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Former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh has died at the age of 92. Singh was one of India's longest-serving prime ministers and he was considered the architect of key liberalising economic reforms, as premier from 2004-2014 and before that as finance minister. He had been admitted to a hospital in the capital Delhi after his health condition deteriorated, reports say. Singh was the first Indian leader since Jawaharlal Nehru to be re-elected after serving a full first term, and the first Sikh to hold the country's top post. He made a public apology in parliament for the 1984 riots in which some 3,000 Sikhs were killed. But his second term in office was marred by a string of corruption allegations that dogged his administration. The scandals, many say, were partially responsible for his Congress party's crushing defeat in the 2014 general election. Singh was born on 26 September 1932, in a desolate village in the Punjab province of undivided India, which lacked both water and electricity. After attending Panjab University he took a master's degree at the University of Cambridge and then a DPhil at Oxford. While studying at Cambridge, the lack of funds bothered Singh, his daughter, Daman Singh, wrote in a book on her parents. "His tuition and living expenses came to about £600 a year. The Panjab University scholarship gave him about £160. For the rest he had to depend on his father. Manmohan was careful to live very stingily. Subsidised meals in the dining hall were relatively cheap at two shillings sixpence." Daman Singh remembered her father as "completely helpless about the house and could neither boil an egg, nor switch on the television". Singh rose to political prominence as India's finance minister in 1991, taking over as the country was plunging into bankruptcy. His unexpected appointment capped a long and illustrious career as an academic and civil servant - he served as an economic adviser to the government, and became the governor of India's central bank. In his maiden speech as finance minister he famously quoted Victor Hugo, saying that "no power on Earth can stop an idea whose time has come". That served as a launchpad for an ambitious and unprecedented economic reform programme: he cut taxes, devalued the rupee, privatised state-run companies and encouraged foreign investment. The economy revived, industry picked up, inflation was checked and growth rates remained consistently high in the 1990s. Manmohan Singh was a man acutely aware of his lack of a political base. "It is nice to be a statesman, but in order to be a statesman in a democracy you first have to win elections," he once said. When he tried to win election to India's lower house in 1999, he was defeated. He sat instead in the upper house, chosen by his own Congress party. The same happened in 2004, when Singh was first appointed prime minister after Congress president Sonia Gandhi turned down the post - apparently to protect the party from damaging attacks over her Italian origins. Critics however alleged that Sonia Gandhi was the real source of power while he was prime minister, and that he was never truly in charge. The biggest triumph during his first five-year term was to bring India out of nuclear isolation by signing a landmark deal securing access to American nuclear technology. But the deal came at a price - the government's Communist allies withdrew support after protesting against it, and Congress had to make up lost numbers by enlisting the support of another party amid charges of vote-buying. A consensus builder, Singh presided over a coalition of sometimes difficult, assertive and potentially unruly regional coalition allies and supporters. Although he earned respect for his integrity and intelligence, he also had a reputation for being soft and indecisive. Some critics claimed that the pace of reform slowed and he failed to achieve the same momentum he had while finance minister. When Singh guided Congress to a second, decisive election victory in 2009, he vowed that the party would "rise to the occasion". But the gloss soon began to wear off and his second term was in the news mostly for all the wrong reasons: several scandals involving his cabinet ministers which allegedly cost the country billions of dollars, a parliament stalled by the opposition, and a huge policy paralysis that resulted in a serious economic downturn. LK Advani, a senior leader in the rival BJP party, called Singh India's "weakest prime minister". Manmohan Singh defended his record, saying his government had worked with "utmost commitment and dedication for the country and the welfare of its people". Singh adopted the pragmatic foreign policies pursued by his two predecessors. He continued the peace process with Pakistan - though this process was hampered by attacks blamed on Pakistani militants, culminating in the Mumbai gun and bomb attack of November 2008. He tried to end the border dispute with China, brokering a deal to reopen the Nathu La pass into Tibet which had been closed for more than 40 years. Singh increased financial support for Afghanistan and became the first Indian leader to visit the country for nearly 30 years. He also angered many opposition politicians by appearing to end relations with India's old ally, Iran. A studious former academic and bureaucrat, he was known for being self-effacing and always kept a low profile. His social media account was noted mostly for dull entries and had a limited number of followers. A man of few words, his calm demeanour nevertheless won him many admirers. Responding to questions on a coal scandal involving the illegal allocation of licences worth billions of dollars, he defended his silence on the issue by saying it was "better than thousands of answers". In 2015 he was summoned to appear in court to answer allegations of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust and corruption related offences. An upset Singh told reporters that he was "open for legal scrutiny" and that the "truth will prevail". After his time as premier, Singh remained deeply engaged with the issues of the day as a senior leader of the main opposition Congress party despite his advancing age. In August 2020, he told the BBC in a rare interview that India needed to take three steps "immediately" to stem the economic damage of the coronavirus pandemic, which had sent the country's economy into a recession. The government needed to provide direct cash assistance to people, make capital available for businesses, and fix the financial sector, he said. History will remember Singh for bringing India out of economic and nuclear isolation, although some historians may suggest he should have retired earlier. "I honestly believe that history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media, or for that matter, the opposition parties in parliament," he told an interviewer in 2014. Singh is survived by his wife and three daughters.
The 2025 CES in the United States is about to unveil a brand-new chapter in the future intelligent home gardening LAS VEGAS , Dec. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- UBHOME, a sub-brand of UBTECH Robotics, announced an intelligent service robot in collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. The Robotic Mower M10 is a revolutionary smart lawn mower announced at the 2025 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the United States . This product is powered by the Qualcomm® RB1 Robotics Platform, showcases UBHOME's rich experience in robot research and development, and focuses on solving the pain points of traditional lawn-mowing equipment, providing users with a worry-free and labor-saving smart gardening experience, and creates a new model of gardening intelligence.Their expectation levels may have been different, but neither Rutgers nor Seton Hall has had the most promising start to the season. New Jersey's two power-conference programs will try to author a signature win when the Pirates visit the Scarlet Knights for the Garden State Hardwood Classic on Saturday afternoon in Piscataway, N.J. Rutgers (6-4) endured a three-game losing streak before picking up its first Big Ten win of the season Tuesday, 80-76 over Penn State. The Scarlet Knights have enjoyed plenty of attention thanks to five-star freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, but they've also put a loss to Kennesaw State on their resume. They'll try to assert their dominance over Seton Hall (5-5), which has lost to Fordham, Hofstra and Monmouth while fielding one of the weakest offenses in Division I. At 60.1 points per game, the Pirates rank sixth-to-last in the country, even as they limit opponents to 59.4 points per outing (the No. 11 scoring defense). Rutgers is 5-0 at home after leading by as many as 15 in the Penn State victory. Harper had 24 points, 12 rebounds and five assists and Bailey produced 15 points and 15 rebounds. "They're like a sixth defender for us," Harper said of the fans. "We've been on the road for 20 days so seeing all of our fans, and seeing how loud they were, it meant the world to us." The student section will be especially fired up to see the rival Pirates, which could make free-throw shooting an issue for them. They rank No. 350 in the country at 60.3 percent from the foul line entering Friday. However, Seton Hall pulled out a road win the last time the game was played at Rutgers. In a defensive rock fight in 2022, the Pirates prevailed 45-43. Rutgers got revenge last season at Seton Hall's place, winning 70-63. But most players on both rosters are new and will experience the rivalry game for the first time. "I don't have a Jersey player on my team, right?" Pirates coach Shaheen Holloway told NJ.com . "So I have to get those guys to understand rivalries." Seton Hall will lean on Chaunce Jenkins (11.8 ppg) -- who was limited in the team's 85-76 loss to Oklahoma State on Sunday due to a knee injury, but is cleared to face Rutgers -- and Isaiah Coleman (11.7 ppg), one of three returning players from last year's team. For Rutgers, Harper is excited about the rivalry having grown up in New Jersey and watched his older brother, Ron Harper Jr., play in the game. At 23.4 ppg, Dylan Harper is the third-leading scorer in the country, and he adds 5.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per contest. Seton Hall leads the all-time series 42-32. --Field Level Media
Trump Is First 'Republican President' With A Pathway To Cannabis Reform, Says Former Adviser
AP News Summary at 10:32 a.m. ESTPrologis Declares Quarterly Dividend
Rumble ( RUM 30.28% ) stock is seeing explosive gains in Wednesday's trading. The streaming-video company's share price was up 34.6% as of 11:45 a.m. ET. Rumble stock is continuing to rocket higher on the news that the company is set to receive $775 million in an investment from Tether -- the company behind the Tether stable-coin cryptocurrency. The news has turned Rumble into a hot meme stock , and its share price is surging in conjunction with investors piling in and hoping to score speculative gains. Rumble stock is now up 133% over the last week of trading. Rumble has achieved meme stock status Last Friday, Rumble announced that it will be selling $775 million worth of new stock to Tether at a price of $7.50 per share as part of an investment deal between the two companies. Rumble will use $250 million of the proceeds from the stock sale to fund its business operations and growth initiatives. The streaming specialist intends to use the other $525 million from the stock sale to buy back shares from other large shareholders at a price of $7.50 per share. While the deal is poised to give Rumble a needed cash injection, meme stock momentum appears to be playing a bigger role than fundamentals when it comes to the company's recent valuation gains. The deal has effectively turned Rumble into a speculative, cryptocurrency-adjacent play -- and some investors are betting that this new dynamic can pave the way for more explosive gains. What comes next for Rumble? With the Tether deal, trading for Rumble stock has become completely divorced from the company's fundamentals. Investors are getting excited about a variety of potential scenarios that could see Tether provide continued financial support for the business, or guide Rumble into being a more crypto-focused platform. The rising connection to the cryptocurrency space has some investors feeling very bullish, and it's possible that this sentiment could power more big gains for the stock in the near term. Prior to the Tether announcement, Rumble announced that it was looking to make Bitcoin investments a substantial part of its balance sheet. The news corresponded with big gains for the stock and helped establish the foundations for its stock being considered a play in the crypto market. On the other hand, the recent gains for the stock appear to be largely hype driven -- and shares have high downside risk at current prices. Rumble's streaming video platform has been putting up relatively week engagement and monetization metrics, and the stock could crash if it begins trading more in line with the company's fundamentals.
Prince Louis received a truly special gift this Christmas from a young fan with whom he shares a unique connection. Six-year-old Rupert Bradley from York presented the young royal with a hand-finished silver egg cup and spoon, engraved with King Charles III’s Coronation Commemorative Mark. The thoughtful gift, which Rupert originally received in his own Christmas stocking, was so treasured by the boy that he persuaded his mother, jeweler Kay Bradley, to arrange for a matching one to be made for Prince Louis. “Rupert has always loved Prince Louis,” Kay shared. “They were born just days apart, which is why he feels such a connection.” Rupert, who has a lower-limb condition called Bilateral Talipes, explained his admiration for Louis, saying, “He always looks a bit cheeky and fun.” The young fan also expressed pride in giving Louis a token connected to York, adding, “Louis is likely to be our next Duke of York, so it’s important he has a special connection to our magical city.” Despite undergoing multiple hospital operations, Rupert’s mother described him as brave and selfless. “He’s always thinking of others, and we are so proud of him,” Kay said. Bradley’s Jewellers York, the family business, had previously obtained one of the last Coronation Commemorative Marks launched in 2023. Roxanne Guest, Deputy Chief Executive at Birmingham Assay Office, which handled the engraving, said, “The King Charles III Coronation Commemorative Mark, unveiled in February 2023, was available for jewellers and designers from March 2023 to December 2024.” This heartfelt gesture not only brightened Prince Louis’ Christmas but also highlighted the strong connection between the royal family and its youngest admirers. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );TheRealReal Stock Hits 52-Week High at $4.66 Amidst Strong Growth
Robert Anderson wrote numerous stories on high school athletes for The Roanoke Times. Now it’s his turn to be recognized. The Virginia High School League announced Wednesday that Anderson has been chosen for the 2025 class of the Virginia High School Hall of Fame. Anderson graduated from Martinsville High School in 1974. The class’ 50th anniversary reunion was held earlier this year at the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville. “We were in there with all the old bones and dinosaurs. It wasn’t until we left that I looked up and saw that the name of the room we had it in was called the hall of ancient life,” Anderson, 68, cracked Wednesday in a phone interview. “I guess this is what happens when you become a dinosaur, these kind of awards.” Anderson was a sports writer for The Bristol Herald Courier from 1978 to 2001, covering high school sports, NASCAR and Virginia Tech football and basketball. He was hired by the Roanoke Times in 2001 to oversee its high school sports coverage. He informed and dazzled readers of The Roanoke Times with his writing until he retired in June 2022. “I think I could find unusual stories that lay a little bit below the surface,” he said. “Telling some stories a little bit different than your ballgame scores.” The Roanoke County resident is part of an eight-person class that will be inducted in April at a Charlottesville hotel. Anderson learned a few months ago that he was chosen for the media category. He was nominated by former Salem High School athletic director Sandy Hadaway for consideration for the hall. Anderson played basketball and tennis for Martinsville. “I’m obviously not getting inducted for that,” he cracked. Anderson is embarrassed that he will be the first Martinsville graduate to enter the Virginia High School Hall of Fame. “Ridiculous,” he said. “The reason is, mostly people don’t nominate their athletes or their coaches. “Good Lord, (Martinsville has worthy candidates such as) Shawn Moore, Jeff Adkins, ... Lou Whitaker, Carl Hairston, Sonny Wade, Dennis Mahan. “People, I don’t think they know the history of their schools. ... People are busy in their day-to-day life, and I don’t think it’s on a lot of people’s radar. “I wish people would really make an effort to get your folks nominated.” Anderson loved being a sports writer. “A lot of jobs, you’re looking at the clock and you’re wondering when it’s ever going to get to 5 o’clock,” he said. “I never looked at it that way. I was the opposite. I always looked up and wished there were a little more time left in the day to get done what I needed to do. “It was exciting in a lot of ways.” Anderson’s favorite high school team to cover was the Cave Spring boys basketball squad that won the 2002 Group AAA state title. The star of that squad was former Duke and NBA guard and current NBA coach J.J. Redick. Redick missed six games that season with a foot injury. The team was just 9-9 when he rejoined the lineup in February 2002. After losing Redick’s first game back, the Knights won their final nine games, including the title games of the district, regional and state tournaments. “I ranked them No. 1 in Timesland with a 9-10 record when he came back and some guy from somewhere called and just raised hell about it,” Anderson said. “And then of course they won the whole thing that year. The guy didn’t call me back.” Anderson considers his most memorable high school sports article to be the one he wrote in 2007, 10 years after Pulaski County’s Lee Cook collapsed on the ground following a routine on-field collision with William Fleming’s Jamie Penn in a football game at Victory Stadium. Cook died of cardiac arrest triggered by a blow to the front part of his body. Penn was shot to death in 2005 at the age of 23. “It’s a sad story,” Anderson said. “There’s just something about that story and talking to (the late football coaches) Joel Hicks and Kila Miller about their memories of that and (talking to) the families of both those young guys and how that whole thing intertwined.” Anderson also remembers the article he wrote for The Roanoke Times in 2005 on the late Surry County boys basketball coach Joseph Ellis, who guided his team to a state title while battling cancer. Ellis died two months after the article was published. Anderson is also proud of the All-Timesland special sections he put out at the end of each school year, saluting standouts in every sport. He said his favorite high school athlete to cover was Calvin Talford, who was a multi-sport star at Castlewood High in Russell County before playing basketball at East Tennessee State and minor-league baseball in Martinsville. Anderson enjoyed covering VHSL state championship games, meets and matches. “Probably the most intense event in high school to cover is that packed state wrestling tournament at Salem Civic Center,” he said. He especially loved covering the state high school track and field championships. “I’ve always liked track and field,” he said. Anderson was named the winner of the sports-writing portfolio category by the Virginia Press Association in 2018 and 2022, finishing second in that category three other times. The former Emory & Henry tennis standout was named a top-10 finalist in the sports feature category by the Associated Press Sports Editors for a 2017 story on the late Roanoke tennis legend Carnis Poindexter. He was given the E.B. Whitmore Award by the Southwest Virginia Coaches Association and the 2006 Marshall Johnson Award by the Virginia High School Coaches Association. Anderson still writes about once or twice a month for The Cardinal News website. He also writes occasionally for VirginiaPreps.com . The new class also includes former Fluvanna County football, basketball and track and field standout Luther Bates; former Petersburg football and track and field standout Jerome Mathis; Heritage-Leesburg gymnastics coach and former Broad Run gymnastics coach Jennifer Aubel; former Mills Godwin tennis and basketball coach and former Douglas Freeman tennis coach Mark Seidenberg; Tabb field hockey coach Wendy Wilson; the late Tabb athletic director Willard Hunt; Virginia Beach City Public Schools athletic administrator David Rhodes; and VHSL state debate director Bob Seabolt.KYIV, Ukraine — NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with an experimental, hypersonic ballistic missile. escalating the nearly 33-month-old war. The conflict is “entering a decisive phase,” Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Friday, and “taking on very dramatic dimensions.” Ukraine’s parliament canceled a session as security was tightened following Thursday’s Russian strike on a military facility in the city of Dnipro. In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was in retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks Friday during a meeting with the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defense, representatives of the military-industrial complex and developers of missile systems at the Kremlin in Moscow. Putin said Western air defense systems would be powerless to stop the new missile. People are also reading... Recap: Here's how Joey Graziadei will win 'Dancing with the Stars' At the courthouse, Nov. 16, 2024 Zitel bound over to district court in death of child They fell in love with Beatrice. So they opened a store in downtown. Kidnapping in Nebraska prompted police chase that ended with 3 dead on I-29 in Missouri Chamberlain among seven inducted into Nebraska Baseball HOF Just Askin': Dana Holgorsen noncommittal on future, ranking a big week for Nebraska Athletics Historical society appoints board members, elects officers Harmonizers to perform Beatrice High School first-quarter honor roll BPS mini-marts offer help Beatrice native's latest film gets special engagement in hometown Micheal J's to reopen Courthouse lighting ceremony planned for Sunday No change in bond amounts in child abuse death case Ukrainian military officials said the missile that hit Dnipro reached a speed of Mach 11 and carried six nonnuclear warheads, each releasing six submunitions. Speaking Friday to military and weapons industries officials, Putin said Russia will launch production of the Oreshnik. “No one in the world has such weapons,” he said. “Sooner or later, other leading countries will also get them. We are aware that they are under development. “We have this system now,” he added. “And this is important.” Putin said that while it isn’t an intercontinental missile, it’s so powerful that the use of several of them fitted with conventional warheads in one attack could be as devastating as a strike with strategic — or nuclear — weapons. Gen. Sergei Karakayev, head of Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces, said the Oreshnik could reach targets across Europe and be fitted with nuclear or conventional warheads, echoing Putin’s claim that even with conventional warheads, “the massive use of the weapon would be comparable in effect to the use of nuclear weapons.” In this photo taken from a video released Friday, a Russian serviceman operates at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov kept up Russia's bellicose tone on Friday, blaming “the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries” in supplying weapons to Ukraine to strike Russia. "The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities, and the contours of further retaliatory actions in the event that our concerns were not taken into account have also been quite clearly outlined," he said. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, widely seen as having the warmest relations with the Kremlin in the European Union, echoed Moscow’s talking points, suggesting the use of U.S.-supplied weapons in Ukraine likely requires direct American involvement. “These are rockets that are fired and then guided to a target via an electronic system, which requires the world’s most advanced technology and satellite communications capability,” Orbán said on state radio. “There is a strong assumption ... that these missiles cannot be guided without the assistance of American personnel.” Orbán cautioned against underestimating Russia’s responses, emphasizing that the country’s recent modifications to its nuclear deployment doctrine should not be dismissed as a “bluff.” “It’s not a trick ... there will be consequences,” he said. Czech Republic's Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky speaks to journalists Friday during a joint news conference with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriiy Sybiha in Kyiv, Ukraine. Separately in Kyiv, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský called Thursday’s missile strike an “escalatory step and an attempt of the Russian dictator to scare the population of Ukraine and to scare the population of Europe.” At a news conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Lipavský also expressed his full support for delivering the necessary additional air defense systems to protect Ukrainian civilians from the “heinous attacks.” He said the Czech Republic will impose no limits on the use of its weapons and equipment given to Ukraine. Three lawmakers from Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, confirmed that Friday's previously scheduled session was called off due to the ongoing threat of Russian missiles targeting government buildings in central Kyiv. In addition, there also was a recommendation to limit the work of all commercial offices and nongovernmental organizations "in that perimeter, and local residents were warned of the increased threat,” said lawmaker Mykyta Poturaiev, who said it's not the first time such a threat has been received. Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate said the Oreshnik missile was fired from the Kapustin Yar 4th Missile Test Range in Russia’s Astrakhan region and flew 15 minutes before striking Dnipro. Test launches of a similar missile were conducted in October 2023 and June 2024, the directorate said. The Pentagon confirmed the missile was a new, experimental type of intermediate-range missile based on its RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. Thursday's attack struck the Pivdenmash plant that built ICBMs when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. The military facility is located about 4 miles southwest of the center of Dnipro, a city of about 1 million that is Ukraine’s fourth-largest and a key hub for military supplies and humanitarian aid, and is home to one of the country’s largest hospitals for treating wounded soldiers from the front before their transfer to Kyiv or abroad. From tuberculosis to heart disease: How the leading causes of death in America have changed From tuberculosis to heart disease: How the leading causes of death in America have changed We're all going to die someday. Still, how it happens—and when—can point to a historical moment defined by the scientific advancements and public health programs available at the time to contain disease and prevent accidents. In the early 1900s, America's efforts to improve sanitation, hygiene, and routine vaccinations were still in their infancy. Maternal and infant mortality rates were high, as were contagious diseases that spread between people and animals. Combined with the devastation of two World Wars—and the Spanish Flu pandemic in between—the leading causes of death changed significantly after this period. So, too, did the way we diagnose and control the spread of disease. Starting with reforms as part of Roosevelt's New Deal in the 1930s, massive-scale, federal interventions in the U.S. eventually helped stave off disease transmission. It took comprehensive government programs and the establishment of state and local health agencies to educate the public on preventing disease transmission. Seemingly simple behavioral shifts, such as handwashing, were critical in thwarting the spread of germs, much like discoveries in medicine, such as vaccines, and increased access to deliver them across geographies. Over the course of the 20th century, life expectancy increased by 56% and is estimated to keep increasing slightly, according to an annual summary of vital statistics published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2000. Death Records examined data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to see how the leading causes of death in America have evolved over time and to pinpoint how some major mortality trends have dropped off. Infectious diseases lead causes of death in America According to a report published in the journal Annual Review of Public Health in 2000, pneumonia was the leading cause of death in the early 1900s, accounting for nearly 1 in 4 deaths. By the time World War I ended in 1918, during which people and animals were housed together for long periods, a new virus emerged: the Spanish Flu. Originating in a bird before spreading to humans, the virus killed 10 times as many Americans as the war. Many died of secondary pneumonia after the initial infection. Pneumonia deaths eventually plummeted throughout the century, partly prevented by increased flu vaccine uptake rates in high-risk groups, particularly older people. Per the CDC, tuberculosis was a close second leading cause of death, killing 194 of every 10,000 people in 1900, mainly concentrated in dense urban areas where the infection could more easily spread. Eventually, public health interventions led to drastic declines in mortality from the disease, such as public education, reducing crowded housing, quarantining people with active disease, improving hygiene, and using antibiotics. Once the death rates lagged, so did the public health infrastructure built to control the disease, leading to a resurgence in the mid-1980s. Diarrhea was the third leading cause of death in 1900, surging every summer among children before the impacts of the pathogen died out in 1930. Adopting water filtration, better nutrition, and improved refrigeration were all associated with its decline. In the 1940s and 1950s, polio outbreaks killed or paralyzed upward of half a million people worldwide every year. Even at its peak, polio wasn't a leading cause of death, it was a much-feared one, particularly among parents of young children, some of whom kept them from crowded public places and interacting with other children. By 1955, when Jonah Salk discovered the polio vaccine, the U.S. had ended the "golden age of medicine." During this period, the causes of mortality shifted dramatically as scientists worldwide began to collaborate on infectious disease control, surgical techniques, vaccines, and other drugs. Leading causes of death tip toward lifestyle-related disease From the 1950s onward, once quick-spreading deadly contagions weren't prematurely killing American residents en masse, scientists also began to understand better how to diagnose and treat these diseases. As a result, Americans were living longer lives and instead succumbing to noncommunicable diseases, or NCDs. The risk of chronic diseases increased with age and, in some cases, was exacerbated by unhealthy lifestyles. Cancer and heart disease shot up across the century, increasing 90-fold from 1900 to 1998, according to CDC data. Following the post-Spanish Flu years, heart disease killed more Americans than any other cause, peaking in the 1960s and contributing to 1 in 3 deaths. Cigarette smoking rates peaked at the same time, a major risk factor for heart disease. Obesity rates also rose, creating another risk factor for heart disease and many types of cancers. This coincides with the introduction of ultra-processed foods into diets, which plays a more significant role in larger waistlines than the increasing predominance of sedentary work and lifestyles. In the early 1970s, deaths from heart disease began to fall as more Americans prevented and managed their risk factors, like quitting smoking or taking blood pressure medicine. However, the disease remains the biggest killer of Americans. Cancer remains the second leading cause of death and rates still indicate an upward trajectory over time. Only a few types of cancer are detected early by screening, and some treatments for aggressive cancers like glioblastoma—the most common type of brain cancer—have also stalled, unable to improve prognosis much over time. In recent years, early-onset cancers, those diagnosed before age 50 or sometimes even earlier, have seen a drastic rise among younger Americans. While highly processed foods and sedentary lifestyles may contribute to rising rates, a spike in cancer rates among otherwise healthy young individuals has baffled some medical professionals. This follows the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020. At its peak, high transmission rates made the virus the third leading cause of death in America. It's often compared to the Spanish Flu of 1918, though COVID-19 had a far larger global impact, spurring international collaborations among scientists who developed a vaccine in an unprecedented time. Public policy around issues of safety and access also influences causes of death, particularly—and tragically—among young Americans. Gun control measures in the U.S. are far less stringent than in peer nations; compared to other nations, however, the U.S. leads in gun violence. Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens (around 2 in 3 are homicides, and 1 in 3 are suicides), and deaths from opioids remain a leading cause of death among younger people. Globally, the leading causes of death mirror differences in social and geographic factors. NCDs are primarily associated with socio-economic status and comprise 7 out of 10 leading causes of death, 85% of those occurring in low- and middle-income countries, according to the World Health Organization. However, one of the best health measures is life expectancy at birth. People in the U.S. have been living longer lives since 2000, except for a slight dip in longevity due to COVID-19. According to the most recent CDC estimates, Americans' life expectancy is 77.5 years on average and is expected to increase slightly in the coming decades. Story editing by Alizah Salario. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. This story originally appeared on Death Records and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
SMU seeks 7th straight win with visit from LongwoodNEW YORK — Nebraska football writer Luke Mullin offers his extra points from the Husker football team's 20-15 bowl game win over Boston College on Saturday. Play of the game: Rahmir Johnson's fourth-down conversion late in the fourth quarter. On a play where Nebraska needed to gain 1 yard to ice the game, Johnson came up with 11 instead and gained a first down that the Huskers simply needed to have. Had he been stopped short, Boston College could've gotten a chance to come all the way back for a win, but Johnson ensured that didn't happen. Turning point: Boston College's missed field goal in the first quarter. Having intercepted a Dylan Raiola pass, the Eagles drove into Nebraska territory and had a chance to take a 3-0 lead. When the drive stalled out and BC's long field goal try missed, momentum was back on NU's side, where it remained for much of the game. Quotable: "I don't think you should say 6-7 (record), that's such a miserable thought right now. Let's be positive, guys, we just won a bowl game!" Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule on what it meant to end the season with a win. Game ball: Rahmir Johnson. The MVP of the bowl game certainly deserves a game ball, and Johnson earned it as the hometown hero playing in front of family and friends. The sixth-year senior played one of his best games as a Husker in his final game with the team. Game ball: The entire Nebraska defense. The final score shows that it was a close game, and it's only that way because of Nebraska's ability to stop Boston College inside its own territory. A below-average game from the Husker defense could've led to a BC win instead, but Nebraska played at a high level and won the game because of it. Hat tip: To Dylan Raiola, who made big passes and gained key yardage with his legs when the situation required it. An early interception didn't do much to detract from Raiola's performance as the true freshman led Nebraska to a win. Questionable: There wasn't much to complain about, but Nebraska's decision to attempt a fake field goal might just warrant it. Given that the Huskers had already converted a fake punt, Boston College was bound to be alert for the chance of a fake and indeed it was. There was no issue with going for the try, but Nebraska would've been better served by keeping its offense on the field rather than trying some trickery once again. Tone-setter: Jahmal Banks' one-handed catch. While it didn't lead to any points, Banks' grab showed that Nebraska was going to go after the one-on-one matchup that BC afforded it. The Huskers made great use of those situations to move the ball all game long. 10: Different Huskers who caught a pass on Saturday, including defensive back Isaac Gifford. 7: Consecutive Boston College drives which ended without points to begin the game. 2-for-2: Punter Brian Buschini's passing statistics this season, having thrown for 38 yards on his two tries. 7: Tackles for a loss recorded by the Nebraska defense, three of which being quarterback sacks. 3,290: Days since Nebraska's last bowl game win during the 2015 season.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Greg McGarity had reason to be concerned. The Gator Bowl president kept a watchful eye on College Football Playoff scenarios all season and understood the fallout might affect his postseason matchup in Jacksonville. What if the Southeastern Conference got five teams into the expanded CFP? What if the Atlantic Coast Conference landed three spots? It was a math problem that was impossible to truly answer, even into late November. Four first-round playoff games, which will end with four good teams going home without a bowl game, had the potential to shake up the system. The good news for McGarity and other bowl organizers: Adding quality teams to power leagues — Oregon to the Big Ten, Texas to the SEC and SMU to the ACC — managed to ease much of the handwringing. McGarity and the Gator Bowl ended up with their highest-ranked team, No. 16 Ole Miss, in nearly two decades. "It really didn't lessen our pool much at all," McGarity said. "The SEC bowl pool strengthened with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma. You knew they were going to push traditional SEC teams up or down. Texas ended up pushing just about everyone down." The long waiting game was the latest twist for non-CFP bowls that have become adept at dealing with change. Efforts to match the top teams came and went in the 1990s and first decade of this century before the CFP became the first actual tournament in major college football. It was a four-team invitational — until this year, when the 12-team expanded format meant that four quality teams would not be in the mix for bowl games after they lose next week in the first round. "There's been a lot of things that we've kind of had to roll with," said Scott Ramsey, president of the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee. "I don't think the extra games changed our selection model to much degree. We used to look at the New York's Six before this, and that was 12 teams out of the bowl mix. The 12-team playoff is pretty much the same." Ramsey ended up with No. 23 Missouri against Iowa in his Dec. 30 bowl. A lot of so-called lesser bowl games do have high-profile teams — the ReliaQuest Bowl has No. 11 Alabama vs. Michigan (a rematch of last year's CFP semifinal), Texas A&M and USC will play in the Las Vegas Bowl while No. 14 South Carolina and No. 15 Miami, two CFP bubble teams, ended up in separate bowls in Orlando. "The stress of it is just the fact that the CFP takes that opening weekend," Las Vegas Bowl executive director John Saccenti said. "It kind of condenses the calendar a little bit." Bowl season opens Saturday with the Cricket Celebration Bowl. The first round of the CFP runs Dec. 20-21. It remains to be seen whether non-CFP bowls will see an impact from the new dynamic. They will know more by 2026, with a planned bowl reset looming. It could include CFP expansion from 12 to 14 teams and significant tweaks to the bowl system. More on-campus matchups? More diversity among cities selected to host semifinal and championship games? And would there be a trickle-down effect for everyone else? Demand for non-playoff bowls remains high, according to ESPN, despite increased focus on the expanded CFP and more players choosing to skip season finales to either enter the NCAA transfer portal or begin preparations for the NFL draft. "There's a natural appetite around the holidays for football and bowl games," Kurt Dargis, ESPN's senior director of programming and acquisitions, said at Sports Business Journal's Intercollegiate Athletics Forum last week in Las Vegas. "People still want to watch bowl games, regardless of what's going on with the playoff. ... It's obviously an unknown now with the expanded playoff, but we really feel like it's going to continue." The current bowl format runs through 2025. What lies ahead is anyone's guess. Could sponsors start paying athletes to play in bowl games? Could schools include hefty name, image and likeness incentives for players participating in bowls? Would conferences be willing to dump bowl tie-ins to provide a wider range of potential matchups? Are bowls ready to lean into more edginess like Pop-Tarts has done with its edible mascot? The path forward will be determined primarily by revenue, title sponsors, TV demand and ticket sales. "The one thing I have learned is we're going to serve our partners," Saccenti said. "We're going to be a part of the system that's there, and we're going to try to remain flexible and make sure that we're adjusting to what's going on in the world of postseason college football."Minister Mthuli's Anaconda Choke on the Informal Sector Marks the End of Zanu PF Rule
(BPT) - This article was sponsored and developed by Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting movement and posture that begins in early childhood development. It is the most common cause of motor disability in children, affecting about one in 345 children in the United States. 1-2 It may happen as a result of lack of oxygen during or around birth, stroke, infection, a problem with metabolism or other problems that cause injury or affect the development of parts of the brain involved in movement control in the first few years of life. 3 CP is a permanent condition, affecting a person for their entire life. People living with CP typically have motor problems, which may include spasticity (abnormal muscle tightness), dyskinesia (uncontrolled movements) or ataxia (poor muscle control), and many people have a mix of these motor disorders. 4 Dyskinesia due to CP (DCP) is one of the most disabling forms of CP and impacts approximately 10% to 20% of people living with CP. 5-6 According to the Cerebral Palsy Foundation (CPF), the combination of irregular and unpredictable movements (chorea) and twisting and repeating movements (dystonia) often disrupt activities and cause significant functional impairment, including the ability to maintain balance, walk or fine motor control. 7 Heather Riordan, M.D., Neurologist and Movement Disorders Specialist, Director of the Phelps Center for Cerebral Palsy at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, discusses the symptoms of chorea and impact on patients in a video shared on the CPF website here . About 30% of people with DCP are affected mostly by these involuntary and irregular movements (chorea), while dystonia is the predominant motor finding in the remaining 70%. 8 However, it is common for both chorea and dystonia movements to be present together. 6 For people living with DCP, these movements can occur in any region of the body, including the arms and legs, torso and face and may vary in severity. They are often triggered or made worse by stimulation or stress. Because dyskinesia can occur at rest and/or when actively using the body, the problems with movement are very burdensome in day-to-day living, with discomfort and pain affecting the quality of life for people and their caregivers. 9 Jen Lyman, mom to a son with DCP, highlights how dyskinesia makes communicating more difficult. "The most difficult thing about dyskinesia is watching my son struggle to do things that he wants to do, but the extra movements get in the way...special things, such as using a touch screen to video chat with his grandmother, are nearly impossible despite his best efforts to use his hands and fingers. Something so simple, yet so special for him should be effortless." DCP has a wide-ranging impact on the individual, including lifelong challenges with movement, a higher risk of other medical issues, a higher rate of mental health challenges and difficulties with communication. 10-12 "Those of us who have the privilege to serve patients with dyskinetic, hyperkinetic or mixed cerebral palsy see the functional impact of this very challenging type of tone every day," said Susan Biffl, M.D., Rehabilitation Medicine Specialist at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego and Assistant Professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine. "Patients face challenges with self-care, independence, mobility, communication, fine motor skills that affect occupational and recreational activities, swallowing, social interactions and even sleep. As this tone is variable, it is much more challenging to treat than more consistent tone issues, such as spasticity." Treatment Options There are currently no Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments for DCP. Dystonia and chorea are often managed separately as they respond differently to various treatments, which can make treatment challenging. 3 Most drugs being investigated for DCP have focused on dystonia, and more research is needed to determine potential treatments for chorea. New treatment options are needed to help manage these movement disorders and improve daily function and quality of life for those affected. "After 20 years of caring for individuals with cerebral palsy, I continue to find those with dyskinetic cerebral palsy among the most challenging to treat, largely due to the limited effectiveness of available pharmacologic options," said Joyce Oleszek, M.D., Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado School of Medicine. "There is an urgent need for more robust evidence to support pharmacologic treatments for this condition, given its profound impact on function, comfort and quality of life." Ongoing Research Clinical studies are important in the development of treatment options, allowing researchers to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new medicines. The data from clinical studies are used to determine if an investigational treatment can be approved for use to treat certain disorders. There are ongoing clinical studies evaluating potential treatments for DCP, including one for chorea. Neurocrine Biosciences is conducting the KINECT ® -DCP clinical study, a Phase 3, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study investigating the study drug, valbenazine, for the treatment of DCP. The clinical study is currently enrolling children, adolescents and adults six to 70 years of age who have been diagnosed with DCP. "The Cerebral Palsy Foundation is excited to partner with Neurocrine Biosciences on this study," said Rachel Byrne, Executive Director of the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. "We are proud to support strong research that can potentially bring meaningful change to the lives of those living with cerebral palsy." If you or someone you know may be eligible for this research study, please visit the study website for additional information here: FindADCPStudy.com . REFERENCES Krigger KW. Cerebral palsy: a review. Am Fam Physician . 2006;73(1):91-100. Michael-Asalu A, Taylor G, Campbell H, Lelea LL, Kirby RS. Cerebral palsy: diagnosis, epidemiology, genetics, and clinical update. Adv Pediatr2019;66:189-208. doi:10.1016/j.yapd.2019.04.002 Monbaliu E, Himmelmann K, Lin JP, et al. Clinical presentation and management of dyskinetic cerebral palsy. Lancet Neurol. 2017;16(9):741-749. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(17)30252-1 Christine C, Dolk H, Platt MJ, Colver A, Prasauskiene A, Krägeloh-Mann I; SCPE Collaborative Group. Recommendations from the SCPE collaborative group for defining and classifying cerebral palsy. Dev Med Child Neurol Suppl. 2007;109:35-38. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8749.2007.tb12626.x Lumsden DE, Crowe B, Basu A, et al. Pharmacological management of abnormal tone and movement in cerebral palsy. Arch Dis Child . 2019;104(8):775-780. doi:10.1136/archdischild-2018-316309 Monbaliu E, de Cock P, Ortibus E, Heyrman L, Klingels K, Feys H. Clinical patterns of dystonia and choreoathetosis in participants with dyskinetic cerebral palsy. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2016;58(2):138-144. doi:10.1111/dmcn.12846 Dyskinetic cerebral palsy. Cerebral Palsy Foundation. Published December 20, 2022. Accessed October 29, 2024. https://cpresource.org/understanding-cerebral-palsy/types-cerebral-palsy/dyskinetic-cerebral-palsy Himmelmann K, Hagberg G, Wiklund LM, Eek MN, Uvebrant P. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy: a population-based study of children born between 1991 and 1998. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2007;49(4):246-251. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8749.2007.00246.x Masson R, Pagliano E, Baranello G. Efficacy of oral pharmacological treatments in dyskinetic cerebral palsy: a systematic review. Dev Med Child Neurol . 2017; 59:1237-1248. doi:10.1111/dmcn.13532 What is cerebral palsy? Cerebral Palsy Foundation. Accessed November 13, 2024. https://cpresource.org/topic/what-cerebral-palsy Adults & adolescence. Cerebral Palsy Foundation. Accessed November 13, 2024. https://cpresource.org/topic/adults Communication. Cerebral Palsy Foundation. Accessed November 13, 2024. https://cpresource.org/topic/communication © 2024 Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. All Rights Reserved. CAP-NBI-US-0115 12/2024 NBI-98854-DCP3018_11DecMatRelease_v1.0_25November2024Stock Market Insights: Stocks upside potential in 2025