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Have Robertinho’s Rayon proven their title credentials yet?Jubilation. Joy. Relief. Wonder. Pick your word for it — emotions, each and all of them felt by the masses, came pouring out as the clock struck zero inside Memorial Stadium. The Nebraska football program’s long eight-year bowl drought finally came to an end on a 50-degree November afternoon in downtown Lincoln. That achievement is worth celebrating on its own, but the way Nebraska got it done — dominating, rather than eking over the line against an opponent it knows well — made the accomplishment that much sweeter. Nebraska never trailed in a 44-25 win over Wisconsin on Saturday, securing the program’s first bowl game since the 2016 season. The victory also snapped a 10-game losing streak to the Badgers, and the four-game losing skid which NU entered the day with. For a Nebraska (6-5, 3-5 Big Ten) senior class which had never made the postseason before, their level of play on the field matched the seriousness of the opportunity in front of them. Particularly on the offensive side of the ball, improvements from last week’s loss to USC were evident. Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, calling his second game as a member of the Nebraska coaching staff, dialed up a blistering six-play, 55-yard touchdown drive to start the game. A 45-yard kickoff return from freshman Jacory Barney Jr. set Nebraska up on the drive, with junior Heinrich Haarberg scoring the 5-yard run to secure NU’s early 7-0 lead. Having parted ways with its offensive coordinator during the week, Wisconsin, (5-6, 3-5) showed no ill effects from that shakeup as it immediately responded with a scoring drive of its own. Helped by a key missed tackle near midfield, Wisconsin found the end zone on a 4-yard passing score from Braedyn Locke to Bryson Green. After the initial scoring drive, Wisconsin took three of its next four possessions into Nebraska territory but came away with just three points from those chances. A Janiran Bonner fumble deep inside Nebraska territory set up Wisconsin with a prime scoring opportunity, but a three-and-out and delay of game penalty contributed to a 34-yard field goal sailing wide. The Badgers pushed across a 33-yard kick later in the half but also missed a second field goal from 41 yards out, a miss which resulted in a 10-play drive netting zero points. Not all of Nebraska’s first-half drives were perfect — the Huskers punted twice and fumbled once — but when things clicked, Wisconsin could do little to slow down the surging Nebraska offense. Nebraska utilized its quick passing game during its second touchdown drive, with a 27-yard gain from Emmett Johnson on a screen pass quickly being followed by a 21-yard Barney gain on a touch pass in the backfield. Running back Dante Dowdell capped off the eight-play, 80-yard touchdown drive with a 12-yard rushing score in which Jahmal Banks and Nate Boerkircher sealed the edge with a pair of punishing blocks. Nebraska also took advantage of Wisconsin’s field goal miscues by scoring touchdowns immediately following both misses. An efficient drive just prior to the halftime break ended with a toe-tap catch from Banks in the back of the end zone, a 5-yard passing score from Dylan Raiola which extended Nebraska’s lead to 21-10. Taking the ball with just 17 seconds left in the half, Wisconsin could’ve kneeled out the clock but instead opted to give running back Tawee Walker a first down carry. NU’s Nash Hutmacher made Wisconsin regret that decision by jarring the ball loose for a Bager turnover. One completion later and Nebraska brought kicker John Hohl onto the field for a 37-yard try, one he dispatched to give the Huskers a 14-point halftime lead. The 24 first-half points scored by Nebraska marked the team’s second-most all season, and the most since NU’s win over Colorado in September. The Huskers came out firing after the halftime break, too, forcing a Wisconsin three-and-out prior to putting together a scoring drive of its own. While the Nebraska drive stalled out prior to the end zone, a 45-yard Hohl field goal gave the Huskers a three-score advantage, 27-10 in their favor. Unable to trust its kicker in a similar situation, Wisconsin instead opted to keep its offense on the field for a fourth down outside the NU red zone. Walker’s carry up the middle was stuffed by the Blackshirts, resulting in a turnover on downs midway through the third quarter. When Nebraska turned that opportunity into a touchdown of its own, the game just about escaped Wisconsin’s reach. Another well-executed scoring drive, this time a seven-play march down the field which took three-plus minutes, ended in a Dowdell 3-yard touchdown run. As Nebraska’s lead reached 34-10, it marked the most points NU has scored against a Big Ten foe under head coach Matt Rhule. Wisconsin did fire back with a touchdown drive late in the third quarter and another midway through the fourth quarter. A third made field from Hohl helped keep Nebraska’s lead safe to the end, though. Nebraska can take away many positives from its win over Wisconsin, with the all-around performance of Johnson at running back and its much-improved offense taking center stage. Most important of all was the fact that Saturday’s win meant six on the season, a mark Nebraska fans hadn’t celebrated since the 2016 season. That major season milestone now secured, Nebraska’s regular season will come to a close during a Black Friday matchup against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
ALDI has announced it will soon close every single one its 2,458 branches for an entire day. Shoppers have been warned to make alternative plans to avoid disappointment over the holidays. On New Year's Day, all Aldi stores will be completely shut. Supermarkets have different hours over the festive season to allow staff to have break over the holidays . For Aldi , this means thousands of employees over 2,458 stores will have some time off on January 1. For those who are needing to pick up some groceries before the new year, Aldi will be open on New Year's Eve. Read more News The bargain retailer will be available to shoppers for reduced hours on December 31, so you can pick up some last-minute nibbles for your evening ahead. The popular budget supermarket is set to be open on on New Year's Eve from 9am to 4pm. If you don't want to get caught out from closures, make sure to check your local supermarket ahead of time. Alternatively, you can order from a store online and deliver straight to your home. Most read in Money It's good to remember that often delivery comes with an extra fee that gets added to your basket after you check-out. Keep an eye out for discounts and retailers often slash prices after Christmas. Stores looking to shift remaining stock may mark down products in order get them off the shelves before their use-by dates. Festive-themed items will be especially likely to be in the sales, so keep tabs on discount treats selling for just a few cents. WHY DO SUPERMARKETS CLOSE OVER THE HOLIDAYS? Reduced hours and closures over the holidays lets staff to have a well-deserved break after the busy Christmas period. Senior Consumer Reporter Olivia Marshall said this can help improve staff morale and reduce burnout. It also offers them with an opportunity to spend time with their families and friends during the festive season. On New Year's Day, footfall is often lower than usual - following New Year's Eve parties . Read More on The US Sun Opening on January 1 may not be justified by the predicted sales revenue. Some stores will open throughout the entirety of the Christmas period and others will have reduced hours. On New Year's Eve (NYE) and New Year's Day (NYD) supermarkets may different hours to usual. Aldi NYE: 9am to 4am NYD: Closed Bravo Supermarkets NYE: 7am to 9pm NYD: 7am to 9pm Dollar General NYE: Open regular hours, which vary by store NYD: Open regular hours, which vary by store Publix NYE: Closing at 9pm NYD: 7am to 8pm Sam's Club NYE: Closes at 6pm; opening times vary by location NYD: Closed Save-A-Lot NYE: 8am to 8pm NYD: Regular hours, which vary by store Sprouts Farmers Market NYE: 7am to 8pm NYD: 7am to 10pm Target NYE: Closing at 9pm NYD: Regular hours, which vary by store The Fresh Market NYE: 8am to 8pm NYD: 9am to 8pm Walmart NYE: Regular hours, which vary by store NYD: Regular hours, which vary by store Winn-Dixie NYE: 7am to 10pm NYD: 7am to 11pm
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Offering patients an injection is more effective than the current care of steroid tablets and cuts the need for further treatment by 30%, according to a study. Benralizumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets specific white blood cells, called eosinophils, to reduce lung inflammation. It is currently used as a repeat treatment for severe asthma at a low dose, but a new clinical trial has found that a higher single dose can be very effective if injected at the time of a flare-up. The findings, published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine, included 158 people who needed medical attention in A&E for their asthma or COPD attack (COPD is a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties). Patients were given a quick blood test to see what type of attack they were having, with those suffering an “eosinophilic exacerbation” involving eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) being suitable for treatment. Around 50% of asthma attacks are eosinophilic exacerbations, as are 30% of COPD ones, according to the scientists. The clinical trial, led by King’s College London and carried out at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, saw patients randomly split into three groups. One group received the benralizumab injection and dummy tablets, another received standard care (prednisolone steroids 30mg daily for five days) and a dummy injection, and the third group received both the benralizumab injection and steroids. After 28 days, respiratory symptoms of cough, wheeze, breathlessness and sputum were found to be better in people on benralizumab. And after 90 days, there were four times fewer people in the benralizumab group who failed treatment compared with those receiving steroids. Treatment with the benralizumab injection also took longer to fail, meaning fewer visits to a GP or hospital for patients, researchers said. Furthermore, people also reported a better quality of life on the new regime. Scientists at King’s said steroids can have severe side-effects such as increasing the risk of diabetes and osteoporosis, meaning switching to benralizumab could provide huge benefits. Lead investigator Professor Mona Bafadhel, from King’s, said: “This could be a game-changer for people with asthma and COPD. “Treatment for asthma and COPD exacerbations have not changed in 50 years, despite causing 3.8 million deaths worldwide a year combined. “Benralizumab is a safe and effective drug already used to manage severe asthma. “We’ve used the drug in a different way – at the point of an exacerbation – to show that it’s more effective than steroid tablets, which is the only treatment currently available.” Researchers said benralizumab could also potentially be administered safely at home or in a GP practice, as well as in A&E. First author Dr Sanjay Ramakrishnan, clinical senior lecturer at the University of Western Australia, said: “Our study shows massive promise for asthma and COPD treatment. “COPD is the third leading cause of death worldwide but treatment for the condition is stuck in the 20th century. “We need to provide these patients with life-saving options before their time runs out.” Dr Samantha Walker, director of research and innovation at Asthma and Lung UK, welcomed the findings but said: “It’s appalling that this is the first new treatment for those suffering from asthma and COPD attacks in 50 years, indicating how desperately underfunded lung health research is.” AstraZeneca provided the drug for the study and funded the research, but had no input into trial design, delivery, analysis or interpretation.
Buccaneers looking to beat NFC South-rival Panthers and bolster hopes for a playoff berth
FM defends Neil Gray’s glitzy film premiere trip – saying movie depicted drug & alcohol addictionGeneral's promotion blocked in first sign of Trump retaliation for Afghanistan pulloutWe’re all going to die someday. Still, how it happens—and when—can point to a historical moment defined by the scientific advancements and public health programs available at the time to contain disease and prevent accidents. In the early 1900s, America’s efforts to improve sanitation, hygiene, and routine vaccinations were still in their infancy. Maternal and infant mortality rates were high, as were contagious diseases that spread between people and animals. Combined with the devastation of two World Wars—and the Spanish Flu pandemic in between—the leading causes of death changed significantly after this period. So, too, did the way we diagnose and control the spread of disease. Starting with reforms as part of Roosevelt’s New Deal in the 1930s, massive-scale, federal interventions in the U.S. eventually helped stave off disease transmission. It took comprehensive government programs and the establishment of state and local health agencies to educate the public on preventing disease transmission. Seemingly simple behavioral shifts, such as handwashing, were critical in thwarting the spread of germs, much like discoveries in medicine, such as vaccines, and increased access to deliver them across geographies. Over the course of the 20th century, life expectancy increased by 56% and is estimated to keep increasing slightly, according to an annual summary of vital statistics published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2000. Death Records examined data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to see how the leading causes of death in America have evolved over time and to pinpoint how some major mortality trends have dropped off. According to a report published in the journal Annual Review of Public Health in 2000, pneumonia was the leading cause of death in the early 1900s, accounting for nearly 1 in 4 deaths. By the time World War I ended in 1918, during which people and animals were housed together for long periods, a new virus emerged: the Spanish Flu. Originating in a bird before spreading to humans, the virus killed 10 times as many Americans as the war. Many died of secondary pneumonia after the initial infection. Pneumonia deaths eventually plummeted throughout the century, partly prevented by increased flu vaccine uptake rates in high-risk groups, particularly older people. Per the CDC, tuberculosis was a close second leading cause of death, killing 194 of every 10,000 people in 1900, mainly concentrated in dense urban areas where the infection could more easily spread. Eventually, public health interventions led to drastic declines in mortality from the disease, such as public education, reducing crowded housing, quarantining people with active disease, improving hygiene, and using antibiotics. Once the death rates lagged, so did the public health infrastructure built to control the disease, leading to a resurgence in the mid-1980s. Diarrhea was the third leading cause of death in 1900, surging every summer among children before the impacts of the pathogen died out in 1930. Adopting water filtration, better nutrition, and improved refrigeration were all associated with its decline. In the 1940s and 1950s, polio outbreaks killed or paralyzed upward of half a million people worldwide every year. Even at its peak, polio wasn’t a leading cause of death, it was a much-feared one, particularly among parents of young children, some of whom kept them from crowded public places and interacting with other children. By 1955, when Jonah Salk discovered the polio vaccine, the U.S. had ended the “golden age of medicine.” During this period, the causes of mortality shifted dramatically as scientists worldwide began to collaborate on infectious disease control, surgical techniques, vaccines, and other drugs. From the 1950s onward, once quick-spreading deadly contagions weren’t prematurely killing American residents en masse, scientists also began to understand better how to diagnose and treat these diseases. As a result, Americans were living longer lives and instead succumbing to noncommunicable diseases, or NCDs. The risk of chronic diseases increased with age and, in some cases, was exacerbated by unhealthy lifestyles. Cancer and heart disease shot up across the century, increasing 90-fold from 1900 to 1998, according to CDC data. Following the post-Spanish Flu years, heart disease killed more Americans than any other cause, peaking in the 1960s and contributing to 1 in 3 deaths. Cigarette smoking rates peaked at the same time, a major risk factor for heart disease. Obesity rates also rose, creating another risk factor for heart disease and many types of cancers. This coincides with the introduction of ultra-processed foods into diets, which plays a more significant role in larger waistlines than the increasing predominance of sedentary work and lifestyles. In the early 1970s, deaths from heart disease began to fall as more Americans prevented and managed their risk factors, like quitting smoking or taking blood pressure medicine. However, the disease remains the biggest killer of Americans. Cancer remains the second leading cause of death and rates still indicate an upward trajectory over time. Only a few types of cancer are detected early by screening, and some treatments for aggressive cancers like glioblastoma—the most common type of brain cancer—have also stalled, unable to improve prognosis much over time. In recent years, early-onset cancers, those diagnosed before age 50 or sometimes even earlier, have seen a drastic rise among younger Americans. While highly processed foods and sedentary lifestyles may contribute to rising rates, a spike in cancer rates among otherwise healthy young individuals has baffled some medical professionals. This follows the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020. At its peak, high transmission rates made the virus the third leading cause of death in America. It’s often compared to the Spanish Flu of 1918, though COVID-19 had a far larger global impact, spurring international collaborations among scientists who developed a vaccine in an unprecedented time. Public policy around issues of safety and access also influences causes of death, particularly—and tragically—among young Americans. Gun control measures in the U.S. are far less stringent than in peer nations; compared to other nations, however, the U.S. leads in gun violence. Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens (around 2 in 3 are homicides, and 1 in 3 are suicides), and deaths from opioids remain a leading cause of death among younger people. Globally, the leading causes of death mirror differences in social and geographic factors. NCDs are primarily associated with socio-economic status and comprise 7 out of 10 leading causes of death, 85% of those occurring in low- and middle-income countries, according to the World Health Organization. However, one of the best health measures is life expectancy at birth. People in the U.S. have been living longer lives since 2000, except for a slight dip in longevity due to COVID-19. According to the most recent CDC estimates, Americans’ life expectancy is 77.5 years on average and is expected to increase slightly in the coming decades. Story editing by Alizah Salario. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. This story originally appeared on Death Records and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Founded in 2017, Stacker combines data analysis with rich editorial context, drawing on authoritative sources and subject matter experts to drive storytelling.
BIG 12 THIS WEEKNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks climbed Thursday after market superstar Nvidia and another round of companies said they’re making even fatter profits than expected. The S&P 500 pulled 0.5% higher after flipping between gains and losses several times during the day. Banks, smaller companies and other areas of the stock market that tend to do best when the economy is strong helped lead the way, while bitcoin briefly broke above $99,000. Crude oil, meanwhile, continued to rise. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 461 points, or 1.1%, and the Nasdaq composite edged up by less than 0.1%. Nvidia rose just 0.5% after beating analysts’ estimates for profit and revenue yet again, but it was still the strongest force pulling the S&P 500 upward. It also gave a forecast for revenue in the current quarter that topped most analysts’ expectations due to voracious demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Its stock initially sank in afterhours trading Wednesday following the release of the results. Some investors said the market might have been looking for Nvidia’s revenue forecast to surpass expectations by even more. But its stock recovered in premarket trading Thursday, and Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said it was another “flawless” profit report provided by Nvidia and CEO Jensen Huang, whom Ives calls “the Godfather of AI.” The stock meandered through Thursday as well, dragging the S&P 500 and other indexes back and forth. How Nvidia’s stock performs has more impact than any other because it’s grown into Wall Street’s most valuable company at roughly $3.6 trillion. The frenzy around AI is sweeping up other stocks, and Snowflake jumped 32.7% after reporting stronger results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The company, whose platform helps customers get a better view of all their silos of data and use AI, also reported stronger revenue growth than expected. BJ’S Wholesale Club rose 8.3% after likewise delivering a bigger profit than expected. That may help calm worries about how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain, given high prices across the economy and still-high interest rates. A day earlier, Target tumbled after reporting sluggish sales in the latest quarter and giving a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season. It followed Walmart , which gave a much more encouraging outlook. Nearly 90% of the stocks in the S&P 500 ended up rising Thursday, and the gains were even bigger among smaller companies. The Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks jumped a market-leading 1.7%. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, helped keep indexes in check. It fell 4.7% after U.S. regulators asked a judge to break up the tech giant by forcing it to sell its industry-leading Chrome web browser. In a 23-page document filed late Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice called for sweeping punishments that would include restrictions preventing Android from favoring its own search engine. Regulators stopped short of demanding Google sell Android but left the door open to it if the company’s oversight committee continues to see evidence of misconduct. All told, the S&P 500 rose 31.60 points to 5,948.71. The Dow jumped 461.88 to 43,870.35, and the Nasdaq composite added 6.28 to 18,972.42. In the crypto market, bitcoin eclipsed $99,000 for the first time before pulling back toward $98,000, according to CoinDesk. It’s more than doubled so far this year, and its climb has accelerated since Election Day. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to make the country “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. Bitcoin got a further boost after Gary Gensler, the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, said Thursday he would step down in January . Gensler has pushed for more protections for crypto investors. Bitcoin and related investment have a notorious history of big price swings in both directions. MicroStrategy, a company that’s been raising cash expressly to buy bitcoin, saw an early Thursday gain of 14.6% for its stock quickly disappear. It finished the day with a loss of 16.2%. In the oil market, a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 2% to bring its gain for the week to 4.8%. Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 1.8%. Oil has been rising amid escalations in the Russia-Ukraine war. In stock markets abroad, shares of India’s Adani Enterprises plunged 22.6% Thursday after the U.S. charged founder Gautam Adani in a federal indictment with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud. The businessman and one of the world’s richest people is accused of concealing that his company’s huge solar energy project on the subcontinent was being facilitated by an alleged bribery scheme. Stock indexes elsewhere in Asia and Europe were mixed. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury inched up to 4.43% from 4.41% late Wednesday following some mixed reports on the U.S. economy. One said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week in the latest signal that the job market remains solid. Another report, though, said manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region unexpectedly shrank. Sales of previously occupied homes, meanwhile, strengthened last month by more than expected. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Yuri Kageyama contributed.