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Monthly Archives: July 2012
UPDATE 1-European regulators back first gene therapy drug
* Glybera recommended for lipoprotein lipase deficiency
* First (OTC BB: FSTC.OB - news) gene therapy drug to reach market in West
* Green light follows three previous rejections
* Decision is victory for private Dutch biotech firm uniQure (Adds EMA comment, uniQure investors, more background on gene therapy)
LONDON, July 20 (Reuters) - European regulators have recommended approval of the Western world's first gene therapy drug -- after rejecting it on three previous occasions -- in a significant advance for the novel medical technology.
More than 20 years since the first experiments with the ground-breaking method for fixing faulty genes, scientists and drug companies are still struggling to apply gene therapy in practice.
Friday's decision by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is a win for the drug's maker, the small Dutch biotech company uniQure, and a potential lifeline for patients with the ultra rare genetic disorder lipoprotein lipase deficiency (LPLD).
It comes too late, however, for investors in the previous listed firm Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics (AMT (Taiwan OTC: 8271.TWO - news) ).
After the earlier rebuffs for its Glybera medicine, AMT was taken private by newly created uniQure in April because it could no longer fund itself in the public markets.
Patients with LPLD are unable to handle fat particles in their blood plasma and are afraid of eating a normal meal because it can lead to acute inflammation of the pancreas.
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First ever gene therapy treatment recommended by European regulator
The European Medicines Agency is recommending the first-ever approval of a gene therapy treatment in the EU, in a significant move for a type of treatment that has so far failed to deliver on its promise to cure diseases.
In a statement on Friday, the EMA said Glybera, made by Dutch company uniQure, should be approved across Europe for the treatment of an extremely rare disorder that leaves people unable to digest fat. The treatment consists of a gene that makes a protein to break down fat.
Gene therapy is an experimental technique that tries to cure diseases by replacing genes that don't work. It has never been approved in the U.S. and most trials over the past two decades have failed. China was the first country to approve a gene therapy treatment in 2003 for cancer.
Scientists have struggled to find ways to deliver the genes safely, often by using a harmless virus. There are also concerns that inserting a gene at the wrong spot could cause cancer or that the body's immune system might attack the new gene and the virus used to deliver it.
The EMA previously rejected Glybera three times but it was reconsidered at the request of the European Commission. The agency recommended approval under tough restrictions and will require the company to set up a registry to closely track patients. Previous trials of the treatment only tested it in 27 patients.
"It is only meant for patients with the greatest need," said Monika Benstetter, an EMA spokeswoman, explaining the gene therapy is intended for people with no other treatment options. She said only a handful of gene therapy treatments had been considered before - one was recommended for approval but its manufacturer withdrew it before it was finalized.
Recommendations by the EMA are usually given final approval by the European Commission.
Patients with lipoprotein lipase deficiency, the inherited disease Glybera is intended to treat, often cannot eat a normal meal because it can lead to an extremely painful inflammation of the pancreas. Many patients with the disorder have a very restricted diet and only eat a fraction of their daily recommended calories. The condition affects only one to two people per million.
Jorn Aldag, CEO of uniQure, said the company was developing similar treatments for other diseases beyond rare conditions, including Parkinson's. "We believe that just like antibodies, gene therapy will one day be a mainstay in clinical practice," he said in a statement.
Benstetter said there are no other gene therapy treatments currently under consideration by the EMA and was unsure if the agency would get more applications based on Glybera's approval.
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First ever gene therapy treatment recommended by European regulator
Europe nears gene therapy first
20 July 2012 Last updated at 11:11 ET By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News
Europe is on the cusp of approving a gene therapy for the first time, in what would be a landmark moment for the field.
Gene therapies alter a patient's DNA to treat inherited diseases passed from parent to child.
The European Medicines Agency has recommended a therapy for a rare genetic disease which leaves people unable to properly digest fats.
The European Commission will now make the final decision.
The idea of gene therapy is simple: if there is a problem with part of a patient's genetic code then replace that part of the code.
The reality has not been so easy. In one gene therapy trial a US teenager, Jesse Gelsinger, died, and other patients have developed leukaemia.
There are no gene therapies available outside of a research lab in Europe or the US.
The European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has considered the use of Glybera to treat lipoprotein lipase deficiency.
One in a million people have the deficiency. They have damaged copies of a gene which is essential for breaking down fat.
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First gene therapy in West, for a rare disease, on the horizon
The long-frustrated field of gene therapy is about to reach a major milestone: the first regulatory approval of a gene therapy treatment for disease in the West. The European Medicine Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use said Friday that it is recommending approval of Glybera, a treatment for lipoprotein lipase deficiency manufactured by uniQure of Amsterdam. The European Commission generally follows the recommendations of the agency, and if it does so this time, the product could be available in all 27 members of the European Union by the end of the year.
Lipoprotein lipase deficiency is a rare disease, a so-called orphan disease, that affects one or two of every million people. As the name suggests, it is the result of a deficiency of an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase. This enzyme breaks down large, fat-carrying molecules, called chylomicrons, that circulate in the blood following meals. When the enzyme is defective, the chylomicrons accumulate, turning the blood almost milky white and blocking small blood vessels, producing severe inflammation of the pancreas -- called pancreatitis. The severe pain typically requires hospitalization. There is currently no treatment for the disease other than regulation of the diet.
Glybera is an active form of lipoprotein lipase that is injected into the patient's legs in a series of shots at one sitting. Clinical trials conducted in 27 people by Dr. Daniel Gaudet of the University of Montreal show that the injections are long-lasting and provide at least partial control of lipoprotein lipase deficiency with no apparent adverse effects. Bouts of pancreatitis are fewer and less severe following treatment.
The European agency had rejected Glybera three times in the past year, citing insufficient evidence of benefit, before unexpectedly reversing its decision and recommending approval. The approval decision was for patients with the most severe form of the disease, and the agency said that the company would be required to monitor patients and provide data to regulators.
UniQure said it will apply for approval in the United States, but is not sure when.
The only previous approval of a gene therapy product is a cancer treatment that has been approved in China.
Twitter/@LATMaugh
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First gene therapy in West, for a rare disease, on the horizon
First Gene Therapy in Western World Receives Positive Opinion in Europe from CHMP
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, July 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
uniQure announced today that the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has issued a positive opinion that recommends marketing authorization of Glybera (alipogene tiparvovec) as a treatment for lipoprotein lipase deficiency (LPLD) under exceptional circumstances. LPLD is a very rare, inherited disease. Patients with the disease are unable to handle fat particles in their blood plasma, which leads to recurring severe abdominal pain and pancreatitis.
The European Commission (EC) generally follows the recommendations of the CHMP. "We expect final approval from the EC within 3 months after the CHMP decision," says Jrn Aldag, CEO of uniQure. "After today's positive recommendation, Glybera is poised to become the first in a class of gene therapy products approved in Europe to treat orphan diseases, rare conditions with a very high unmet medical need." Marketing authorization covers all 27 European Union member states.
Mr. Aldag continued: "Patients with LPLD are afraid of eating a normal meal because it can lead to acute and extremely painful inflammation of the pancreas, often resulting in a visit to intensive care. Now, for the first time, a treatment exists for these patients that not only reduces this risk of getting severely sick, but also has a multi-year beneficial effect after just a single injection. The positive recommendation from the CHMP for Glybera therefore represents a major breakthrough for both LPLD patients and for medicine as a whole. Restoring the body's natural ability to break down fat particles in the blood in order to prevent pancreatitis and excruciating abdominal pain suffered by patients, is what gene therapy is all about: curing disease at the genetic level."
"At uniQure we are developing treatments for a number of other rare diseases as well, such as acute intermittent porphyria and Sanfilippo B. But the potential of gene therapy stretches far beyond rare diseases. As shown recently in a publication in the New England Journal of Medicine (N Engl J Med 2011; 365:2357-2365, December 22, 2011), hemophilia patients treated with our proprietary gene are showing a sustained clinical effect over several years, which has allowed prophylaxis treatment to be stopped. In addition, we are advancing programs in degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's. We believe that just like antibodies, gene therapy will one day be a mainstay in clinical practice," Mr Aldag added.
As part of the approval, treatment with Glybera will be offered through dedicated centers of excellence with expertise in treating LPLD and by specially trained doctors to ensure ongoing safety of this novel treatment paradigm. uniQure has also committed to building a patient registry for continued understanding of this devastating, under-researched disease. The Company is now preparing to apply for regulatory approval in the US, Canada, and other markets.
Glybera has been tested in three interventional clinical studies conducted in the Netherlands and in Canada, in which a total of 27 LPLD patients participated. In all three clinical trials, Glybera was well tolerated, with no relevant safety issues observed. Data from these clinical trials indicate that a single dose administration of Glybera resulted in a long-term biological activity of the LPL protein.
About Glybera
uniQure has developed Glybera as a therapy for patients with the genetic disorder lipoprotein lipase deficiency. LPLD is an orphan disease for which no treatment exists today. The disease is caused by mutations in the LPL gene, resulting in highly decreased or absent activity of LPL protein in patients. This protein is needed in order to break down large fat-carrying particles that circulate in the blood after each meal. When such particles, called chylomicrons, accumulate in the blood, they may obstruct small blood vessels. Excess chylomicrons result in recurrent and severe acute inflammation of the pancreas, called pancreatitis, the most debilitating complication of LPLD. Glybera has orphan drug designation in the EU and US. LPL Deficiency affects 1-2 persons per million. For further information on LPLD visit http://www.lpldeficiency.com.
About uniQure
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First Gene Therapy in Western World Receives Positive Opinion in Europe from CHMP
European regulators back first gene therapy drug
LONDON (Reuters) - European regulators have recommended approval of the Western world's first gene therapy drug -- after rejecting it on three previous occasions -- in a significant advance for the novel medical technology. More than 20 years since the first experiments with the ground-breaking method for fixing faulty genes, scientists and drug companies are still struggling to apply gene ...
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European regulator: Gene therapy treatment OK
LONDON (AP) -- The European Medicines Agency is recommending the first-ever approval of a gene therapy treatment in the EU, in a significant move for a type of treatment that has so far failed to deliver on its promise to cure diseases.
In a statement on Friday, the EMA said Glybera, made by Dutch company uniQure, should be approved across Europe for the treatment of an extremely rare disorder that leaves people unable to digest fat. The treatment consists of a gene that makes a protein to break down fat.
Gene therapy is an experimental technique that tries to cure diseases by replacing genes that don't work. It has never been approved in the U.S. and most trials over the past two decades have failed. China was the first country to approve a gene therapy treatment in 2003 for cancer.
Scientists have struggled to find ways to deliver the genes safely, often by using a harmless virus. There are also concerns that inserting a gene at the wrong spot could cause cancer or that the body's immune system might attack the new gene and the virus used to deliver it.
The EMA previously rejected Glybera three times but it was reconsidered at the request of the European Commission. The agency recommended approval under tough restrictions and will require the company to set up a registry to closely track patients. Previous trials of the treatment only tested it in 27 patients.
"It is only meant for patients with the greatest need," said Monika Benstetter, an EMA spokeswoman, explaining the gene therapy is intended for people with no other treatment options. She said only a handful of gene therapy treatments had been considered before one was recommended for approval but its manufacturer withdrew it before it was finalized.
Recommendations by the EMA are usually given final approval by the European Commission.
Patients with lipoprotein lipase deficiency, the inherited disease Glybera is intended to treat, often cannot eat a normal meal because it can lead to an extremely painful inflammation of the pancreas. Many patients with the disorder have a very restricted diet and only eat a fraction of their daily recommended calories. The condition affects only one to two people per million.
Jorn Aldag, CEO of uniQure, said the company was developing similar treatments for other diseases beyond rare conditions, including Parkinson's. "We believe that just like antibodies, gene therapy will one day be a mainstay in clinical practice," he said in a statement.
Benstetter said there are no other gene therapy treatments currently under consideration by the EMA and was unsure if the agency would get more applications based on Glybera's approval.
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Black Hat Marks 15th Anniversary By Bringing Back Experts Who Presented 15 Years Ago
SAN FRANCISCO, July 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Next week, Black Hat, producer of the world's premier information security events, will celebrate its 15th anniversary in Las Vegas with more than 6,500 high-level security experts, bringing together a community of public and private sector security professionals, academics and researchers. Experts from around the globe will be revealing the newest cyber security research, from breaking vulnerabilities to important findings that impact everything from global cyber espionage to personal computing. Black Hat is commemorating its storied history by bringing back five of the original 1998 speakers: Jeff Moss, Bruce Schneier, Marcus Ranum, Adam Shostack and Jennifer Granick, who will share their vision of security for the next 15 years with their panel, "Smashing the Future for Fun and Profit" on Wednesday, July 25th. For more information and to register before the online registration deadline of July 20th, please visit http://www.blackhat.com.
Over the past 15 years, a unique and neutral forum has been created at Black Hat, where the security community can come together public, private and independent practitioners to exchange research, theories and experiences with the common goal of managing the ever-evolving threat landscape. The first Black Hat "futurist panel", being held on July 25th at 10:15am, brings together these industry veterans to discuss today's cutting edge research and emergent technologies, while reflecting back on where the security community has come from.
"No matter which incidents you examineor which ones your enterprise must respond toone thing is clear: security is not getting easier. The industry relies upon the Black Hat community to bring them timely security research and education," explained Black Hat General Manager, Trey Ford. "Bringing back these renowned experts is our way to celebrate the security community's past, present and future."
Online registration for Black Hat USA 2012 ends Friday, July 20th. Register now to save $400 on this year's show, featuring nine tracks and forty-nine live, onstage demonstrations presented by more than one hundred of the community's most respected security researchers.
Sponsors of this year's Black Hat include Diamond Sponsors: Qualys, Microsoft and Lookingglass Cyber Solutions; Platinum Sponsors: Accuvant LABS, Blue Coat Systems, Core Security, Cisco, IBM, Lieberman Software, LogRhythm, Mykonos Software, RSA, Symantec, Trustwave and Verizon.
To request media credentials to the event please see http://bit.ly/BHUSAmedia.
Follow Black Hat on Facebook; Black Hat on LinkedIn; #BlackHatEvents on Twitter; Black Hat Events on Flickr.
About Black Hat Black Hat provides briefings and training to leading corporations and government agencies around the world. Black Hat differentiates itself by working at many levels within the corporate, government, and underground communities. This unmatched informational reach enables Black Hat attendees to be continuously aware of the newest vulnerabilities, defense mechanisms, and industry trends. Black Hat Briefings and Trainings are held annually in Europe and Las Vegas. Black Hat is produced by UBM TechWeb. More information is available at http://www.blackhat.com.
About UBM TechWeb UBM TechWeb, the global leader in technology media and professional information, enables people and organizations to harness the transformative power of technology. Through its three core businesses media solutions, marketing services and paid content UBM TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed brands and media applications in the technology market. More than 14.5 million business and technology professionals (CIOs and IT managers, Web & Digital professionals, Software Developers, Government decision makers, and Telecom providers) actively engage in UBM TechWeb's communities and information resources monthly. UBM TechWeb brands include: global face-to-face events such as Interop, Black Hat and Enterprise Connect; award-winning online resources such as InformationWeek, Dark Reading, and Network Computing; and market-leading magazines InformationWeek, Wall Street & Technology, and Advanced Trading. UBM TechWeb is a UBM plc. company, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion.
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Black Hat Marks 15th Anniversary By Bringing Back Experts Who Presented 15 Years Ago
Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 goes digital
When Oprah Winfrey, then the brightest star on daytime TV, began her book club in 1996, inexpensive e-books and e-readers seemed more futurist rumour than everyday reality. Social media could have meant friendly reporters.
Now, as Winfrey, co-owner of a struggling cable network, launches Oprahs Book Club 2.0, shes seeking a literary home on a digital landscape. Comparing todays fragmented do-it-yourself media with the world of 1996 is like comparing Winfreys 42-acre estate near Santa Barbara, Calif., with her birthplace amid the rural poverty of Kosciusko, Miss.
Publishers and booksellers cheer her clubs revival, despite questions whether the new Winfrey, with a much smaller TV audience, carries the influence of the old Winfrey, who turned 70 books into bestsellers.
On Sunday, Winfreys interview with memoirist Cheryl Strayed, the first author chosen for the new book club, airs on OWNs Super Soul Sunday (11 a.m. ET/PT) and simultaneously streams on Oprah Radio and on OWNS Facebook page. (OWN is short for Oprah Winfrey Network.)
Ratings show that the audience for Winfreys weekly show Super Soul averaged only 114,000 viewers in the past month a sliver of her more than five million to six million viewers when her daily syndicated show ended its 25-year run last year. At its peak, The Oprah Winfrey Show averaged 12 million viewers.
What hasnt changed is how Winfrey, Americas favourite reader, reacts when she loves a book.
This spring, she read Strayeds inspirational memoir, Wild, about the authors solo 1,100-mile hike on the Pacific Crest Trail after the death of her mother, the destruction of her marriage and experimentation with heroin.
Winfrey, who says she read Wild in part in hardcover and on her Kindle and iPad, writes in the July issue of O, the Oprah Magazine: I love this book. I want to shout it from the mountaintop. I want to shout it from the Web I knew I had to reinvent my book club.
On June 1, Winfrey announced an interactive and multi-platform book club that uses Twitter, Facebook, Storify and GroupMe. Readers can post questions that Winfrey and Strayed answer in videos. Print editions of Wild carry a new version of the familiar O book club logo. The special e-book includes Winfreys notes on her favourite passages.
Sales of Wild, which was well-reviewed upon its March release, spiked. Within two weeks of Winfreys announcement, Wild went from No. 165 on USA TODAYs Best-Selling Books list to No. 14. Its now No. 35.
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How the world is changing, from food trends to high tech
What is a futurist? Not a fortune teller, oracle or prophet. Futurists are simply people who take foresight seriously, applying past and emerging trends to envision how our lifestyles and industries will develop in the years ahead.
But the future isnt what it used to be: What was once a field dominated by experts such as Future Shock author Alvin Toffler or artificial-intelligence guru Ray Kurzweil is now becoming one that involves more amateurs, as large-scale information and the processing power to analyze it become more accessible. And thats a welcome development to most of the pros.
Really, anybody who has a prefrontal cortex is a futurist, says Patrick Tucker, communications director of the World Future Society. We spend the vast majority of our time thinking about the future. This is where we plan, where we create actions we are going to commit ourselves to.
Next weekend, Toronto will host the World Future Conference, bringing together people from disparate fields to discuss how the world is changing and how it ought to.
Next in food: Mass-produced fish and sub-Saharan flavours
Taking saltwater fish and raising them in a warehouse 500 kilometres away from the sea may not sound appetizing at first.
But putting [fish] indoors in higher-density areas, as unromantic as it sounds, has a lot of benefits, says Josh Schonwald, journalist and author of The Taste of Tomorrow. It eliminates a lot of the problems that have been associated with traditional aquaculture fish escaping and breeding with native populations, as well as unsightly coastlines and a general negative impact on marine ecosystems.
That may be how well get our protein, but what about the flavours of the future what global cuisine will be the next Thai? Mr. Schonwald says our hunger for ethnic exploration will lead us to the one area that has been off the radar for most North Americans: the foods of sub-Saharan Africa, such as chicken yassa, egusi soup, shrimp piri piri, jollof rice and baobab juice.
African fusion [is] already happening in the UK there's a small company called Bim's Kitchen that is introducing African-influenced condiments, like African ketchup spiced with distinctively African peppers, a curried egusi sauce and smoky baobab barbecue sauce.
Exposure to new cuisines can also alter our attractions or aversions to certain tastes, Mr. Schonwald says such as bitterness. In his book, he profiles a man who is trying to introduce radicchio, a bitter salad green enjoyed in Italy, to Americans.
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Freedom Front Plus to take on Transnet
Johannesburg - Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) preparations for a class action against Transnet and its two pension funds are "at an advanced stage", its parliamentary spokesman Anton Alberts said on Friday.
"We are still waiting for information from the pension funds to finalise the application," he said in a statement.
The party planned to bring the application next month to force Transnet to implement annual increases equivalent to inflation, to compensate pensioners for a decade of below-inflation payments and to ensure the funds were sustainable.
Earlier this week the FF Plus sent legal letters to Transnet for information about its two pension funds, said Alberts.
The party sought the minutes of all meetings held since 1994, and all financial statements.
Transnet has two pension funds: the Transnet Pension Fund and the Transnet Second Defined Benefit Pension Fund.
These were created in 2000 from a predecessor fund with a history of financial hardship.
Since their inception, the pension funds had increased benefits by just 2% per year, well below the inflation rate. Over the years many pensioners had fallen into poverty as a result of the low increases.
"We are... working as fast as possible on the case given the desperate position of the pensioners," Alberts said.
"As soon as the application has been submitted we will be informing everybody, and also launch public protest action (on behalf) of the pensioners."
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Freedom Park to host BMX state championship race
The BMX track at Camarillo's Freedom Park
BMX riders at Camarillo's Freedom Park
Camarillo's Freedom Park BMX Raceway will be hosting a state championship race Saturday.
Practice and race registration is 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with racing to begin after 1.
Admission is free.
As part of the USA BMX Southern California State Championship Series, BMX racers from all over Southern California will be coming to race at Freedom Park for the event.
The weekend action then continues Sunday for the second of the area's state championship races at Santa Barbara's Elings Park BMX Raceway.
Practice and race registration is 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with racing to begin after 1.
Richard and Andrea Huvard and partner Frank Marino operate both facilities and have recently partnered with Erick and Lea Kozin of Ventura-based ride and race apparel company, Nema Cycling, to bring yet a third track to the region in Ventura.
With BMX racing about to make its second appearance in the Olympics in London, there's no better time to head out to the tracks to check out the local talent.
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Freedom's Late Rally Comes up Short
July 20, 2012 - Frontier League (FL) Florence Freedom O'Fallon,MO-The Florence Freedom took an early 2-0 lead against the River City Rascals Thursday night, but the Rascals offense proved to be too powerful, coming away with a 10-7 win over the Freedom. The Rascals improved to 29-26 on the season, while the Freedom fell to 28-27 with their fifth straight loss.
John Malloy started the game off well for Florence, launching a game opening solo homer over the 38 foot wall in right field to put the Freedom ahead 1-0. It was Malloy's 6th homerun of the season. In the same inning, Junior Arrojo doubled, which was one of his three hits on the night. Two batters later, Eddie Rodriguez hit an RBI double scoring Arrojo which gave the Freedom a 2-0 lead. Rodriguez finished the game 3-4 with 2 RBI.
Maxx Catapano who was fresh off the 7 day DL, couldn't maintain the early lead that his offense provided him. In the 1st inning, a wild pitch allowed one run to score, and a throwing error by catcher Jim Jacquot allowed another one to come home to tie the game at 2-2. A two run double by Matt Serna later in the inning extended the Rascal lead to 4-2.
The Rascals built an 8-2 lead against Catapano(4-2), who only went 3.2 innings giving up 10 hits, on 8 earned runs. The Freedom battled back though in the 6th inning. After Rodriguez and Drew Rundle singled, Jacquot walked to load the bases. David Harris then hit one deep into right center field as right fielder Jeremy Synan dropped the ball on the run which allowed Rodriguez and Rundle to score to cut the deficit to 8-4. The Freedom then made it closer in the 7th on a SAC Fly by Peter Fatse, and an RBI single by Rodriguez. The Rascals however, scored twice in the their 7th, as Chris Andreas scored on a wild pitch from Brandon Mathes, and Curran Redal provided an RBI single to push the lead to 10-6.
In the 9th, the Freedom made it interesting against Brandon Cunniff. Arrojo lined a double down the left field line which he later scored on a Rundle RBI single. With two runners on, and with only one out, Cunniff then buckled down to strikeout Jacquot, and get Harris to bounce out into a game ending fielder's choice.
The Freedom and Rascals will continue their series Friday night as Andres Caceres will start for Florence, while River City sends Keli'I Zablan to the mound. Friday's game can be heard with Steve Jarnicki starting at 7:50 pm on Real Talk 1160 and realtalk1160.com.
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DoD Names Citi as 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award Recipient
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Citigroup today announced that it has been selected to receive the 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense (DoD) agency. Fifteen employers will be honored with this year's Freedom Award, the DoDs highest recognition given to employers for exceptional support of Guard and Reserve employees. Citi is the only bank to receive the 2012 Freedom Award. These recipients distinguished themselves among the 3,236 nominations submitted earlier this year by Guardsmen and Reservists, or family members acting on their behalf. Thirty employee-service members nominated Citi for the award.
Citi is honored to receive the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, said Vikram Pandit, Citi CEO. The Guard and Reserve are essential to the strength of our nation and the well-being of our communities. We currently employ nearly 2,000 self-identified veterans across our business, and were dedicated to their professional development. In addition, we are working with our businesses and community partners to promote and preserve homeownership for military families and empower them to manage their finances. We are committed to providing Americas veterans and men and women in uniform with professional opportunities and to ensuring that military families around the country have the support they deserve."
Freedom Award recipients go above and beyond what the law requires of Guard and Reserve employers. The nominations for Citi reported that Citi has distinguished itself in supporting members of the Guard and Reservists through its Citi Salutes initiative, which includes employee networks and hiring commitments, including onboarding an additional 1,000 veterans by the end of 2012. In 2011, Citi hired nearly 700 veterans, became a founding member of Veterans on Wall Street and continued its leadership in Joining Forces. Citi also joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerces Veterans Employment Advisory Council and developed a training program to ensure recruiters and hiring managers are equipped to translate military experience into job-specific qualifications.
"On behalf of the Secretary of Defense, I thank the 2012 Freedom Award recipients for taking such exceptional care of the Guard and Reserve members they employ," said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, Jessica L. Wright. "Our military could not meet todays national security demands without the Guard and Reserve, who in turn could not provide such dedicated service without the cooperation of their employers at home. These Freedom Award recipients have distinguished themselves nationally for their remarkable efforts, and we greatly appreciate their unwavering support."
A selection board comprised of senior DoD officials, business leaders and prior awardees selected the 15 recipients. Out of the 30 nominations for Citi, a specific nomination from an Air National Guardsman employed by Citibank in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was highlighted by the selection board in naming Citi a Freedom Award recipient.
Since 1996, only 160 employers have received the Freedom Award. The 2012 honorees will be recognized at the 17th annual Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award Ceremony in Washington, D.C. on September 20th.
Citi is an official partner of the Military Spouse Employment Partnership, and in 2011 Vikram Pandit signed the Department of Defenses Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve Statement of Support. Citi was also named among the top ten Best for Vets Employers for 2012 by Military Times EDGE.
For more information about the Freedom Award and this years recipients, visit http://www.FreedomAward.mil. For more information about Citis work to support U.S. Armed Service members, veterans and their families, visit http://www.citisalutes.com.
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DoD Names Citi as 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award Recipient
Swimming ban at beaches over e-coli threat
By Gordon Deegan
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Fears over a possible e-coli outbreak yesterday forced Clare County Council to immediately ban swimming at two beaches at Lahinch and Kilkee.
Swimming at Spanish Point beach on Clares Atlantic coast was also banned after trace levels of e-coli were found in water samples from the three beaches on Wednesday.
Thousands are expected to travel to the resorts this weekend with good weather forecast, after weeks of poor weather adversely affected tourist businesses in the area.
However, public bathing notices and red flags confirming that swimming and surfing is prohibited were yesterday placed on all of the affected beaches. The blue flags at Lahinch and Kilkee beaches have been removed for now.
Director with Clare County Council, Ann Haugh said the move "is unprecedented. It is very unfortunate, but public safety is paramount and we are unwilling to take any risks".
She said fresh tests were taken at the three beaches yesterday and it will be tomorrow before the results are known. A decision will be made then as to whether the waters can re-open.
The decision was taken in consultation with the HSE.
Ms Haugh said abnormal weather conditions and run- off from lands surrounding the beaches was the cause.
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Five Pinellas beaches safe again with lifting of advisory
A health advisory was lifted at five Pinellas County beaches days after they were reported to have elevated levels of enteric bacteria.
Honeymoon Island, Sand Key Park, Indian Rocks Beach, Madeira Beach's Archibald Park and Redington Shores are again safe for swimmers, the Pinellas County Health Department said Friday.
After resampling the locations, the department received lab results with "moderate" or "good" readings," Maggie Hall, a spokeswoman for the department, said in a news release.
The advisory was based on the bacterial indicator recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA standard for the bacteria is no more than 104 colony forming units per 100 milliliters of water.
On Monday, the beaches had been given grades of "poor," meaning 105 units or greater were found, according to the monitoring program's website.
The next routine sampling will be conducted July 30.
Testing is done through the state's Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program.
The presence of enteric bacteria is an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from stormwater runoff, pets, wildlife and sewage, the health department said. The bacteria may cause disease, infections or rashes.
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No-swimming advisories at Lido, Turtle and North Jetty beaches
A no-swimming flag flies at Lido Beach in Sarasota. The Sarasota County Health Department issued no-swimming advisories for Lido, Turtle and North Jetty beaches on Thursday.
By VINCENT F. SAFUTO, Correspondent
High levels of bacteria at three Sarasota County beaches have led to advisories against swimming or engaging in water recreation, though residents and visitors still can use the beaches.
Water samples taken Wednesday at Lido Beach, Turtle Beach and North Jetty Beach showed an elevated level of enterococci (enteric) bacteria, according to a press release from the Sarasota County Health Department on Thursday afternoon.
Signs at the three beaches warning against swimming or water recreation will be posted, the department said, until follow-up testing today with results expected Saturday shows that the levels are safe. The results have to meet federal Environmental Protection Agency recreational water safety standards.
Enteric bacteria can come from stormwater runoff, pet waste and wildlife and human sewage, said Tom Higginbotham, the Health Department's environmental health administrator.
The intent of the Florida Healthy Beaches program is to provide residents and visitors with accurate, up-to-date information about the water quality at our 16 area beaches. Enteric bacteria can come from stormwater runoff, pet waste and wildlife and human sewage," he said. High concentrations of these bacteria can cause gastrointestinal illnesses, infections or rashes if ingested while swimming or after entering the skin through a cut or sore."
Health officials said that shellfish collected in the immediate area of Lido, Turtle and North Jetty beaches, or from any beach water that has a brown tint, should not be consumed. It is safe to fish and consume fin-fish, however.
The areas not under a beach water advisory are Ringling Causeway, North and South Lido, Longboat Key, Siesta, Nokomis, Brohard Park, Blind Pass, Manasota Key, Caspersen, Venice Fishing Pier, Service Club and Venice public beaches.
To find out about beach water conditions, visit http://www.OurGulfEnvironment.net, click on Water Monitoring and then click on "Bacterial Testing" to check the testing results of area Gulf Beaches, or call the Sarasota County Health Department Environmental Health office at (941) 861-6133.
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No-swimming advisories at Lido, Turtle and North Jetty beaches
East Lyme beaches closed after sewage spill
EAST LYME, Conn.Health officials say several beaches in East Lyme will remain closed until tests show the water is safe, following a sewage spill totaling 15,000 to 20,000 gallons.
Ledge Light Health District Director Stephen Mansfield says test results on water samples collected Thursday morning should be available Friday afternoon. Until then, swimming is prohibited at McCook's Point, Hole in the Wall, Pine Grove, Oswegatchie and Crescent beaches.
Officials say a computer at a pumping station failed to activate a sewage pump on Wednesday afternoon. That caused the system to overflow from manhole covers and spill into a storm drain near the Niantic River.
Officials say the computer problem has been fixed.
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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King County beaches closed to shellfish harvesting
All King County beaches have been closed to recreational shellfish harvesting until further notice after dangerous levels of so-called "red tide" toxin were detected.
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