incident sparked heightened tension and a wave of rioting. The document further describes the release of a document submitted by the NIO’s director of communications to the secretary of state as a “second major leak”. It claims a publicity strategy was released to the DUP in the aftermath of the Good Friday Agreement and showed how the UK Government would support a yes vote in a referendum following any talks agreement. In addition, it is claimed unionists used leaked sections of the Patten report on policing to invalidate its findings ahead of its publication in 1999. The report recommended the replacement of the Royal Ulster Constabulary with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the changing of symbols, and a 50-50 recruitment policy for Catholics and Protestants. At the time, UUP leader David Trimble said the recommendations would lead to a corruption of policing in Northern Ireland. Chris Patten, chairman of the independent commission on policing, said some of the assertions were a “total fabrication” and designed to “muddy the waters” to create a difficult political atmosphere. Elsewhere, the author notes it was leaked to the media there was serious disagreement between the governments of the UK and Ireland on the composition of that commission – with not a single name submitted by the Irish side being accepted by the other. The author notes this incident, still under the heading “NIO leaks”, was believed by British officials to have emanated from the Irish side. The report turns to leaks of other origin, claiming “disgruntled Special Branch officers in Northern Ireland” were blamed by the British Government for a series of releases about the IRA which were designed to damage Sinn Fein in the 2001 general election in Northern Ireland. One senior Whitehall source was quoted in the Guardian as complaining that Special Branch was “leaking like a sieve” after details of an IRA intelligence database containing the names of leading Tories – described at the time as a “hit list” – was passed to the BBC in April 2002. The briefing note adds: “This was followed days later by a leak to The Sunday Telegraph which alleged that senior IRA commanders bought Russian special forces rifles in Moscow last year. “The newspaper said it was passed details by military intelligence in London.” The briefing note adds that other Special Branch leaks were associated with the Castlereagh break-in. The final incident in the document notes the Police Ombudsman’s Report on the Omagh bombing was also leaked to the press in December 2001. Then Northern Ireland secretary John Reid said at the time: “Leaks are never helpful and usually malicious – I will not be commenting on this report until I have seen the final version.” The reason for creating the list of leaks, which the Irish National Archives holds in a folder alongside briefing notes for ministers ahead of meetings with officials from the UK Government and NIO, is not outlined in the document itself. – This document is based on material in 2024/130/6.
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WARREN, N.J., Nov. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tevogen Bio (“Tevogen” or “Tevogen Bio Holdings Inc.”) (Nasdaq: TVGN ), a clinical-stage specialty immunotherapy biotech developing off-the-shelf, genetically unmodified T cell therapeutics to treat infectious disease and cancers, today expresses gratitude to shareholders for their unwavering support and trust in Tevogen Bio and its leadership. The commitment fuels the company’s determination to advance its mission of developing accessible, life-saving therapeutics. The company recently announced significant progress through its third quarter financial results for 2024, including, reduction of a net loss by $52.5 million, elimination of nearly all liabilities, and reiterating availability of sufficient capital to fund operations for the next 33 months. Ryan Saadi, MD, MPH, Founder and CEO, Tevogen Bio commented, "We remain steadfast in our mission to advance medical science, however as CEO of the company, preservation of shareholder value remains a priority. We urge all stakeholders to consider the profound impact short selling innovative healthcare companies has on lifesaving therapies. While stock price fluctuations are part of the public market dynamics, Tevogen Bio is acutely aware of the undue influence short sellers have.” William Keane, VP of Strategic Initiatives, and graduate of the FBI National Academy stated, “We are aware and monitoring the actions of potential short selling activity targeting our company. We will continue to bring light to this situation and will work with the appropriate authorities as needed.” The company plans to provide further updates on its progress in the coming weeks. About Tevogen Bio Tevogen is a clinical-stage specialty immunotherapy company harnessing one of nature’s most powerful immunological weapons, CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, to develop off-the-shelf, genetically unmodified precision T cell therapies for the treatment of infectious diseases, cancers, and neurological disorders, aiming to address the significant unmet needs of large patient populations. Tevogen Leadership believes that sustainability and commercial success in the current era of healthcare rely on ensuring patient accessibility through advanced science and innovative business models. Tevogen has reported positive safety data from its proof-of-concept clinical trial, and its key intellectual property assets are wholly owned by the company, not subject to any third-party licensing agreements. These assets include three granted patents, nine pending US and twelve ex-US pending patents, two of which are related to artificial intelligence. Tevogen is driven by a team of highly experienced industry leaders and distinguished scientists with drug development and global product launch experience. Tevogen’s leadership believes that accessible personalized therapeutics are the next frontier of medicine, and that disruptive business models are required to sustain medical innovation. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements relating to: expectations regarding the healthcare and biopharmaceutical industries; Tevogen’s development of, the potential benefits of, and patient access to its product candidates for the treatment of infectious diseases, cancer and neurological disorders, including TVGN 489 for the treatment of COVID-19 and Long COVID; Tevogen’s ability to develop additional product candidates, including through use of Tevogen’s ExacTcell platform; the anticipated benefits of ExacTcell; expectations regarding Tevogen’s future clinical trials; and Tevogen’s ability to generate revenue in the future. Forward-looking statements can sometimes be identified by words such as “may,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “possible,” “potential,” “goal,” “opportunity,” “project,” “believe,” “future,” and similar words and expressions or their opposites. These statements are based on management’s expectations, assumptions, estimates, projections and beliefs as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of factors that involve known and unknown risks, delays, uncertainties and other factors not under the company’s control that may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from the results, performance or other expectations expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: that Tevogen will need to raise additional capital to execute its business plan, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all; the effect of the recent business combination with Semper Paratus Acquisition Corporation (the “Business Combination”) on Tevogen’s business relationships, operating results, and business generally; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Tevogen; changes in the markets in which Tevogen competes, including with respect to its competitive landscape, technology evolution, or regulatory changes; changes in domestic and global general economic conditions; the risk that Tevogen may not be able to execute its growth strategies or may experience difficulties in managing its growth and expanding operations; the risk that Tevogen may not be able to develop and maintain effective internal controls; costs related to the Business Combination and the failure to realize anticipated benefits of the Business Combination; the failure to achieve Tevogen’s commercialization and development plans and identify and realize additional opportunities, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of Tevogen to grow and manage growth economically and hire and retain key employees; the risk that Tevogen may fail to keep pace with rapid technological developments to provide new and innovative products and services or make substantial investments in unsuccessful new products and services; the ability to develop, license or acquire new therapeutics; that Tevogen will need to raise additional capital to execute its business plan, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all; the risk of regulatory lawsuits or proceedings relating to Tevogen’s business; uncertainties inherent in the execution, cost, and completion of preclinical studies and clinical trials; risks related to regulatory review, approval and commercial development; risks associated with intellectual property protection; Tevogen’s limited operating history; and those factors discussed or incorporated by reference in Tevogen’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings with the SEC. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Tevogen undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law. Contacts Tevogen Bio Communications T: 1 877 TEVOGEN, Ext 701 Communications@Tevogen.comNormalcy returns in Kashmir after snow-led disruptions; Haryana, Rajasthan continue to shiverIRVING, Texas (AP) — The NFL will consider expanding replay assist to include facemask penalties and other plays. Officials have missed several obvious facemask penalties this season, including two in a three-week span during Thursday night games. “When we see it, because I see it like yourselves and the fans, I have an opportunity to see it from a different angle and see it from a slow-mo,” NFL executive Troy Vincent said Wednesday at the league’s winter meetings. “When you think about the position of where the officials are, things are happening so fast. Sometimes the facemask can be the same color as the gloves. There’s a lot happening. Concerning? Yes, because that’s a big miss. That’s a big foul. That’s why we would like to consider putting that for the membership to consider putting that foul category that we can see, putting that (penalty flag) on the field to help. There is a frustration, and we believe that is one category we can potentially get right." Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was grabbed by his facemask and brought down in the end zone to end Minnesota’s comeback attempt against the Rams on Oct. 24. But there was no call. On Oct. 3, officials missed a facemask on Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving while he ran for 7 yards late in the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay instead was called for holding on the play, got forced out of field-goal range and Kirk Cousins rallied the Falcons to an overtime victory. “That is one this year, the facemask seems like it was the obvious one” Vincent said. “That keeps showing up.” Vincent also cited hits on a defenseless player, tripping, the fair catch, an illegal batted ball, an illegal double-team block, illegal formations on kickoffs and taunting as other areas that warrant consideration for replay assist. Current rules only allow replay assist to help officials pick up a flag incorrectly thrown on the field, or in assisting proper enforcement of a foul called on the field. The NFL’s Competition Committee will review potential recommendations for owners to vote on for expanding replay assist. Vincent was emphatic about the league’s desire to eliminate low blocks that could lead to serious injuries. “The low block below the knee needs to be removed from the game,” Vincent said. “You look at high school, you look at college, too. Every block should be above the knee, but below the neck. All the work that we’ve done for the head and neck area, all the things that we’ve taken out of the game, this is the right time for us to remove the low block out of the game. Be consistent with high school. Be consistent with college. Every block should be above the knee and below the neck.” The league will consider changes to the onside kick after dramatically overhauling the kickoff rule on a one-year basis. “We need to look at that. That’s a dead play,” Vincent said of the onside kick’s low success rate. “That is a ceremonial play. Very low recovery rate. When we look at the kickoff and maybe where the touchback area should be during the offseason, we need to revisit the onside kick.” Options include giving the team an opportunity to run one play to gain a certain number of yards to keep possession. The Washington Commanders’ search for a new stadium site includes options in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, and work has escalated on one in particular. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and controlling owner Josh Harris met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill last week about the RFK Stadium site in Washington, which requires a bill getting through Congress to transfer the land to the District government before anything else can happen. “I think there’s a bipartisan support for this,” Goodell said, adding he’d like to see it get to a vote soon. “We hope that it will be addressed and approved so that it’s at least an alternative for the Commanders if we go forward. I grew up in Washington, and I know would be exciting for a lot of fans.” The NFL continues to discuss a potential 18-game season, but would need approval from the players’ union. “We are doing analysis I would say, but we are not finalizing any plans at this point,” Goodell said. “They’ll share that analysis with the players’ union, which would need to agree to any change.” AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno contributed. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Noise Detection and Monitoring Market to Grow by USD 7.19 Billion (2024-2028), Driven by New Product Launches, AI Redefining Market Landscape - TechnavioFrp holdings director Stein sells $160,000 in stock
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Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of guest commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here . ••• If you follow state politics, you have probably heard that Minnesota’s fiscal outlook has dimmed. After a $17 billion surplus in 2023, state spending is forecasted to outpace revenues by 5%, leading to a tight surplus in 2026-27 and a deficit as large as $5 billion by the end of the 2028-29 biennium. Nothing will stop Republicans from claiming an emphatic “I told you so” and blaming the DFL for overspending, but that’s dishonest. The truth is that Minnesota is wrestling with demographic challenges that will soon hit every state in the nation, and the wise policy decisions that created our emerging budget shortfall were largely bipartisan. The solutions can be bipartisan as well. Although the evaporating surplus might create the appearance of mismanagement, most of it was accrued from rolled-over savings and federal COVID-19 aid. As multiple state budget directors have already concurred , this one-time windfall couldn’t have done much about long-term trends. The largest cost growth is in long-term care, resulting from an aging population and two bipartisan policies aimed at supporting seniors and disabled Minnesotans: In 2015, the Legislature uncapped the number of enrollees eligible to receive care at home, which saves the state money compared to pricier nursing facilities. Pay raises for the domestic support professionals that provide this care also received bipartisan votes in both 2021 and 2023. More Minnesotans are now getting the care they need, and essential workers are no longer receiving poverty wages. That’s a good thing. The other major cost growth is in special education. In 2023, the state agreed to cover a larger share of these services to make up for the absence of promised federal funds. These costs are rising along with the number of students who require them, and as special education professionals receive better — but still low — pay. Together, these areas represent over 90% of planned spending growth during the 2028-29 biennium. To avoid these investments would have been to balance the budget on the backs of workers and schools. That would hurt Republican and Democrat districts alike. On the revenue side, heaping blame on the DFL is even less justifiable: In 2023, the DFL passed a net tax cut costing $1.3 billion in 2026-27, while the GOP proposed ongoing cuts totaling over $4.2 billion on top of one-time rebates of $8.5 billion. The fact is that our emerging fiscal challenges would have been far worse under Republican control. But that’s not to say the DFL did everything perfectly. One change Republicans would not have made was to make our tax code more progressive. And here, although the goal of shifting taxes from the poor to the rich is admirable, there’s a legitimate argument that DFL actions weakened our fiscal position. By raising more money from the volatile top end of the income spectrum, the state increased reliance on an income source that is now declining relative to recent highs. Fiscal experts saw this coming, and the GOP could cry mismanagement if not for the fact that they are equally critical of more stable “regressive” taxes that take a larger share from lower-income households. All of this is to say that finger-pointing over budget decisions belies deeper shared interests and unavoidable realities. Our society is aging and its needs are growing. In 2023, I wrote that Minnesota should “spend every penny” of the surplus, and while I might nitpick some decisions, I stand by that statement. Minnesota invested in the urgent needs of our residents and we are well-positioned to maintain those commitments moving forward. With inflation and school funding increases factored in, our budget forecast is now a much more honest reflection of the costs and needs of the state. The predicted deficit will not materialize for another 41⁄2 years, and the investments passed in 2023 have just barely begun to kick in. For their part, Republicans who talk a big game about waste will have an opportunity to substantiate their claims and help improve trust in government for all. Privatized services , particularly in Medicaid, are one area worth examining. Irresponsible handouts to corporate interests are another. If the GOP can coalesce around some meaningful problems and proposals, it would be good for everyone. But no amount of savings will negate the need for our continued commitment to funding the essential services that form the foundation of a strong society. Minnesota will have to identify policies to raise the revenues we need to fund the programs that sustain our high quality of life. That must include support for young families that will help stem the tide of our aging population in the first place. To accomplish all of this, Minnesota will once again have to prove itself “the state that works” and to do that, we must also be the state that works together. Isn’t that a nice message for the holiday season? Eric Harris Bernstein is a Minneapolis resident and coalition director of We Make Minnesota. He has a master’s in public policy from the University of California at Berkeley.