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'Wemby' and 'Ant-Man' to make NBA Christmas debutsUS President Trump nominates former Florida AG Pam Bondi to lead DOJ
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — “My Driver and I” was supposed to be made in 2016, but was scuttled amid Saudi Arabia's decades-long cinema ban. Eight years later, the landscape for film in the kingdom looks much different — and the star of “My Driver and I” now has an award. Roula Dakheelallah was named the winner of the Chopard Emerging Saudi Talent award at the Red Sea International Film Festival on Thursday. The award — and the glitzy festival itself — is a sign of Saudi Arabia's commitment to shaping a new film industry. “My heart is attached to cinema and art; I have always dreamed of a moment like this,” Dakheelallah, who still works a 9-5 job, told The Associated Press before the awards ceremony. “I used to work in voluntary films and help my friends in the field, but this is my first big role in a film.” The reopening of cinemas in 2018 marked a cultural turning point for Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy that had instituted the ban 35 years before, under the influence of ultraconservative religious authorities. It has since invested heavily in a native film industry by building theaters and launching programs to support local filmmakers through grants and training. The Red Sea International Film Festival was launched just a year later, part of an attempt to expand Saudi influence into films, gaming, sports and other cultural fields. Activists have decried the investments as whitewashing the kingdom’s human rights record as it tightly controls speech and remains one of the world’s top executioners. With FIFA awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia this week, Lina al-Hathloul, a Saudi activist with the London-based rights group ALQST, said Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman “has really managed to create this bubble where people only see entertainment and they don’t see the reality on the ground.” These efforts are part of Vision 2030, an ambitious reform plan unveiled in 2016 to ease the economy's dependence on oil. As part of it, Saudi Arabia plans to construct 350 cinemas with over 2,500 movie screens — by this past April, across 22 cities, it already had 66 cinemas showing movies from the local film industry, as well as Hollywood and Bollywood. (The Red Sea International Film Festival attracts a host of talent from the latter industries, with Viola Davis and Priyanka Chopra Jonas also picking up awards Thursday.) The country's General Entertainment Authority last month opened Al Hisn Studios on the outskirts of Riyadh. As one of the largest such production hubs in the Middle East, it not only includes several film studios but also a production village with workshops for carpentry, blacksmithing and fashion tailoring. “These facilities, when they exist, will stimulate filmmakers,” said Saudi actor Mohammed Elshehri. “Today, no writer or director has an excuse to imagine and say, ‘I cannot implement my imagination.’” The facilities are one part of the equation — the content itself is another. One of the major players in transforming Saudi filmmaking has been Telfaz11, a media company founded in 2011 that began as a YouTube channel and quickly became a trailblazer. Producing high-quality digital content such as short films, comedy sketches and series, Telfaz11 offered fresh perspectives on Saudi and regional issues. In 2020, Telfaz11 signed a partnership with Netflix to produce original content for the streaming giant. The result has been movies that demonstrate an evolution on the storytelling level, tackling topics that were once off-limits and sensitive to the public like secret nightlife in “Mandoob” (“Night Courier”) and changing social norms in “Naga.” “I think we tell our stories in a very simple way, and that’s what reaches the world,” Elshehri says of the changing shift. “When you tell your story in a natural way without any affectation, it will reach every person.” But the films were not without their critics, drawing mixed reaction. Social media discoursed ranged from pleasure that Saudi film were tackling such topics to anger over how the films reflected conservative society. As Hana Al-Omair, a Saudi writer and director, points out, there are still many stories left untold. “We certainly have a long time ahead of us before we can tell the Saudi narrative as it should be,” she said, acknowledging that there are still barriers and rampant censorship. “The Goat Life,” a Malayalam-language movie about an Indian man forced to work without pay in Saudi Arabia, is not available on Netflix's platform in the country. Movies that explore political topics or LGBTQ+ stories are essentially out of the question. Even “My Driver and I,” featured at the Red Sea festival alongside 11 other Saudi feature-length films, was initially too controversial. It centers on a Sudanese man in Jeddah, living away from his own daughter, who feels responsible for the girl he drives as her parents are absent. It was initially blocked from being made because of the relationship between the girl and the driver, filmmaker Ahd Kamel has said, even though it's not a romantic relationship. Now in 2024, the film is a success story — a symbol of the Saudi film industry's evolution as well as the growing role of women like Kamel behind the camera and Dakheelallah in front of it. “I see the change in Saudi cinema, a very beautiful change and it is moving at a wonderful speed. In my opinion, we do not need to rush,” Dakheelallah said. “We need to guide the truth of the artistic movement that is happening in Saudi Arabia.” Baraa Anwer, The Associated Press
IF Covid taught us anything, it was a stark reminder of how reliant we are on China, the world's manufacturing superpower, producing nearly a third of everything we use. The pandemic exposed the fragility of global supply chains, especially when much of what we need starts or passes through China. While that’s not a big deal if you’re buying basketballs or jeans, it’s a different story if you’re sourcing essentials like British military uniforms. In a future crisis—or even escalating tensions with China—disruptions to these supply chains could have serious consequences. Imagine reintroducing national service (not an impossibility over the next five years). instead of marching to the parade ground, new recruits might first be heading to the Army Surplus Store for their kit. What’s missing is a clear China strategy. The lack of a unified plan for managing China’s rise—both as an economic powerhouse and a challenger to the global order—has left decision-making fragmented. Questions about security and resilience are often overshadowed by short-term cost savings. Case in point: The UK Defence Committee, during the last Parliament debated whether to source a ceremonial gift from British or Chinese metal, with the Chinese option being £4 cheaper. Eventually the British option was chosen – to avoid bad headlines! If the committee is making such political judgements so is any business having dealings with China. This duality defines the UK’s relationship with China. On one hand, China is seen as a strategic competitor, accused of intellectual property theft, cyber espionage, and using its economic leverage to further geopolitical aims. On the other, it’s the UK’s fourth-largest trading partner, contributing billions to the economy. Yet the playing field is far from level. Chinese companies operate freely in Western markets, while Western firms face barriers in China—restrictive regulations, joint venture requirements, and opaque rules. Without a consistent approach, the UK’s efforts to counter China’s unfair practices are weakened by economic dependency. Next time a crisis hits, we might discover just how costly that ambiguity really is. One thing is for certain, in today’s climate the MOD should know better than to procure uniforms from China! See main story: MoD orders £37m of kit from "national security risk" China /news/uk/1982955/mod-orders-37m-of-kit-from-ChinaLONDON (AP) — A woman who claimed mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in a Dublin hotel penthouse was awarded nearly 250,000 Euros ($257,000) on Friday by a civil court jury in Ireland. Nikita Hand said the Dec. 9, 2018, assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. His lawyer had called Hand a gold digger. The fighter, once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now past his prime, shook his head as the jury of eight women and four men found him liable for assault after deliberating about six hours in the High Court in Dublin. He was mobbed by cameras as he left court but did not comment. He later said on the social platform X that he would appeal the verdict and the “modest award.” Hand's voice cracked and her hands trembled as she read a statement outside the courthouse, saying she would never forget what happened to her but would now be able to move on with her life. She thanked her family, partner, friends, jurors, the judge and all the supporters that had reached out to her online, but particularly her daughter. “She has given me so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare to keep on pushing forward for justice,” she said. “I want to show (her) and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served.” The Associated Press generally does not name alleged victims of sexual violence unless they come forward publicly, as Hand has done. Under Irish law, she did not have the anonymity she would have been granted in a criminal proceeding and was named publicly throughout the trial. Her lawyer told jurors that McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client. “He’s not a man, he’s a coward,” attorney John Gordon said in his closing speech. “A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is.” Gordon said his client never pretended to be a saint and was only looking to have fun when she sent McGregor a message through Instagram after attending a Christmas party. He said Hand knew McGregor socially and that they had grown up in the same area. She said he picked her and a friend up in a car and shared cocaine with them, which McGregor admitted in court, on the way to the Beacon Hotel. Hand said she told McGregor she didn't want to have sex with him and that she was menstruating. She said she told him “no” as he started kissing her but he eventually pinned her to a bed and she couldn't move. McGregor put her in a chokehold and later told her, “now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times,” referring to a UFC match when he had to admit defeat, she said. Hand had to take several breaks in emotional testimony over three days. She said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter and she feared she would never see her young daughter again. Eventually, he let go of her. “I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn’t tell anyone so he wouldn’t hurt me again,” she testified. She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her. A paramedic who examined Hand the next day testified that she had never before seen someone with that intensity of bruising. A doctor told jurors Hand had multiple injuries. Hand said the trauma of the attack had left her unable to work as a hairdresser, she fell behind on her mortgage and had to move out of her house. Police investigated the woman’s complaint but prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely. McGregor, in his post on X, said he was disappointed jurors didn't see all the evidence prosecutors had reviewed. He testified that the two had athletic and vigorous sex, but that it was not rough. He said “she never said ‘no’ or stopped” and testified that everything she said was a lie. “It is a full blown lie among many lies,” he said when asked about the chokehold allegation. “How anyone could believe that me, as a prideful person, would highlight my shortcomings.” McGregor’s lawyer told jurors they had to set aside their animus toward the fighter. “You may have an active dislike of him, some of you may even loathe him – there is no point pretending that the situation might be otherwise,” attorney Remy Farrell said. “I’m not asking you to invite him to Sunday brunch.” The defense said the woman never told investigators McGregor threatened her life. They also showed surveillance video in court that they said appeared to show the woman kiss McGregor’s arm and hug him after they left the hotel room. Farrell said she looked “happy, happy, happy.” McGregor said he was “beyond petrified” when first questioned by police and read them a prepared statement. On the advice of his lawyer, he refused to answer more than 100 follow-up questions. The jury ruled against Hand in a case she brought against one of McGregor’s friends, James Lawrence, whom she accused of having sex with her in the hotel without consent. Brian Melley, The Associated Press
Dr. Oliver Inderwildi Brings To Limelight The Possibilities Surrounding The Consciousness Of Machines, Warns Cautious Progressブラインドスポット検出 (BSD) システム市場の規模、傾向、展望、成長需要、洞察、概要 2024-2032MLB NOTES
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascendis Pharma A/S (Nasdaq: ASND) today announced that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review its supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) in adult growth hormone deficiency (GHD) for TransCon hGH (lonapegsomatropin-tcgd; marketed as SKYTROFA® for pediatric GHD). The FDA set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date of July 27, 2025. “This marks another step towards achieving our objective to expand SKYTROFA’s label beyond pediatric GHD and expand its reach to address new groups of patients,” said Jan Mikkelsen, Ascendis Pharma’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Adult GHD is an undertreated condition associated with significant comorbidities and higher annual healthcare costs compared to the 5-10% of patients who receive treatment, indicative of the high unmet need.” The sBLA submission is based on results from foresiGHt, a Phase 3 randomized, parallel-arm, placebo-controlled (double-blind) and active-controlled (open-label) trial that compared the efficacy and safety of weekly TransCon hGH with weekly placebo and daily human growth hormone (hGH) in adults with GHD. The trial evaluated 259 adults with GHD aged 23 to 80 years old, randomized 1:1:1, titrated to receive a target fixed dose of TransCon hGH, placebo, or daily hGH based on age and oral estrogen intake with approximately equivalent hGH mg/week for TransCon hGH and daily hGH. TransCon hGH demonstrated superiority on its primary efficacy and key secondary efficacy endpoints at Week 38, with TransCon hGH-treated participants showing a statistically significant reduction from baseline in trunk fat and increase in total body lean mass at Week 38 compared to placebo. In the trial, TransCon hGH was generally safe and well tolerated, with no discontinuations related to study drug and with comparable safety and tolerability to daily hGH treatment. About Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency Growth hormone plays an essential role in the health of children and adults, promoting normal growth in children and maintenance of normal body composition and cardiometabolic health throughout adulthood. In adults, growth hormone boosts protein production, promotes fat utilization, enhances muscle mass, and helps regulate blood sugar levels. Adult GHD is a condition in which an individual’s body does not produce enough growth hormone. Symptoms and morbidity can include central obesity, metabolic syndrome, decreased bone density, alterations in lipid profile and markers of cardiovascular risk, fatigue, general weakness, lack of muscle tone, and psychological symptoms such as cognitive impairment, social isolation, lack of motivation, and depression.1 About Ascendis Pharma A/S Ascendis Pharma is applying its innovative TransCon technology platform to build a leading, fully integrated biopharma company focused on making a meaningful difference in patients’ lives. Guided by its core values of Patients, Science, and Passion, Ascendis uses its TransCon technologies to create new and potentially best-in-class therapies. Ascendis is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark and has additional facilities in Europe and the United States. Please visit ascendispharma.com to learn more. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release regarding Ascendis’ future operations, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to (i) the PDUFA goal date for SKYTROFA, (ii) Ascendis’ objective to expand SKYTROFA’s label and reach to address new groups of patients, (iii) Ascendis’ ability to apply its TransCon technology platform to build a leading, fully integrated biopharma company, and (iv) Ascendis’ use of its TransCon technologies to create new and potentially best-in-class therapies. Ascendis may not actually achieve the plans, carry out the intentions or meet the expectations or projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions, expectations, and projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements. Various important factors could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that Ascendis makes, including the following: dependence on third party manufacturers, distributors and service providers for Ascendis’ products and product candidates; unforeseen safety or efficacy results in Ascendis’ development programs or on-market products; unforeseen expenses related to commercialization of any approved Ascendis products; unforeseen expenses related to Ascendis’ development programs; unforeseen selling, general and administrative expenses, other research and development expenses and Ascendis’ business generally; delays in the development of its programs related to manufacturing, regulatory requirements, speed of patient recruitment or other unforeseen delays; Ascendis’ ability to obtain additional funding, if needed, to support its business activities; the impact of international economic, political, legal, compliance, social and business factors. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to Ascendis’ business in general, see Ascendis’ prospectus supplement filed on September 20, 2024 and Ascendis’ current and future reports filed with, or submitted to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on February 7, 2024. Forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future licensing, collaborations, acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures, or investments that Ascendis may enter into or make. Ascendis does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Ascendis, Ascendis Pharma, the Ascendis Pharma logo, the company logo, TransCon, and SKYTROFA ® , are trademarks owned by the Ascendis Pharma group. © December 2024 Ascendis Pharma A/S. 1.Hoffman AR, Mathison T, Andrews D, Murray K, Kelepouris N, Fleseriu M. Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency: Diagnostic and Treatment Journeys From the Patients' Perspective. J Endocr Soc. 2022;6(7):bvac077. Published 2022 May 12. doi:10.1210/jendso/bvac077MLB NOTESSchool board appoints new member
AP News Summary at 4:55 p.m. EST
PV Sindhu and Venkata Datta Sai (X Photo) Olympic badminton star PV Sindhu recently tied the knot to entrepreneur Venkata Datta Sai . The private ceremony took place in Udaipur. Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medalist, is 29 years old and hails from Hyderabad. Her impressive career includes a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and a silver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The groom, Venkata Datta Sai, is an executive director at Posidex Technologies. PV Sindhu delighted fans with her wedding pictures. The wedding took place on Sunday, adhering to traditional customs, and was attended by close family and friends. Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, shared the first official wedding photo on 'X', formerly known as Twitter, the following Monday. “Pleased to have attended the wedding ceremony of our Badminton Champion Olympian PV Sindhu with Venkatta Datta Sai in Udaipur last evening and conveyed my wishes & blessings to the couple for their new life ahead.” The wedding festivities commenced with a vibrant Sangeet ceremony on December 20th. The event featured music and dance, bringing both families together in celebration. Traditional pre-wedding rituals such as Haldi, Pellikuthuru, Mehendi, and other customs followed on December 21st. Sindhu's wedding celebrations followed shortly after her victory at the Syed Modi International tournament in Lucknow earlier that month. This win marked the end of a period without a title for the badminton star. Sindhu is considered one of India's most accomplished athletes. Her achievements include five medals at the BWF World Championships, one of which is a gold, in addition to her two Olympic medals.
In a cute show of strength , Canada has flexed its tiny muscles for a second day in a row and in what it believes is an attempt to intimidate the Trump admin, has threatened to cut off its biggest customer from the one thing that keeps Canada's economy running (hint: it's not illegal aliens or illicit Chinese real estate funs): exports . According to Bloomberg, Canada is examining the use of export taxes on major commodities it exports to its largest trading partner - the United States - including uranium, oil and potash, to retaliate if incoming president Trump carries out his threat to impose broad tariffs. Today's threat comes one day after Ontario premier Doug Ford (brother to infamous, and now deceased, Toronto mayor Rob Ford) also flexed what little muscles he has under that copious shell, and suggested that the province would cut off electricity exports to the US over Trump’s tariff threat (which amounts to some 14 million MWh, or enough to power to large data centers). Citing officials familiar with the discussions inside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, Bloomberg reports that export levies would be a last resort for Canada. Retaliatory tariffs against US-made goods, and export controls on certain Canadian products, would be more likely to come first. But commodity export taxes, which would drive up costs for US consumers, farmers and businesses, would be a real option if Trump decides to start a full-scale trade war, said the Bloomberg sources. The government of Turdeau, who recently hobnobbed with Trump at Mar-A-Lago exuding a self-indulgent smarminess found only among fanatical supporters of Fidel Castro, may also propose giving itself expanded powers over export controls as part of a scheduled update on the country’s fiscal and economic situation to be released on Monday. But since Turdeau's government is already socialist, will anyone know the difference. Even though the US is essentially self-sufficient, Canada remains the largest external supplier of oil to the US as some refineries depend on buying cheaper Canadian heavy crude and have few alternatives to it (all that would be required to make Canadian oil imports redundant, is a few billion in refinery capex spending). As a result, the US Midwest may be hit by higher costs. Fuel makers in the region rely on Canada for almost half of the crude they turn into gasoline and diesel. Of course, if Canada doesn't export its oil, its economy which is far less diversified, will be hit far harder if it were to voluntarily exclude its largest trading partner. Canadian uranium is also the biggest foreign source of fuel for US nuclear power plants, and potash from the country’s western provinces is a huge source of fertilizer for American farms. Meanwhile, the US Department of Defense has prudently been investing in Canadian projects to secure sources of cobalt and graphite and reduce reliance on Chinese supply chains. For those reasons, analysts have said they expect Trump will exempt commodities from his threat to place 25% levies on goods from Mexico and Canada, and focus instead on using tariffs against their manufacturing industries. In Canada’s case, that includes the auto manufacturing, aerospace and aluminum sectors, which are centered in Ontario and Quebec, where about 60% of Canadians live. It's unclear if that would change things: Turdeau’s government (sic) would have no choice but to respond if Trump simply exempted energy while hitting all other Canadian products, said Bloomberg sources, adding that’s a scenario that could prompt the use of export taxes by Canada. But for the prime minister, going down this path would cause serious political divisions within Canada. Oil, uranium and potash production are concentrated in the western provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Those provinces are the strongest voter base for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, and their provincial governments are staunch right-wing opponents of Trudeau. In short, while Turdeau may retaliate in a Trump trade war, such an action will likely be his last. “It’s a terrible idea,” Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said when asked about the possible use of export taxes. “I don’t support tariffs on Canadian goods and I don’t support tariffs on US goods because all it does is make life more expensive,” Smith said. “Instead, we’re taking a diplomatic approach and we’re meeting with our allies in the US.” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said export taxes “are the wrong approach and Saskatchewan will vehemently oppose the federal government imposing export taxes on our potash, uranium or oil.” The market, however, does not have patience to see how all this plays out, and sent the loonie to a two year low, with the USDCAD surging to 1.420, the highest since the April 2020 depths of the covid crash.
Jefferson keeps seeing double as Vikings aim to stay focused on overall offensive productionFormer Clovis Superintendent Says She’s Running for County Schools SuperintendentPlans Required to Cover Treatment for SOD1-ALS ARLINGTON, Va. , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a first-of-its-kind directive requiring Medicare Advantage plans to approve coverage for Qalsody, a treatment for people living with genetic SOD1-ALS. This decision reflects the ALS Association's commitment to ensuring that people living with ALS have access to promising ALS treatments without delay. "This is a victory for the entire ALS community," said Calaneet Balas, president and CEO of the ALS Association. "It's critical that FDA-approved treatments are made accessible rather than being labeled as 'experimental.' We are grateful to everyone in our community who helped make this day happen." Balas added: "We hope this sends a message to the entire rare disease community and pharmaceutical industry that new treatments can be developed and made accessible to those who will benefit from them. We need to ensure more ALS treatments are developed and approved that will help everyone living with ALS." The ALS Association played a key role in the historic CMS directive by participating and advocating for the research, approval, and accessibility of Qalsody for people living with ALS. In 2004, the ALS Association was the first to fund research into ALS-specific antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) technology, investing over $1.3 million in groundbreaking studies that laid the foundation for the development of Qalsody. This early commitment supported preclinical studies, safety trials, and the first-in-human phase 1 trial, which established SOD1 as a viable therapeutic target. In 2023, Qalsody became the first gene-based therapy approved for ALS , thanks in part to the ALS Association's efforts, including a united push from the ALS community for FDA accelerated approval. This new CMS directive provides precedent for state regulators to issue similar actions for other private insurers. According to the Valor study published in 2022 , Qalsody, which was developed specifically to target the RNA produced by mutated SOD1 genes, has demonstrated significant promise in clinical trials and real-world studies. In the phase 3 VALOR trial, Qalsody reduced levels of mutated SOD1 proteins in cerebral spinal fluid by 35% within eight weeks and decreased bloodstream levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL)—a key biomarker of neurodegeneration—by 50% within 12-16 weeks. These biological changes translated into measurable clinical benefits, including slower disease progression, improved respiratory function, and enhanced quality of life after 52 weeks of treatment. Real-world data has since validated these findings, with some patients stabilizing or even experiencing improvements in motor function and quality of life. When insurance companies began denying access to Qalsody, labeling it as "experimental," the ALS Association took decisive action, working directly with CMS to launch an investigation into these unjust denials. By presenting evidence of widespread insurance rejections and demonstrating the critical need for immediate intervention. In addition to working with CMS, the ALS Association actively engaged policymakers, held strategic meetings with state and federal legislators, and served as a staunch advocate for patients, ensuring their voices were heard and their rights to life-changing treatment were upheld. The ALS Association urges anyone previously denied Qalsody by their Medicare Advantage plan to contact their ALS specialist immediately to begin the process of securing access to this critical treatment. For more information on the CMS directive visit als.org About the ALS Association The ALS Association is the largest ALS organization in the world. The ALS Association funds global research collaborations, assists people with ALS and their families through its nationwide network of care and certified clinical care centers, and advocates for better public policies for people with ALS. The ALS Association is working to make ALS a livable disease while urgently searching for new treatments and a cure. For more information about the ALS Association, visit our website at www.als.org . About ALS Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Over the course of the disease, people lose the ability to move, to speak, and eventually, to breathe. The disease is always fatal, usually within five years of diagnosis. Few treatment options exist, resulting in a high unmet need for new therapies to address functional deficits and disease progression. SOURCE The ALS Association
'Long overdue': Businesses, charities react to feds asking labour board to intervene in postal strikeThe Herzfeld Caribbean Basin Fund, Inc. Announces Retirement of Thomas J. Herzfeld from the Board of Directors and Named Chairman Emeritus; Names Cecilia Gondor Chairperson; Brigitta Herzfeld Named to the Board
Kushner "is a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker, who will be a strong advocate representing our Country & its interests," Trump said on his Truth Social website, adding that Jared "worked closely with me in the White House." The choice is in keeping with Trump's pattern, so far, of selecting people, often wealthy, who are close to his family or of proven loyalty. Kushner is a multimillionaire real estate executive and former attorney; his son was a senior adviser during Trump's first term. Trump did not mention, however, that the elder Kushner once served jail time -- a two-year sentence, most of it served in a federal prison. Kushner, who is now 70, pleaded guilty in 2004 to 18 counts of tax evasion, witness tampering and making illegal campaign contributions. The case, which was prosecuted by then US attorney Chris Christie, included sordid details, to which Kushner admitted: that he had hired a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law, a man cooperating in a campaign finance inquiry, and then videotaped the encounter and sent it to the man's wife, Kushner's sister, to dissuade her from testifying against him. Christie, who worked on Trump's first presidential transition team and then opposed him in this year's Republican primary contests, later said Kushner had committed a "loathsome" and "disgusting crime." In 2020, Trump issued a pardon to Kushner, whose conviction had resulted in him being disbarred in three states. Nominees for key ambassadorships are often business associates of a president-elect, or major political donors. But it is rare, if not unprecedented, to name a convicted felon. The first two men to fill the prestigious Paris post were famed inventor and statesman Benjamin Franklin and a future president, Thomas Jefferson. If confirmed, Kushner would succeed Denise Bauer, a former ambassador to Belgium who was a major Democratic fundraiser and donor. md/bbk/mdNC House overrides veto of disaster relief bill. Bill also curbs governor's powersThis transcript is from a CSIS event hosted on December 10, 2024. Watch the full video here. Stephen Morrison: Today we have the great pleasure of being joined by Loyce Pace, assistant secretary at Health and Human Services department for global affairs. (Music plays.) This is the CommonHealth from the CSIS Bipartisan Alliance for Global Health Security, engaging senior leaders on questions of how to address our common health security challenges in this post-COVID moment. (Music ends.) Hello and welcome. I’m J. Stephen Morrison, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies – CSIS – based in Washington, D.C. CommonHealth Live! is a series of the CSIS Bipartisan Alliance for Global Health Security. Today we have the great pleasure of being joined by a close friend and much-admired colleague and leader in global health, Assistant Secretary at HHS for – in the Office of Global Affairs Loyce Pace. Welcome, Loyce. Thanks so much for joining us today. Loyce Pace: Thank you, Steve. Dr. Morrison: We’re here to talk about the newly released strategy, the Global Strategy of the Department of Health and Human Services, which is fresh out. Just came out a few days ago. We’re going to talk about that strategy and we’re going to talk about some of the bigger dimensions in which it sits. Loyce has been in this position since March of 2021 so she’s been in this leadership role continuously for almost the entire duration of this Biden administration, which brings enormous perspective, I think, across the span of work. This has been an exceedingly busy era in terms of both bilateral and multilateral diplomacy. Loyce has been at the center of all of those affairs. That’s her job – (laughter) – at HHS. That was her job was to lead in many, many different fora. We’ll hear more about that. Now, the global strategy, which I encourage all of you to read – the global strategy is new. It’s new and it’s meant to mark this moment. It comes on the heels of many other strategies that we’ve had issued in the course of this administration in which you participated. We had the National Health Security Strategy for 2023 to 2026. We had the Global Health Security Strategy of 2024. We had the National Biodefense Strategy and Implementation Plan in 2022. We had the Biodefense Posture Review at the DOD that was concluded last year. So there’s been a lot of thinking, a lot of policy formulation. I mean, in this administration it’s remarkable how much of this has happened and been instituted, and all of these efforts require a prodigious amount of work across a span of different actors. You at the top of the frame are trying to fuse these opinions into this consolidated strategy. Congratulations on that. Ms. Pace: Thank you. Dr. Morrison: It’s a remarkable amount of work and it comes on the backdrop of a lot of other remarkable work. So let’s start with as you look at this – this is going to be one of your legacies. You can point to this as a culmination of a lot of work. What are the two to three most significant elements or changes within this which are going to distinguish it as people look at this and they go, OK, well, that marked a certain passage in our thinking? So tell us about that. Ms. Pace: Well, thanks very much, first of all, for the introduction, Steve, and just acknowledging all of the work – the painstaking but rewarding work that we’ve been about this administration. With this global strategy coming out of the Department of Health and Human Services I think, first and foremost, people are going to see equity front and center and that’s something that’s different. It’s not that we haven’t been focused on equity or health equity, broadly speaking, for decades but now we’re finally talking about it, from this president to Secretary Becerra to others across the administration and, certainly, throughout the department. We’re saying, look, we can’t get this work done to protect Americans or to protect Americans by protecting the world unless we have an equity lens. So that’s number one. I think number two in the strategy people might see an increased focus on innovation. When we looked back at the last strategy that we published as a department – the last global strategy back in 2016 – I think we even did a word search to understand how many times innovation, technology, and other such terms were used or referenced and it wasn’t that much, surprisingly. So we wanted to bring this particular version of the document current to reflect all the innovations that we’ve been able to realize, right, and benefit from in the past decade or so and that includes very current information technologies like artificial intelligence and how that can be leveraged to advance global health, let alone the sort of bread and butter manufactured technologies and other very basic, tangible innovations that we lived through with COVID-19. So that’s another important focus. And then I think, finally, we really wanted to pull together themes and kind of connect dots across various priorities. What do I mean by that? We have done a good job, I think, in the global health community talking about the spectrum of diseases, right, from infectious diseases to, say, noncommunicable diseases, from maternal child health to other matters along the spectrum. But we haven’t always leaned into the intersection of, say, health and migration or health and climate. And so we’re able to lift up the work that the department is doing, understanding that the world is multifaceted and complex, and there are agencies within the department that are able to focus at the intersection of health and these other development issues. Dr. Morrison: Thank you. Let me take each of those and dive a little more deeply. On the equity norm it comes through loud and clear, right? Ms. Pace: Good. Dr. Morrison: I mean, it’s right at the front end but it runs through all of the argumentation, and when I ask myself, OK, what in practical terms are we talking about here on equity there were a couple things that I took away as what you mean by equity in actual action – concrete action. One is sexual and reproductive rights. A second is LGBTQ+ rights and protections. A third is low income countries and a right to universal health coverage. Maybe right is not the correct term, but provision. In other words, inequity in terms of the absence of something that should be there as a fundamental basis of our strategy of engagement with our partner countries. And the last is something that you’ve referenced which is manufacturing capabilities in low income countries. Those are the things that I think are the manifestations in concrete terms of this equity norm. And the other thing I wanted to mention is it seems to me the aftermath of COVID equity became a driving preoccupation across the diplomatic domain, right – I mean, in the pandemic treaty negotiations, in the IHR, you know, modifications. In many, many fora that you were in, that you serve in on the boards of the different organizations, of SEFI, Global Fund – that all of the different bilateral regional bodies that you find yourself in there was a surge. This marched forward to become a dominant concern normatively, it seems to me, and that has settled. It has become a process of consolidation of this into things like this, just strategy. Ms. Pace: Sure. Yeah. Dr. Morrison: But say a few words more about that. Ms. Pace: Well, I’m really glad to know that’s come through because that’s exactly what we wanted to do was to take equity from headline to implementation and execution because there’s a real need for equity as strategy, right, and not just this principle that we tout. Of course, there is a moral imperative to a lot of the work that we do but there’s a very strategic imperative, as you well know. So let’s take HIV and the decades of work that we’ve done in that space. One of the reasons we did what we did to try and respond to the crisis in the way that we have and continue to do is because we know that unless we truly reach those who have traditionally or historically been left behind we’re not going to be able to finish this fight and that’s going to have ramifications for these communities, for countries, and for the world. We saw it with COVID, right? One of the reasons that we were also seized with ensuring that we had vaccines at home and abroad is because we wanted to stop this virus in its tracks. And, of course, vaccines weren’t the only answer but they were an important part of the equation once they became available and I often would talk about in the absence of vaccines there’s this risk or opportunity for variants to emerge, right, and we saw that happening as the longer we took to ensure that there was equitable access. So to your point, we are very much focused on how we can improve or drive access to health – health care, health services, public health – through these strategic objectives because that’s the only way we’re going to be able to make progress overall. Dr. Morrison: Thank you. On the innovation and the special focus on AI that, of course, has entered the mainstream discussion of almost everything, right, and it also is – there’s an equity concern in terms of affordable access on new technologies, right? So equity carries into that but it’s also something that is celebratory in the sense that there’s – a certain pessimism has settled into our thinking. Resources have become very tight, the cycle of crisis followed by neglect, the, you know, global health security, global health – what we think of as global health traditionally has entered a period of peril, in a sense, in terms of trying to preserve its prioritization. It’s a slipping priority and the like. Putting innovation forward, it seems to me, is a very good strategy for preserving an optimism and a forward look. It’s also a faith in our capacity as a nation to bring forward new solutions that have not just benefits for Americans but to others. Say more about that because, you know, this strategy is not a pessimistic strategy but it’s occurring in a very pessimistic time. Ms. Pace: Yeah, that’s an important point. I mean, look, America has always led the world in very important ways and I think what we’re trying to do is bring that forward, especially when you think about the history of many of our agencies within the Department of Health, right? You think about the NIH and how historic their innovations have come to be including as recently as with COVID-19 but stretching back, again, decades. But then you have newer agencies like ARPA-H, right, this new research agency and authority that is looking at these sort of Moonshot Initiatives and carrying forward things like the president’s Moonshot Initiative or agenda but also looking at other interesting investments in antimicrobial resistance and Alzheimer’s and the like. And that is exciting, right, because there’s an opportunity for us to translate these innovations in the world and also, let’s not forget, learn from the exchanges we have internationally to benefit what we do here at home. And so coming back to ARPA-H, let alone with our National Institutes of Health, they have these broad-based research communities that they’ve been able to foster over time and they’re purposely and intentionally multinational because we know that genius has no borders, right? We know that the next innovation can truly come from anywhere. But it’s always been the spirit of America, I think, to harness that in thoughtful, meaningful, and really impactful ways. And so I do think that’s the promise – one of the great promises of this strategy and of the innovation that we have. But one more thing about that, too, that I think is important we have to tie it to the equity lens that we were just talking about before. You know, innovation without equity really has no impact, right? It’s really just a good idea that is for the few and not the many, and so it’s important that we have this ethical, equitable approach to anything that we do to understand who benefits. You know, even in the planning phase, right, how we develop these innovations is critically important, who is engaged in that process, so that it does reach the right folks. But regulation and other important components also need to be key as part of this enabling environment for the innovation. It’s not just sort of the products or ideas themselves. Dr. Morrison: Yeah. I’m glad you brought up ARPA-H if only because, you know, we’re entering a period now of a reconsideration of how fast should science be and how big and bold versus slow and incremental, the discovery phase, and how do we invest to bring innovation forward at a faster rate, safer rate, but also have it be of use in low and middle – within partnerships with low and middle income countries. And I wanted to ask you, do you have in your mind a few of the most choice technological challenges, whether we’re talking vaccines, countermeasures, diagnostics. There’s any number of types of innovations. But if you look, like, at the Mpox outbreak, right, which has now become embedded in the Kivus – it’s become embedded in Burundi, in Uganda – it’s a long-term problem. When you talk to folks in the – who are managing that response one question that comes up is, OK, over the long term we need a vaccine that can be used continental wide that’s cheap and affordable and usable. We don’t have that today. We do have a very good JYNNEOS – Ms. Pace: Stand in, yeah. Dr. Morrison: – vaccine, but it doesn’t fit that requirement. We need a level of innovation that’s going to bring that forward. So is it that sort of thing that you – when you’re thinking about accelerating the innovation for the purposes of our global strategy of engagement with our partners in low and middle income countries is that the sort of thing you have in mind is let’s prioritize two or three things that – where we really do want to push hard? Ms. Pace: I think innovation can run the gamut. So you can be referring to products like new vaccines and, of course, there have been endless conversations about what actually deserves or requires investment. I talked about antimicrobial resistance earlier. Speaking of outdated products and the need to innovate in this space, you know, AMR being potentially the next big thing is something that requires that investment and attention, which is why we’ve been making it. But there have been conversations – global conversations – whether they be at WHO or at the G-20 that have asked this very question, right, where do we really make these investments. But what’s exciting about the focus on innovation as well is the ability and even obligation to crowd in other actors to answer this question. This is not just a public sector problem and solution. We have to draw from universities and academia. We need to be drawing from the private sector and industry, and they’re coming forth with these ideas around where we can make these investments and, importantly, making it possible for us to make multiple investments across the board. In other words, we don’t just have to make one bet in one space like in Mpox, which is a good example. But there are other needs, right? Think about the investments we’ve been able to make in the newer dengue vaccine, right, and actually given the outbreaks and increasing outbreaks globally really provide hope and promise in that space. And so it’s – there’s a bit of both/and in this when it comes to kind of where we place those bets. But I want to be sure we’re also talking about, I guess, small I innovation as well, how the workforce – the global health workforce – operates in an environment where you have more climate disasters and conflicts. You know, that in itself is another innovation, right, understanding how we sustain the capacity and also stamina, frankly, of our frontline workers. What are the innovations that can be deployed when it comes to surveillance and testing, for example? How can we even leverage artificial intelligence or some of these larger data models or capacities to innovate in that way, right? So it’s, you know, there are people much smarter than me who are thinking about this every day and that’s one of the reasons why you will see that as a focus in what we’ve put together. Dr. Morrison: Thank you. You mentioned – in your third area around connecting dots and integrating you mentioned health and climate and so I wanted to just touch on that briefly. This is an issue that’s of great concern for us. We’ve created within our Bipartisan Alliance a very ambitious working group around health and climate. We’ve spoken with one of your colleagues, John Balbus, who came on camera earlier. So you’re – this is a nice broadcast companion to hearing from him, who was very impressive and visionary running that new office of climate health and equity at HHS. You mentioned in the report the need for greater support to prepare to the President’s Emergency Plan on Resilience and Equity. Ms. Pace: Adaptation and Resilience. (Laughs.) Dr. Morrison: Adaptation. The President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience. Ms. Pace: Yes. Dr. Morrison: Say a bit more about what has been possible so far. I mean, John was very candid about the limitations but he was very energetic and committed, as you have been. What has been possible in this period up to now and what would you hope for, looking ahead? Ms. Pace: Well, I’m glad you had Dr. Balbus on. He is the best and brightest in this space and has been working tirelessly on this effort. As you mentioned, we have had the – been able to stand up, excuse me, the office of climate change and health equity in the department and, again, recognizing the important intersection of those two pieces. But I would say that we go about this work globally in a couple of different ways. There’s the mitigation track, which John probably talked extensively about, in terms of our decarbonization efforts, let alone the ways that we are trying to work with global partners to forecast what’s coming, right. Unfortunately, we are getting used to some of these weather patterns globally and how they affect quality of life. There are pollution patterns that we can track. There are, obviously, wildfires and huge – Dr. Morrison: Huge migration and demographic changes. Ms. Pace: Exactly. So there’s so much that we can start to get ahead of knowing what’s coming, and our CDC really can do a lot to borrow from partners around the world to inform our work here, right, in this country and vice versa, kind of have that exchange with partners globally based on what we’re doing and learning it inside of the U.S. But then there is an important adaptation component, too, and I talked about workforce a little bit. But I think even when we consider people’s health records what happens when people are fleeing a fire or a flood? What happens to their health information? How can they track their treatment courses and ensure that they are – those are sustained? There are other important components to adaptation as well when we think about the ways we need to just really understand how people are affected by climate disasters and ensure that there is a ready workforce and health infrastructure that can support them in the event of an emergency. So those are the types of ways we’re trying to ensure those pieces are in place. We’ve been able to work with the World Health Organization in there and how this has emerged as well because some of the things that we’re able to do out of the office of global affairs is partner with multilateral institutions in this space. We’ve engaged in the COP conferences the past several years. Obviously, Brazil’s G-20 focused on climate and, you know, you have WHO’s special envoy on climate and health with Dr. Vanessa Kerry. So all of these issues have emerged as priorities across our partners and so it has behooved us as the department of health to meet the moment ourselves and liaise accordingly. Dr. Morrison: Do you – you know, there’s climate as a – climate change as a topic is a polarized, politicized term and so we do run headlong into a very partisan set of divisions within our own society. Language becomes very important in trying to not trigger a negative and immediate negative reaction to get a focus on these issues of what the health impacts are of extreme weather and of rising infectious diseases – dengue and malaria and other things – and what the global demographic changes are looking like, and how do you – what’s your advice on finding the right language to bring a consensus together? Because we’re not going to be able to be effective, I don’t think, in devising a foreign policy around climate and health if we can’t figure out a language that draws both division – both sides of our deeply divided society into support. What are your thoughts on that? I know there’s no easy answer so I’m not pretending that but I would like your thoughts because you’ve had to engage, and we’ve gone through a period where extreme weather has had profoundly destabilizing impacts on populations in red, blue, and purple states in our country. Ms. Pace: Right. (Laughs.) That’s right. Dr. Morrison: Massive numbers of people impacted – Ms. Pace: Right. Dr. Morrison: – in places that they never expected. Asheville, North Carolina never expected they would be at the forefront of this. Ms. Pace: Exactly. And think about the fallout there when it comes to adaptation, right? We needed to be mindful of the supply chain in that very scenario and we’ve seen that play out all over the world. You know, it’s an important question without an easy answer but I think one way we could go about getting past the language and the debate around that language is by focusing more on One Health. I mean, this – you know, honestly, the intersection of climate and health isn’t necessarily a new idea and there are plenty of folks both in the human health and environmental health space that have recognized this intersection for years. Just think about zoonotic spillover, right? (Laughs.) Dr. Morrison: Right. Right. Ms. Pace: We are seeing diseases move between animals and humans. That is a climate and health priority or agenda. That is a One Health agenda, and the more, I think, we can really point to where it’s playing out and, importantly, what that risk entails to either side of that equation the better off we are in trying to at least have a conversation – a constructive conversation about what can be done, and I’ve seen that work, right, when you can really break down for people what the priorities should be given that intersection, given that interplay. It’s worked. You know, we have field epidemiologists now, excuse me, who don’t just focus on kind of the disease detection amongst humans but we are now training our CDC is working with partners to train people in the ag sector to do the same thing amongst animals and to really work together in a meaningful intentional way to stop this spillover where it starts. So that alone is a version of this that we’re talking about. But I think we can take that further to some of these other examples when it comes to extreme weather events and other issues, like you said, that, you know, affect all of us no matter where we’re coming at this issue. Dr. Morrison: Yes. Let’s shift to your diplomatic role. I mean, you’re the lead diplomat from HHS. Many different fora. I want to mention also you have these six attachés around the world. We’ve worked very closely with Erika Elvander in Beijing who has done a spectacular job in the last three and a half, four years in that role. She came in, I think, pretty close in time to that role as your arrival. We hosted the – I think there was – we had the – five of the regional attachés plus Dr. Lim from Geneva here for a forum end of last week and it was quite extraordinary. They were so impactful. They were so strategic in their orientation. They were able to tell these stories around the role they played in these big embassies, really important places, right – South Africa, Kenya, New Delhi, Beijing, Mexico City. Ms. Pace: Mmm hmm. Brasilia. Dr. Morrison: Geneva, Brasilia. I mean, it was very impressive in terms of having a capability that really could recount in specific detail their contribution to advancing our agenda. So kudos to them. I know they fall under your office. They’re an enormous asset, sometimes not very well appreciated either, I think. (Laughter.) So kudos to you. Ms. Pace: Thank you. Dr. Morrison: I just wanted to mention that because it was very – it was really quite inspiring to hear that, to understand the power of this capability, which we did not always have. Ms. Pace: That’s true, and they’re incredible. I mean, it’s – and where they are placed is quite strategic, right? I mean, these are not – these are people who truly partner with the countries where they’re serving. This is not a development sort of top down operation but, rather, when you think about the Mexicos and Brazils or the Indias and the Chinas and other countries you mentioned we are able to have this real partnership because of their advancement in health as well, and whether we’re talking about innovation or immunizations and surveillance and other important components of health these countries are leading the way in their own right and so it behooves us to have this strong tie, and it’s played out in really important ways even in recent years including during COVID. I like to say these attachés were holding up the sky in some cases as Delta was hitting India, right, and these waves were hitting some of these other countries as Omicron was hitting South Africa. So it’s really important to – that we do acknowledge the boots on the ground, the people who are serving as the node for U.S. health initiatives and working, of course, with other U.S. agencies accordingly but are just a critical touch point for us. Dr. Morrison: For us this year, I mean, one of the highlights of our year, 2024, was the ability to host on September 27th the Chinese vice minister of the National Health Commission. Now, there had not been in Washington, D.C., a ministerial level Chinese health official in Washington since 2017. There had been a seven-year gap of that level of contact. Now, we all know what happened, right? We had COVID. We had geopolitical confrontations. We had President Biden and President Xi meet twice and pledge to renew and elevate cooperation on health. But politics kept getting in the way. But we were able to do that. We were able to host the vice minister here at CSIS who then went on to meet with Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm at HHS as well as leadership from four of the National Institutes of Health, also very significant, and to go to the – meet with Victor Dzau at the National Academy of Medicine. Now, I raise all of this because we could never have done this without the help of Erika Elvander, the health attaché in Beijing, and with the support of Ambassador Nick Burns and his whole team. But it took two trips out there. It took endless amounts of consultation. But we are very indebted, very grateful, to the fact that you have these remarkable people in place and that they actually are very responsive and creative in that way. Ms. Pace: That’s good. Dr. Morrison: Tell us about WHO. You know, WHO, you – you’re at the front face of the relationship. It’s a difficult relationship. It may be that when incoming President Trump is inaugurated on January 20th there’s an expectation he may snap back to end the membership, which may start a process of negotiation around reform, a 12-month string in which there could be negotiation. We don’t know. But it’s important for us to be talking now about how healthy is WHO, how important is WHO to U.S. global interests and if there is a quest to strengthen WHO through reform. In your view, what should be the – is it the prequalification process? Is it – what is it that – concretely because these terms get thrown around and WHO is terribly important to U.S. interests. If we walk away we’re handing – we’re ceding a space to our rivals, right – to our adversaries. We’re opening space for heightened influence by both China and Russia. Say a few words about WHO and how you see it today and what would a reform agenda look like. Ms. Pace: Well, I have to say I’ve been really proud of the way we’ve been able to reengage with WHO. It’s critically important and it demonstrates the power of health diplomacy. But health diplomacy or diplomacy overall is not about always going easy on your partners and friends or agreeing, right? Sometimes you have to have tough conversations, and while we’ve applauded a lot of the work that WHO has done we’ve had to have some constructive, productive conversations about how they can improve that work and we’ve done that alongside other member states, importantly, because we’ve remained at the table, and WHO, to their great credit, has been incredibly receptive to it. These are conversations that even stretch back to the previous administration, and so we were happy to continue those discussions, to continue driving that reform agenda and that reform agenda really encompasses quite a bit, right? You think about all of the internal workings of the organization – staffing, budgeting, and the like. You think about the governing practices or the model with the executive board on which I’ve been sitting the past several years and then, obviously, you think about their programmatic agenda and priorities. And so across all of these different areas WHO has been pushing forward to continue to either streamline their work, to look more closely at how those resources are allocated and leveraged, and really look at how – the impact that they have and how that’s communicated. You know, sometimes it’s a matter of us not fully appreciating or understanding why the organization is pursuing what it’s doing, what sort of challenges they’re facing. Sometimes it’s a matter of them just really leaning on the board that much more and the member states more broadly to make tough decisions. You know, they are a member-led organization – Dr. Morrison: Right. Ms. Pace: – and there are 190-plus member states all with different perspectives and priorities. Sometimes it takes a lot of wrangling to ensure that we are doing right by the institution and it doesn’t mean they don’t have a role in making these changes as well but we all have to be a part of that reform effort. So that’s been our approach to our work with WHO and it’s our hope that that is what can continue. Dr. Morrison: So what would you say – what would you identify as the areas where if we want to salvage this relationship and preserve membership what would be the things that, in your view, should be a priority for negotiation? Ms. Pace: Well, I think what we’ve worked with WHO on and what we’ve seen them do, for example, is really – I mean, look, they’ve launched a new global program of work that sets out some clear priorities according to where the needs are globally when it comes to health and well-being. Importantly, they are looking more closely at these social determinants of health, kind of the root causes of issues around health. That way I think while they might have specific programs in a number of disease areas they’re not just playing this game of whack-a-mole trying to save all of these lives from these different conditions or risk, but they can step back and say, well, what is actually driving poor health and well-being globally? What is at the root of this? So that, I think, is going to be important for them to sort of demonstrate that greater return on investment, frankly. You know, the inner workings – the operational pieces – are also quite important. It’s, perhaps, boring to talk about but that is going to be where they can do a lot of convincing to show, hey, we have used this one dollar to do – to save this many lives, to do this many things, and that can be sustained over time. A lot of the work at this point in global health by WHO and a range of other actors is going to need to be structural, right? It’s great when we can provide products and supplies, let alone, you know, providers and other sort of tangible pieces to people all over the world. But it’s more important that WHO, working with partners, can really invest in the capacity of these countries and ensure that countries can take on this work for themselves, which is exactly what they want to do. So the more WHO and its regional offices can demonstrate that evolution and that even independence of partners globally I think that is a winning case that they can make in Washington. Dr. Morrison: Let’s turn to your reflections on the last few years. Let’s start with, like, what are your proudest achievements? Like, what are the two or three proudest – when you’re talking to your grandchildren or your nephews and nieces, you know, and they say, well, what did you actually do on those – in those almost four years? What are going to – what are you going to say? Ms. Pace: You know, I’m proud of the IHRs – the international health regulations – and the way that our team worked so hard with their counterparts around the world to update those, and I will explain to the nieces and nephews and others around me that once upon a time we had a pandemic hit us and we had a plan to fight that pandemic, and we did OK in some ways – we meaning the world, right. There were countries that could use these rules that were in place to tell us what was going on, to protect their people, to protect others. But there were ways that we didn’t quite get it right, and some of that was because we weren’t taking into account the speed of information and the way that moved around the world. We weren’t taking into account the ways that WHO and other actors needed to understand that information, to have access to that information so that they could take actions, right? We weren’t taking into account some of the other core pieces around resources or capacity for countries not only to report what’s happening but then to be supported in that reporting. So those are all the things we were able to do through the amendments to the IHRs was bring them to the present to ensure that if we are affected by something like COVID again we get that much closer to perfect in a way that we – you know, we didn’t quite do this time. But I think it’s important to know that we had a strong base and thank goodness we didn’t have to start from scratch when it came to those amendments. Dr. Morrison: OK. So the IHR reform process. Ms. Pace: Yeah. Dr. Morrison: What are the other items that you’re going to brag about? Ms. Pace: I would say, you know – (laughs) – I’m not good at bragging but I’m thinking about this being Human Rights Day, and something we have done in this administration is really make that connection between health and rights in a way that, again, we’ve seen and heard from our leadership, and in a way that felt surprising, honestly. It was – it seemed that it was a given that we were all here trying to save lives and acknowledging that we would save lives whoever they were, wherever they were. But it started to creep into some of these discussions at WHO and in other forums that, well, wait a minute. You know, do we really want to focus on, for example, LGBTQI+ populations and communities? How much do we need to even sort of gear our work towards these special populations? You and I know that that’s been critical to the health response and health agenda over time but I think there are people who have come into this space who don’t remember that history, who don’t necessarily appreciate the data and evidence around the importance of focusing on these groups. And there was a moment even in the World Health Assembly. I remember speaking up because there was a debate not just over whether we should focus on these communities but whether or not they even existed, and that was heartbreaking to hear because my values and faith tell me that if I can’t see someone I can’t serve them. And so one of my proudest moments is reminding my colleagues that we have to see everyone we are trying to serve. Dr. Morrison: Mmm hmm. Thank you. We’ve done a lot of work on Gaza. We have a series, “Gaza: The Human Toll.” Ms. Pace: Mmm hmm. Yeah. Dr. Morrison: We’ve done 21 one-hour broadcasts. The principal focus is pulling people in from Gaza who are operationally struggling under the worst imaginable circumstances to deal with this humanitarian and health catastrophe that is – you know, that is going to be with us for a very long time. The U.S. policy on this has been very controversial, and will remain very controversial as people sift through what happened and why did this happen in the level of devastation and harm to innocent civilians in this period. One bright spot, it seems to me, in a what otherwise very, very disappointing diplomatic record around in responding to these crises – one bright spot was some work that you did and I want you to talk about that. Ms. Pace: Well, thank you for raising that. Back in ’23 – in the fall of ’23 as things were unfolding in the region the executive board of WHO had a debate and ultimately made a decision to host a special session to discuss what was happening in Gaza in particular and, you know, what happens in these special sessions, I think as you know, is it allows us to shine a light on issues of importance to the health community and it was determined and agreed as part of those discussions leading up to that session that we needed to take a hard look at what the health impact really was as a result of the conflict and this is, you know, citizens or civilians everywhere and anywhere in the region who were being affected. What came of it was the U.S. joined consensus around the need for WHO to continue monitoring that situation, the impact that the conflict was having on health providers and health facilities and, more broadly, on civilians, whether we look at access to food and nutrition, water sanitation, or other very critical aspects that, you know, as you mentioned, have unfolded over, you know, the months – now, you know, more than a year. And so it was important, I think, for us in the health community to set that tone to make it clear that regardless of the very tough geopolitical and diplomatic issues we were going to stand strong and hold the line when it came to health and the importance of focusing on health in whatever space however difficult it is. Dr. Morrison: Well, thank you. You know, the issue of U.S. policy towards Gaza has been, obviously, very divisive across America. It’s been very divisive internally within the U.S. government and we’re going to see a lot of postmortems on this in the coming months and years around all of this and you taking that stand is terribly important. Ms. Pace: Thank you. Dr. Morrison: I just want to say that WHO in this period has been courageous and sustained in its work, from Rik Peeperkorn who’s come on – who’s the head of the operations for WHO in Gaza, to Richard Brennan in Cairo, the head of our emergency operations, to Hanan Balkhy, the head of the EMRO, the regional office in Cairo – we hosted her here, she was very powerful and eloquent. To Dr. Tedros, the secretary general of WHO – the director general of WHO has been consistently on point about what this all means and vocal about all of this, to the polio team, to Hamid Jafari out of Jordan. This has been a terrible and tragic and terribly dangerous and frustrating situation but WHO has just really distinguished itself in this period, and with your support – and I’m grateful that you did what you did – is quite important. Ms. Pace: Thank you. Dr. Morrison: So we’re at the closing moments now and – of this interview and we’re approaching the conclusion of the Biden administration. Tell us what gives you hope and optimism now, looking ahead – what parting advice you have to anyone who is thinking about the future around U.S. leadership in global health. You have laid out a very nice strategy here. You’ve made the case that we’ve covered here around equity, around innovation, around paying attention to the things that now are very much connecting like climate and health. Give us your parting thoughts. Ms. Pace: Well, look, I never imagined that I would be sitting in this chair doing this work, and it’s funny because I, as an advocate, liaise with the office of global affairs all the time and I love that I came to know each of the directors of the office, going back decades, and I’m grateful to them for the – you know, what I was able to step into, I guess. And so my hope even in publishing this strategy now is leaving something for the next person, right, so that they can build on this legacy that we have left over multiple administrations. I think anyone coming into this role or the U.S. government overall I trust that they will focus on the mission and on the people who drive that mission, right. I mean, that’s really what we have, particularly when we talk about health diplomacy. Our currency is our people. You talked about our attachés. We have a whole team of people here in Washington, D.C. We, obviously, have a range of partners abroad, especially when you think about our Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But that’s the work, you know, and the work has been underway in a way that has been making progress over time and I hope that we can all sort of look back and celebrate that progress but, importantly, look forward to know that that progress can be sustained and even elevated in the months and years to come. Thanks a lot for having me. Dr. Morrison: Thank you. Thank you. I want to offer a special thanks to a number of colleagues who pulled all of this together: Sophia Hirshfield and Maclane Speer; my colleagues in the Bipartisan Alliance; our terrific production team – Dhanesh Mahtani, Alex Brunner, Theo Chavez; to your colleagues at OGA who worked very closely with us to make all of this happen. This has been a wonderful conversation. Congratulations on the strategy. Congratulations on your tenure and achievements in this period and thank you for coming and spending time with us today. Ms. Pace: I appreciate it, Steve. Good to see you. Dr. Morrison: Thank you. (END.)
ISSAQUAH, Wash., Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: COST) today announced its operating results for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 (twelve weeks), ended November 24, 2024. Net sales for the first quarter increased 7.5 percent, to $60.99 billion from $56.72 billion last year. Comparable sales for the first quarter fiscal 2025 were as follows: *Excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange. Net income for the quarter was $1,798 million, $4.04 per diluted share, compared to $1,589 million, $3.58 per diluted share, last year. This year’s results included a tax benefit of $100 million, $0.22 per diluted share, related to stock-based compensation. Last year’s results included a tax benefit of $44 million, $0.10 per diluted share, also related to stock-based compensation. Costco currently operates 897 warehouses, including 617 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 109 in Canada, 41 in Mexico, 36 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 19 in Korea, 15 in Australia, 14 in Taiwan, seven in China, five in Spain, two in France, and one each in Iceland, New Zealand and Sweden. Costco also operates e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Australia. A conference call to discuss these results is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. (PT) today, December 12, 2024, and is available via a webcast on investor.costco.com (click “Events & Presentations”). Certain statements contained in this document constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For these purposes, forward-looking statements are statements that address activities, events, conditions or developments that the Company expects or anticipates may occur in the future. In some cases forward-looking statements can be identified because they contain words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, results or performance to differ materially from those indicated by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, domestic and international economic conditions, including exchange rates, inflation or deflation, the effects of competition and regulation, uncertainties in the financial markets, consumer and small business spending patterns and debt levels, breaches of security or privacy of member or business information, conditions affecting the acquisition, development, ownership or use of real estate, capital spending, actions of vendors, rising costs associated with employees (generally including health-care costs and wages), workforce interruptions, energy and certain commodities, geopolitical conditions (including tariffs), the ability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, regulatory and other impacts related to environmental and social matters, public-health related factors, and other risks identified from time to time in the Company’s public statements and reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company does not undertake to update these statements, except as required by law. Comparable sales and comparable sales excluding impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange are intended as supplemental information and are not a substitute for net sales presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. COST-EarnHERZLIYA, Israel and CALGARY, Alberta , Dec. 12, 2024 /CNW/ -- Innocan Pharma Corporation INNO IP INNPF (the "Company" or "Innocan") a pharmaceutical technology company focusing on developing innovative drug delivery platform technologies and an owner of a proprietary intellectual property portfolio, is pleased to share its annual "State of Research and Development" update for 2024. This year, the Company achieved significant milestones in advancing research and development for its drug delivery platforms as well as its intellectual property portfolio. During 2024, Innocan achieved significant milestones in both scientific and regulatory domains. Preclinical studies of its liposome-cannabidiol technology (LPT - CBD ( demonstrated high CBD bioavailability, along with long-lasting pain relief and improved well-being in various animal models. Building on this compelling data, the Company secured agreement from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the preclinical and Phase 1 clinical development plan to advance LPT-CBD as a treatment for chronic pain in humans. Additionally, the FDA acknowledged LPT-CBD's development under the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway, which provides Innocan with an accelerated route to patent utilization and commercialization. On the veterinary front, LPT-CBD's innovation was recognized by the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), which granted Innocan a fee waiver for 2024 and issued a number that identifies an Investigational New Animal Drug (INAD). This designation allows Innocan to facilitate correspondence and data exchange with the CVM to support the development of LPT-CBD as a new veterinary drug. Iris Bincovich, CEO of Innocan Pharma, commented: "In 2024, we not only met but surpassed our FDA-related goals, achieving regulatory milestones ahead of schedule. With the FDA 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway meeting behind us, these advancements position us to accelerate our development in 2025, bringing us closer to delivering innovative pain management solutions for both human and veterinary applications." The 505(b)(2) FDA regulatory pathway offers a streamlined approach for developing a long-acting injectable cannabinoid using a liposomal drug delivery platform to treat chronic pain. By leveraging existing pre-clinical data from approved products, this pathway is expected to significantly shorten both development time and cost. This pathway facilitates innovative formulations like liposomal delivery, by allowing for modifications to dosage forms, administration routes, or drug combinations, all while adhering to stringent safety and efficacy standards. This approach is expected to accelerate market entry and address unmet medical needs in chronic pain management. Company ' s Update on its Activity in Research and Development and FDA interactions On February 26, 2024 , the Company announced the latest findings from the Company's pharmacokinetic study of its liposome CBD platform ("LPT-CBD") in rabbits. In agreement with studies conducted in other animals (mice, dogs, goats, and sheep) this study resulted in prolonged exposure of CBD obtained following a single subcutaneous LPT-CBD injection. This data along with data obtained from other organisms injected with the Company's liposomal CBD, consistently demonstrates that a detectable CBD level could be maintained for weeks following a single injection. On March 5, 2024 , the Company announced the results of a recent tissue distribution study of its liposome CBD platform (LPT-CBD), that indicated the potential of LPT-CBD to support a new therapeutic venue for neurological disorders. In this study, CBD was found to be in the brains of both mice and rabbits weeks after LPT-CBD was subcutaneously injected to them. LPT technology provides a long presence of CBD in the blood enabling CBD to pass the blood brain barrier (BBB) and deliver long brain exposure. On April 22, 2024 , the Company announced that it had submitted its letter of application for a Pre-IND meeting, the first phase in the FDA approval process in the United States for LPT-CBD. Innocan's Pre-IND meeting request letter to the FDA represents a key milestone and important first step in seeking approval of its LPT-CBD therapy for use in humans. The objective of the Pre-IND meeting is to obtain guidance from the FDA on the preclinical and clinical development plan, enabling the initiation of an investigational new drug ("IND") program in the United States . On May 9, 2024 , the Company announced the successful pre-clinical treatment of amputee female donkey with a liposomal-CBD injection. Miri, a-7-year-old female donkey, had undergone amputation of her right front limb, leaving the weight burden primarily on her left front limb. This led to an inflammatory disease affecting the soft tissue that connects the foot bone to the hoof, seemingly causing extreme pain and limited mobility. In a compassionate act, Miri was administered a liposomal-CBD injection. The effect was immediate as Miri regained her ability to walk and move as she had before her inflammatory disease developed. On May 21, 2024 , the Company announced significant advancements in the regulatory process for its LPT - CBD, which provides an innovative solution in non-opioid pain management. The FDA granted Innocan an INAD number and approved an initial meeting with the Company to discuss the strategic path forward. The meeting with the FDA was on July 31, 2024 , where Innocan presented its preclinical results and proposed clinical development plan. The meeting is key to launching human clinical trials for the LPT-CBD injectable drug, developed to provide a novel treatment option for chronic pain. On June 11, 2024 , the Company announced the success and conclusion of a preliminary safety evaluation of Innocan's single injection and sustained-release LPT-CBD conducted on minipigs. Recognized by the FDA as an excellent model for toxicology, minipigs are small breeds of miniature domestic pigs which share strong similarities with humans in crucial aspects such as drug metabolism, skin structure, genetics, and physiological mechanisms. In this preliminary safety study, minipigs received a single subcutaneous injection of LPT-CBD and were closely monitored for pharmacokinetics and basic safety parameters over one month. The animals all exhibited good drug tolerance and did not manifest any drug-related adverse reactions. On July 2, 2024 , the Company announced that it engaged the Past President of the Eastern Pain Association, Dr. William K. Schmidt , to support its LPT-CBD submission process to the FDA for chronic pain. His extensive expertise in pain-related clinical development and regulatory affairs will strongly contribute to Innocan's team during the LPT-CBD submission process with the FDA. Dr. Schmidt brings over 25 years of pharmaceutical industry clinical trial experience, specializing in analgesic and narcotic antagonist drug development. On July 26, 2024 , the Company announced that the CVM) granted the Company a sponsor fee waiver and assigned an INAD number for its LPT-CBD product. This represented a significant step for the Company, as an INAD designation facilitates correspondence and data exchange with CVM to support LPT-CBD development as a new veterinary drug. The Company further announced that following the assessment of LPT-CBD's scientific package, the CVM recognized Innocan's contribution to pursuing innovative animal drug products and technology and granted the Company a sponsor fee waiver for fiscal year 2024. Over the past year, repeated administration of LPT-CBD in dogs and other animals demonstrated both efficacy and tolerability, providing sufficient evidence for the INAD application. On September 3, 2024 , the Company announced that it received a positive response from the FDA following Innocan's successful pre-IND Type B meeting with the FDA held in July, for its lead drug product LPT-CBD. The FDA has agreed to LPT-CBD's submission under the 505(b)(2) New Drug Application (NDA) by establishing a scientific bridge to the reference listed drug. The 505(b)(2) abbreviated pathway, as it is often described, typically enables a faster route to patent utilization and commercial approval. This pathway is a significant milestone for Innocan, as it may pave the way for a streamlined and accelerated FDA approval process for LPT-CBD, while allowing Innocan to advance its patent protected innovation. In addition, Innocan has reached an alignment with the FDA on both its non-clinical development plan and the clinical study design for LPT-CBD's proposed IND filing for a Phase I clinical study. On October 9, 2024 , The Company announced that Dr. Joseph V. Pergolizzi, Jr. , M.D., a member of the Company's Scientific Advisory Board, was recognized among the top 2% most cited scientists in the world in a new list published by Stanford University . This achievement underscores Dr. Pergolizzi's long-term contribution to medical science and his influential role in shaping global healthcare practices. Dr. Pergolizzi was appointed to be part of Innocan's Scientific Advisory Board in September 2023 . His role focuses on promoting pharmaceutical human product R&D and supporting the Company's planned FDA filing for new medications. His expertise in pain management, critical care medicine, and regulatory processes are key in advancing the issuer's pharmaceutical developments. On October 11, 2024 , the Company announced promising results from a multi-year compassionate therapy using repeated LPT-CBD injections for pain relief in dogs with naturally occurring osteoarthritis. The therapy consistently demonstrated pain reduction and improved mobility, with effects lasting for several weeks after each injection as expected. These results further demonstrate that LPT-CBD can be a viable treatment option for managing chronic pain and enhancing the quality of life in animals. In two ongoing cases, dogs suffering from osteoarthritis who were treated with LPT-CBD after failing to respond to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and oral CBD, showed noticeable pain relief, substantially improved mobility and increased well-being which was clearly noticeable. Both dogs remained on LPT-CBD treatment for 2 and 2.5 years, respectively after their owners reported significant improvement in quality of life, receiving the treatment in addition to other conventional treatments. About Innocan Innocan is an innovator in the pharmaceuticals and wellness sectors. In the pharmaceuticals sector, Innocan developed a CBD-loaded liposome drug delivery platform with exact dosing, prolonged and controlled release of synthetic CBD for non-opioid pain management. In the wellness sector, Innocan develops and markets a wide portfolio of high-performance self-care and beauty products to promote a healthier lifestyle. Under this segment Innocan carries on business through its 60% owned subsidiary, BI Sky Global Ltd. which focuses on advanced, targeted online sales. www.innocanpharma.com For further information, please contact: Iris Bincovich, CEO +1-516-210-4025 +972-54-3012842 +44 203 769 9377 info@innocanpharma.com NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking information Certain information set forth in this news release, including, without limitation, information regarding research and development, collaborations, the filing of potential applications with the FDA and other regulatory authorities, the potential achievement of future regulatory milestones, the potential for treatment of conditions and other therapeutic effects resulting from research activities and/or the Company's products, requisite regulatory approvals and the timing for market entry and potential for patent utilization and commercialization is forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Innocan's control. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by Innocan, including expectations and assumptions concerning the anticipated benefits of the products, satisfaction of regulatory requirements in various jurisdictions and satisfactory completion of requisite production and distribution arrangements. Forward-looking information is subject to various risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in this news release. The key risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: general global and local (national) economic, market and business conditions; governmental and regulatory requirements and actions by governmental authorities; and relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, customers, business partners and competitors. There are also risks that are inherent in the nature of product distribution, including import / export matters and the failure to obtain any required regulatory and other approvals (or to do so in a timely manner) and availability in each market of product inputs and finished products. The anticipated timeline for entry to markets may change for a number of reasons, including the inability to secure necessary regulatory requirements, or the need for additional time to conclude and/or satisfy the manufacturing and distribution arrangements. As a result of the foregoing, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this news release concerning the timing of launch of product distribution. A comprehensive discussion of other risks that impact Innocan can also be found in Innocan's public reports and filings which are available under Innocan's profile at www.sedar.com . Readers are cautioned that undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information as actual results may vary materially from the forward-looking information. Innocan does not undertake to update, correct or revise any forward looking information as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2570689/Innocan_Pharma_Logo.jpg View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/innocan-pharma-provides-its-annual-state-of-research-and-development-update-for-2024-302330659.html SOURCE Innocan Pharma Corporation View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/December2024/12/c7609.html © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.NEW YORK — I’ll get you, my pretty! And your little pygmy hippo, too! Forgive us the shameless attempt to link the fantasy hit “Wicked” to the delightful Moo Deng . But, hear us out — there’s something the two have in common as the year draws to a close. Escapism. Whether we found it on the yellow brick road, or in videos from a Thailand zoo, or perhaps in unlikely Olympic heroes , we gravitated toward fantasy and feel-good pop culture moments this year. There were new trends, as always. “Brat summer” became a thing, as did “demure, mindful.” And for some inexplicable reason, we became obsessed with celebrity lookalike contests. People are also reading... There were breakups — Bennifer is, again, a thing of the past — and reunions: Oasis, please try to stay together for the tour. Yet some things stayed, remarkably, the same: Taylor Swift and Beyoncé kept on breaking records and making history. So, after a year where much changed but some things held steady, here’s our annual, very selective trip down pop culture memory lane: Lily Gladstone poses in the press room Jan. 7 with the award for best performance by an actress in a motion picture, drama for "Killers of the Flower Moon" at the 81st Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. January It starts as a cheery tweet from a beloved “Sesame Street” figure: “ ELMO is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” The answers hint at something deeper and more worrisome. “Not great, Elmo. Not great,” says one milder reply. Doing much better is the viral phenomenon called “BARBENHEIMER,” which makes its awards season debut at the GOLDEN GLOBES . But perhaps the most poignant moment comes from neither film: LILY GLADSTONE , first Indigenous winner of best actress in a drama for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” begins her remarks in the language of her tribe, Blackfeet Nation. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) kisses Taylor Swift on Feb. 11 after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in overtime during the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game in Las Vegas. February Valentine’s Day — a perfect time to settle into a sweet love saga via TikTok. Only that’s not quite what we get with “Who TF Did I Marry?,” REESA TEESA ’s depressing, fascinating, 50-part account of her disastrous marriage with a man who lied about absolutely everything. Meanwhile, if you're looking for a single week that encapsulates peak SWIFT cultural dominance , try this: she begins with the Grammys in Los Angeles (becoming the first artist to win album of the year four times AND announcing a new album), then heads to Tokyo for four tour dates, then jets back just in time for the Super Bowl in Las Vegas — where she shares a passionate smooch with boyfriend TRAVIS KELCE on the field of victory. Ryan Gosling performs the song "I'm Just Ken" from the movie "Barbie" on March 10 during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. March “What was I made for?” BILLIE EILISH sings at the OSCARS, channeling BARBIE . And what was KEN made for? Not entirely clear — but it's clear RYAN GOSLING was made to play him. His singalong version of “I’m Just Ken” is one of the most entertaining Oscar musical moments in years. Still, Christopher Nolan's “OPPENHEIMER” prevails, a rare case of the top prize going to a blockbuster studio film. Will it happen again in 2025? CYNTHIA ERIVO and ARIANA GRANDE sure hope so; as presenters, they make a sly reference to their upcoming juggernaut, “WICKED.” Speaking of marketing, people are obsessed with that bizarre “DUNE” popcorn bucket. Beyonce And BEYONCÉ carves her space in country music with “Act II: Cowboy Carter,” which will make her the first Black woman to top the Billboard country chart. Taylor Swift performs June 21 at Wembley Stadium in London as part of her Eras Tour. April Tennis, anyone? The game’s been around for centuries, but it’s having a cultural moment right now, helped mightily by “CHALLENGERS,” the sweaty romance triangle starring ZENDAYA, MIKE FAIST and JOSH O'CONNOR (40-love? More like 40-sex.) Elsewhere, a new era dawns: At midnight, SWIFT drops “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT," then drops another 15 songs two hours later. The fascinating and disturbing “BABY REINDEER,” the story of a struggling comedian’s extended encounter with a stalker, debuts on Netflix. Ben Affleck, left, and Jennifer Lopez arrive Feb. 13 at the premiere of "This Is Me ... Now: A Love Story" at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. May It’s MET GALA time — or as it's known in 2024, another early marketing moment for “WICKED.” ERIVO and GRANDE make fashion waves on the carpet and then musical ones at dinner, with a soulful performance of “When You Believe.” If the “Wicked” tour is in full force, another one stops in its tracks: JENNIFER LOPEZ cancels her summer tour amid reports of both poor ticket sales and trouble in her marriage to BEN AFFLECK . It’s been an eventful year for J.Lo, who's released an album and movie called “THIS IS ME ... NOW" — both reflections on her renewed love with Affleck. June Welcome to BRAT SUMMER ! CHARLI XCX releases her hit “Brat” album , with its lime green cover, and launches a thousand memes. Collins Dictionary defines “brat,” its word of the year, as “characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude.” At the celeb-heavy SWIFT shows in London, we see PRINCE WILLIAM shaking it off, which is either charming or cringe, you decide. Even better: KELCE dons a top hat and tux and performs for one night. At another stadium across the pond, METS infielder JOSE IGLESIAS delights the crowd with his cheery number “OMG.” Stephen Nedoroscik is introduced June 29 at the United States Gymnastics Olympic Trials in Minneapolis. July Bonjour, it’s OLYMPICS time! In Paris! An audacious opening ceremony along the Seine is punctuated by a fabulous CELINE DION , perched on the EIFFEL TOWER , singing her heart out — in the rain, too. Controversy swirls over a scene critics feel mocks Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” (organizers say it does not). Olympic stars are born — including French swimming superstar LEON MARCHAND , rugby player ILONA MAHER , and bespectacled “Pommel Horse Guy” gymnast STEPHEN NEDOROSCIK , who nets two bronze medals and comparisons to Clark Kent. Baby pigmy hippo Moo Deng plays with a zookeeper Sept. 19 in the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province, Thailand. Also capturing hearts: yep, MOO DENG , born this month. Her name means “bouncy pork.” Australia's Rachael Gunn, known as B-Girl Raygun, competes Aug. 9 during the Round Robin Battle at the breaking competition at La Concorde Urban Park at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. August This is them ... now: BENNIFER is no more. After two decades, two engagements and two weddings, J.Lo files for divorce. One union dissolves, another returns: OASIS announces a reunion tour. Everyone seems to want to get in on TikToker JOOLS LEBRON 's “ DEMURE, MINDFUL ” act — even the WHITE HOUSE press team. Back at the Olympics, in the new sport of breaking, we meet Australia’s RAYGUN , arguably neither demure nor mindful with her “kangaroo” move. Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani brings his dog Decoy to the mound Aug. 28 before Decoy delivered the ceremonial first pitch prior to a baseball game between the Dodgers and the Baltimore Orioles in Los Angeles. Cute animal alert: SHOHEI OHTANI ’s perky pooch DECOY does a great “first pitch” in his Major League Baseball debut. Chappell Roan performs "Good Luck, Babe" on Sept. 11 during the MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. September One of the year’s biggest breakout artists, CHAPPELL ROAN , withdraws from a music festival after speaking out about frightening fan interactions. And more on the price of fame: In an excruciating moment, “Bachelorette” JENN TRAN , the franchise’s first Asian American lead, is forced to sit through a painful viewing of her proposal to her chosen suitor, after tearfully explaining how he’d later dumped her over the phone. Tran is keeping busy though — she’s announced as part of the new “Dancing with the Stars” lineup. Also on the list: rugby player Maher, and Pommel Horse Guy! Also, ANNA SOROKIN , dancing with an ankle monitor. Online fandom, meanwhile, is shaken when X is temporarily suspended in Brazil and celebrity stan accounts post tearful farewells, revealing to many across the globe that their favorite accounts are run by Brazilians. Miles Mitchell, 21, wins of the Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest Oct. 27 near Washington Square Park in New York. October “Dune” Chalamets! “Wonka” Chalamets! Thousands gather in Manhattan for a TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET lookalike contest, and things really get interesting when Chalamet himself shows up. He doesn’t enter the contest, though, and with his mustache, he may not even have won. The trend continues with contests for JEREMY ALLEN WHITE, ZAYN MALIK and — in a very Washington version — Kennedy scion JACK SCHLOSSBERG , who's been gathering a following with some interesting social media posts. New York Liberty Kennedy Burke dances with the mascot, Ellie the Elephant, during an Oct. 24 ceremony after a parade in honor of the Liberty's WNBA basketball championship at City Hall in New York. Turning to basketball, who’s that dancing with USHER ? Why it’s ELLIE THE ELEPHANT , the now-viral NEW YORK LIBERTY mascot. Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, appears Nov. 2 with Maya Rudolph on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" in New York. November MAYA RUDOLPH does a pretty good KAMALA HARRIS laugh on “Saturday Night Live,” but you know who does it better? HARRIS herself. The Democratic candidate makes a surprise cameo three days before the U.S. presidential election, following in the footsteps of HILLARY CLINTON , SARAH PALIN and others. Elsewhere in television, Bravo announces that “VANDERPUMP RULES,” the Emmy-nominated reality show that has lived through countless scandals, is entirely recasting its 12th season — apart from namesake LISA VANDERPUMP . As for MOO DENG , she doesn't have her own TV series yet, but our favorite pygmy hippo is generating plenty of merch . And THAT brings us back to ... Ariana Grande, left, and Cynthia Erivo pose for photographers Nov. 11 prior to the premiere of "Wicked" at Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City. December “WICKED” ! Director JON M. CHU ’s emerald-hued fantasy remains very very popular, to quote one of its buzzy show tunes, dancing through life and defying gravity at the multiplex. Moviegoers also come for “GLADIATOR II” and, in a veritable tidal wave, Disney's “MOANA 2,” which beckons us back to the seas of Oceania. Once again, 2024 seems to be telling us: Give people some whimsy, a place to escape, maybe some catchy tunes — and no one knows how far they’ll go. 2024 Year in Review The stories and images that defined 2024. What were the most popular Wikipedia pages of 2024? Searching for something? From queries about U.S. politics to cricket in India, Wikipedia has become a source of information for millions of people across the globe. PHOTOS: The top sports images from 2024 From the Paris Olympics to the Super Bowl. From Simone Biles to Shohei Ohtani. And, of course, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. These are the sp... PHOTOS: The top images of 2024 AP photographers assembled a visual catalog of our civilization as life in 2024 hurtled directly at us at every speed and in every imaginable ... PHOTOS: The top images from the US in 2024 In 2024, photographers captured glimpses of humanity, ranging from a deeply divisive presidential election, to hurricanes and fires that ravag... PHOTOS: The top images from the 2024 elections Associated Press photographers captured voters with raw emotions of joy, excitement, contemplation or sorrow. PHOTOS: The top entertainment images from 2024 See entertainment's biggest moments in 2024, through the lens of Associated Press photographers. How to sum up 2024? The Oxford University Press word of the year is 'brain rot' It beat five other finalists: demure, slop, dynamic pricing, romantasy and lore. From Kamala to Chappell, here are some of the most mispronounced words of 2024 News anchors, politicians and other public figures in the U.S. struggled with these words the most this year. 'Polarization' is Merriam-Webster's 2024 word of the year Is it any surprise Merriam-Webster's word of the year is "polarization"? Here are the other words that rounded out the top 10 for 2024. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!