At this point, there is virtually no race for the Premier League title, as Liverpool should waltz to their first domestic crown since 1990. Pep Guardiola has even said so himself. If the Reds were to slip up, however, the onus would then fall on Manchester City to make things interesting.

While the likelihood of Liverpool falling short seems unlikely given their current record-setting pace, Man City can move back into second place and cut the gap between the two sides to 11 points with a win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux Stadium on Friday (Watch live, 2:45 p.m. ET on NBCSN and NBCSports.com).

[ STREAM: Every PL match live ]

As for Wolves, Nuno Espirito Santos side can climb as high as fifth with a victory over the two-time defending champions. After starting the season slowly (no wins from their first six game 0W-4D-2L), last seasons seventh-place finishers are back for another crack at the PLs top-six. This time thanks to Arsenals horrid struggles, Tottenham Hotspurs regression and Manchester Uniteds continued mediocrity Wolves look the best bet to become the first side to break into the top-six since Leicester City won the title in 2016.

Injuries/suspensions

Man City: OUT John Stones (hamstring), David Silva (leg), Aymeric Laporte (knee), Leroy Sane (knee)

Wolves: OUT Willy Boly (ankle), Morgan Gibbs-White (back)

Projected lineups

Man City: Ederson Walker, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Mendy Rodrigo, Gundogan Mahrez, De Bruyne, Sterling Jesus

Wolves: Patricio Dendoncker, Coady, Saiss Doherty, Neves, Moutinho, Jonny Traore, Jimenez, Jota

What theyre saying

Guardiola, on Liverpools form: When a team has 16 victories from 17 [games], its unrealistic to think we are going to chase them. Its unrealistic right now. We have to try to win our games, secure Champions League for next season and then you never know, no? If they drop a couple of games, and we win and win, I dont know. When one team lose one game in the last 53 or 54, Im not optimistic that they are going to lose four or five in ten or eleven games because they are incredibly strong.

Nuno, on a packed schedule: Its going to be very tough, I think all of the managers are concerned and rightly so. Im particularly concerned because Ive been saying this; the schedule doesnt make sense, its absurd. For all the teams. Of course, there are teams that have three days [between matches], but I dont know the particular reason why its us as Wolves who have less hours, but its a concern for all the managers and for all the players. We have to survive. We have to survive. Lets see what happens. We will train tomorrow, then we prepare to play Man City, and well see. Lets try and survive.

Prediction

After a brief period of up-and-down results, Man City looked to be back to their best in dismantling Leicester City last weekend. Now, Sergio Aguero is back in action after missing four games due to a thigh injury, which makes Wolves task that much taller. However, if theres a side thats built to react and counter against 60 percent of possession, as City will have, it might be Wolves. Itll be a challenge for City, but theyll come out on top in the end. Wolves 1-2 Man City.

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Man United further behind in progress - NBC Sports - Misc.

North Korea now may be embarking on a new path, scrappingat least for the foreseeable futuretwenty-five years of denuclearization diplomacy under four US presidents. Thus, fears of renewed fire and fury and possible conflict on the Korean Peninsula are mounting.

Despite tireless, good-faith efforts by US-North Korea Envoy Steve Biegun to entice Pyongyang back to the negotiating table, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has revealed his intentions, making a strategic choice: to turn North Korea into ade factonuclear weapons state, like Israel or Pakistan. Kim is rejecting economic, security, and political benefits offered for dismantling his weapon of mass destruction.

Instead, he is showcasing new missiles and appears to prefer a muddle through scenario building his future on some $300-$400 million in Bitcoins from ransomware, cybertheft, and other illicit activities, enhanced economic ties to Russia and China, as UN sanctions erode, and his own resources.

While a channel for dialogue can and should be maintained, this raises a new challenge for the United States of how to live withand containa nuclear North Korea. Deterrence has worked for sixty-five years and, as Kim is not suicidal, it endures, though conflict by miscalculation remains a risk. But imminent missile, and possibly nuclear, tests will heighten tensions and war fears.

To keep Pyongyangs capabilities in perspective, this graphic, updated as developments warrant, shows that North Korea still has additional work to do before it has a reliable, operational ICBM that can reach the United States.

The graphic below is interactive. Click the boxes to learn more about each step.

Robert A. Manning is a resident senior fellow in the Atlantic Councils Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. Follow him on Twitter @Rmanning4.

Retired Lt. Gen. Patrick OReilly is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Councils Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security.

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North Korea's Progress Towards an ICBM (In One Graphic) - The National Interest Online

There are still things to work out.

Gophers womens basketball coach Lindsay Whalen has yet to make some final rotation decisions. The importance of ball security is still on top of her list. But, with the Gophers 9-1 and on a nine-game winning streak set to play their final nonconference game against Lehigh on Saturday at noon, Whalen feels good about her team. In a lot of ways.

I didnt know what to think last year, said Whalen, in her second year as Gophers coach. The Gophers rolled through a very soft preseason slate undefeated last year before a difficult first half of the Big Ten season. This years nonconference schedule was an upgrade. The Gophers only loss came to a ranked Missouri State team that is currently third in the RPI ratings. The Gophers have beaten a then-ranked Arizona State team and won at Notre Dame still a quality win despite the Irish being in a rebuilding season.

Were in a good place, Whalen said. I like where our guys are at mentally, where the team is, where the chemistry is at.

Lehigh is a Pennsylvania school with six Minnesotans on the roster. All six played in the North Tartan AAU program. The pipeline started with Hannah Hedstrom, who won a state title with Minnetonka. Both her mother, Mary, and older sister, Joanna, played for the Gophers. But Hannahs decision to go to Lehigh started a regular stream of players from Minnesota, including Megan Walker, Hedstroms teammate at Minnetonka. The others are Anna Harvey (Lakeville South), Frannie Hottinger (Cretin-Derham Hall), Emma Grothaus (Mahtomedi) and Mariah Sexe (East Ridge).

The 7-2 Mountain Hawks use a full-court zone press.

We need to take care of the ball, Whalen said. They force 19 turnovers a game. That and rebounding have been our focus.

As for rotations, Whalen has yet to decide who will be Taiye Bellos backup in the post. Her sister, Kehinde Bello, freshman Klarke Sconiers and Barbora Tomancova are competing there.

In the backcourt, freshman Jasmine Powell will get big minutes off the bench. Mercedes Staples decision to enter the transfer portal has given Masha Adashchyk an opportunity, too.

But, overall, Whalen feels confident. Destiny Pitts growth continues. And the return of Gadiva Hubbard who missed last season because of injury has been a big boost. Pitts (15.6 points per game) and Hubbard (13.3) give the team a 1-2 punch from the outside. Taiye Bello is averaging a double-double and freshman guard Sara Scalia has played well.

We havent played for a week, Whalen said. We just had finals. I want to see them come out strong.

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Lindsay Whalen pleased with Gophers women's basketball team's progress in 9-1 start - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Since he last spoke with Crosscut last summer, some things have improved for Daniels. Surgery to remove 35 polyps from his colon was successful, and his doctors recommended against chemotherapy. The procedure was minimal enough that they were able to rebuild his colon and remove the colostomy bag affixed to his abdomen.

Daniels has also found a line to an apartment, finally. Its in an affordable housing development for people 55 and up (Daniels is 57) off of Rainier Avenue.

But Daniels must keep waiting, for just a little longer, he hopes. Hes been approved for disability income, but the paperwork hasnt come through yet, and he doesnt know when it will. Until that happens, he cannot move into his new apartment, for which he must pay a third of his monthly $771 Social Security check.

Everything is up for grabs, but nothing is definite yet, he said, sitting at a table in the center of the cavernous shelter, whichshares a wall with Seattles Coast Guard outpost. I feel positive about everything. I know things will fall into place, but not in my time. Im ready now, the apartment is ready now, but I dont have it in my hand.

Before he got sick, Daniels worked as a mover. He had jobs all over the countrymoving furniture and boxes for people, most recently in San Franciscobefore he moved to Seattle.

Jobs were slow to come here and, rather than burden friends, Daniels moved into St. Martin de Porres. He assumed it would be temporary until he found consistent work. But then came the pains in stomach, like knives, he said. After a visit to the emergency room, doctors found a tumor on his colon and a slew of concerning polyps.

Following a surgery, his core strength was decimated, his body was fragile, and moving heavy objects was out of the question. He was in a place he never thought hed be: homeless without a clear plan for escape.

Daniels story is increasingly common, as Crosscut reported last summer. People of his age latter-half baby boomers are less financially secure than their older peers and are among the most vulnerable to homelessness. As they age, theyre growing sicker, throwing new people into homelessness and overwhelming shelters ill-equipped to handle serious health issues.

St. Martin de Porres has been accommodating for Daniels, letting him stay during the day. Mostof the other 200 men must leave. There is a nurse who comes sometimes to help with sick clients, but thats it.

Theyve been very supportive with what they have, he said.

Daniels mat is in afar corner. After the surgery, it was hard for him to climb up off the floor. His colostomy bag needed constant attention and emptying; when the lines to the bathroom were long, it would spill sometimes.

Im just tired of being around so many guys, he said. Thats the toughest part.

Its a relief for Daniels to have ditched the colostomy bag. But he still feels fragile and he worries about whether a tumor could return. Hed like to work, but he cant lift anything heavy and is unsure what else to do.

He found the apartment with help from a case manager at St. Martin de Porres. Around the same time, he also got word he had qualified for disability income.

That felt really, really great, he said. Everything is happening at one time: the housing coming through, the disability being approved. Those are the main things I need: Money and a roof over my head.

When the disability does come through and he can claim the apartment, Daniels said he wont sit idly.

Even if I move slow at the pace of a turtle, still I want to be going forward, he said. Its just that you run into these walls and you have no power or control over the circumstances of the situation. Thats pretty much where I am now. Ive done all I can do; Ive done all Im supposed to do.

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Homeless and sick: One Seattle man's path shows the slow pace of progress - Crosscut

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) -- Ten months deep into the flood damage of 2019, Army Corps of Engineers teams continue patching together a broken flood protection system.

The Omaha District has closed two outlet breaches on the Missouri River Levee System L-575 - the fourth and fifth such closures.

The latest work provides an initial level of flood risk management to the area behind this downstream portion of the levee. Crews will now continue repairs on these breach locations while also focusing on the two remaining outlet breaches.

Corina Zhang, L-575 project resident engineer, said, The team remains focused on repairing the substantial damages caused by the 2019 flooding to the L-575 levee system, as we understand how important rehabilitating this levee as soon as possible is to the communities and landowners behind the levee."

The work continues as the weather allows.

The Omaha District has also awarded a $6.5 million construction contract to Youngs General Contracting, Inc. of Poplar Bluff, Missouri. That contract will repair the L-561 Nishnabotna and High Creek Levee system, which is a left bank tributary levee system.

This is the ninth contract awarded to fully repair a tributary levee system and the first to be awarded in the state of Missouri by the Omaha District.

Brent Cossette, Project Manager for the Omaha District Systems Restoration Team, said, While a lot of the focus has been on the Missouri River Levee Systems, we also continue to have teams committed to restoring the smaller tributary levee systems as quickly as possible. We understand that these levee systems are vital to small communities and farmers across the Omaha Districts area of responsibility.

There are more than 500 miles of levees on the Missouri, Platte and Elkhorn rivers, and tributaries that experienced significant flood damage since March 2019.

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HEARTLAND FLOOD: Long process of levee repair marks progress - WOWT

MADISON, Wis. Former school teacher and state education education secretary Tony Evers isn't ready to give himself a grade on his first year as Wisconsin's governor.

"Incomplete," Evers said during a wide-ranging interview that looked back at his first year in office and ahead to 2020. "After four years, I'll be glad to offer A through F, but at this point it's incomplete."

Evers' first year was marked by partisan disagreements with Republicans who control the Legislature, and although he and his fellow Democrats have registered some victories, little headway was made on many substantive issues.

"I think we made good progress where we're poised to do better things in the future," he said.

Evers took office in January after defeating two-term Republican incumbent Scott Walker. But Republicans maintained their majorities in the Legislature, creating a recipe for gridlock that proved largely to be true. Republicans started by cutting Evers' powers during a lame duck legislative session before he even took office. Most major Democratic proposals have been stymied, and Republicans have described themselves as serving as a "goalkeeper" to block Evers' agenda.

Still, Evers did sign a budget that hit many of his top priorities and campaign promises. He increased funding for schools and the University of Wisconsin, and put more money into roads and health care, but far less than what he wanted. He also cut middle class taxes by 10%, which Republicans strongly supported.

He cited the enactment of the budget as a highlight, calling it a "down payment on the future."

"We set a high bar," Evers said. "We had some success in getting there."

Many other issues are going nowhere.

Bipartisan bills that would legalize medical marijuana have stalled, as have Democratic efforts to expand Medicaid, address the "dark store" loophole, a property tax issue that's important to local governments, and institute new gun control measures. Evers tried to force Republicans to debate universal gun background checks and a "red flag" law that would give judges the power to take guns from people determined to be a risk to themselves or others, but Republicans didn't even debate the measures before adjourning a special session Evers called.

Their discord also showed up in the usually routine matter of confirming Cabinet secretaries, those who lead state agencies and work closely with the governor. Republicans rejected Evers' choice for the state agriculture department, in part because of his push to institute divisive, tougher siting rules designed to protect farmers' neighbors from the stench of manure. It was the first time the Senate had rejected a Cabinet pick since at least the 1980s.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said it's possible the Senate may adjourn for the year without voting on some of Ever's Cabinet picks.

The Senate fired Evers' agriculture secretary the same week it took no action on the gun bills during the special session. Evers showed his anger, lashing out at Republicans in comments to reporters laced with four-letter words.

Evers tried to force Republicans to release money to combat homelessness in December, but they refused.

While Evers refused to give himself a grade on his first year, legislative leaders were happy to.

Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos gave him a C, while he said the budget was worthy of an A-minus.

"C is average, right?" Vos said. "You know, in many ways I feel like it's incomplete because I haven't seen a whole lot of proposals from him. But I would say average."

Fitzgerald declined to give Evers a grade, but he was critical of how the governor worked with lawmakers.

"It's been kind of a rocky road," he said.

Not surprisingly, Democrats were more generous.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling gave Evers a B. Democratic Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz gave Evers an A-minus, although he said many of Evers' victories like flying a gay pride flag over the Capitol for the first time were symbolic.

Hintz praised Evers for trying to govern from the center. That's a break from Walker, who Hintz said was "political 24-7."

"I think it comes across as authentic," Hintz said of Evers. "Some of the victories have been symbolic, but I've appreciated his willingness to speak out on issues."

Evers rejected the notion his victories were symbolic, specifically citing funding increases for schools, roads and health care included in the state budget as substantial.

Those "would not have happened if I wasn't sitting in this office," Evers said. "And all you do is you have to do is walk down the street and walk around the state and talk to people in the schools and ask them if they got a better deal under me than Scott Walker."

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Evers says he's a work in progress entering second year - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Luckily, more options are on their way. Some drugmakers are focused on different types of blood cancers. Others hope to mitigate side effects or create treatments that can be grown from donor cells to reduce expenses and speed up treatment. In the longer run, companies are targeting trickier solid tumors. Scientists wouldnt be looking so far into the future without this decades extraordinary progress.

Researchers have spent years trying to figure out how to replace faulty DNA to cure genetic diseases, potentially with as little as one treatment. Scientific slip-ups and safety issues derailed a wave of initial excitement about these therapies starting in the 1990s; the first two such treatments to be approved in Europe turned out to be commercial flops.

This decade, the technology has come of age. Luxturna, a treatment developed by Spark Therapeutics Inc. for a rare eye disease, became the first gene therapy to get U.S. approval in late 2017. Then in May came the approval of Novartis AGs Zolgensma for a deadly muscle-wasting disease. The drugs have the potential to stave off blindness and death or significant disability with a single dose, and, unsurprisingly, Big Pharma has given them a substantial financial endorsement. Roche Holding AG paid $4.7 billion to acquire Spark this year, while Novartis spent $8.7 billion in 2018 to buy Zolgensma developer Avexis Inc.

Dozens of additional therapies are in development for a variety of other conditions and should hit the market in the next few years. They offer the tantalizing potential not just to cure diseases, but to replace years of wildly expensive alternative treatment. If drugmakers can resist the temptation to squeeze out every ounce of value by doing things like charging $2.1 million for Zolgensma, theres potential for these treatments to save both lives and money.

The above treatments modify DNA; this group uses the bodys messaging system to turn a patients cells into a drug factory or interrupt a harmful process. Two scientists won a Nobel Prize in 2006 for discoveries related to RNA interference (RNAi), one approach to making this type of drug, showing its potential to treat difficult diseases. That prompted an enormous amount of hype and investment, but a series of clinical failures and safety issues led large drugmakers to give up on the approach. Sticking with it into this decade paid off.

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Hepatitis C, cell therapy among breakthroughs in decade of progress - The Columbian

The Turkish government issued an arrest warrant for me, filed an Interpol red notice demanding that other countries detain me, threatened my family and arrested my father. I dont communicate with relatives in Turkey because I fear that a single message could be used as evidence of terrorist activity, Kanter wrote in the Washington Post in November. That was on the eve of a visit to Washington by Erdogan to meet with Donald Trump. In October, Trump abandoned our loyal, ferocious allies the Syrian Kurds, leaving them to the mercy of Erdogan and other malicious forces in the regions. Kanter refuses to be silence in the face of injustice, providing a striking contrast to many Republican leaders who could once be relied on to support freedom and the dignity of humankind where it is under attack.

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Kevin Rennie: this New Years resolve to celebrate while also working to continue progress - Hartford Courant

Rhode Island has been slow to hit its stride with legal sports betting, despite its head start. The state which saw a $22.2 million handle in September has not seen that translate into significant revenue via the 51 percent tax that was imposed.

While the small state may still eliminate potential hurdles to profit maximization by eliminating things like in-person registration for mobile, another issue may stall the states revenue ambitions.

Over the last several months, a plaintiff in Rhode Island has been seeking to challenge the state lottery and state casinos ability to offer sports betting without a referendum from the states voters and an amendment to the states constitution.

An earlier attempt by the plaintiff to challenge the enactment of the RI sports betting law was thwarted by the lottery and casinos, arguing that the plaintiff lacked standing to bring the lawsuit. The Rhode Island Superior Court agreed, and granted a motion to dismiss.

It appears, however, as though the plaintiff may have failed to include in his third amended complaint that he had actually placed a wager in the state. With the courts permission, the plaintiff amended his complaint stating that he placed a bet on the New England Patriots in December 2018 at the Twin River-Tiverton casino, which he lost.

The state lottery and casino defendants moved to dismiss the Plaintiffs fourth attempt. They argued that he still lacked standing even though he now acknowledged placing a bet to challenge the law.

The plaintiff countered that he has standing to challenge the enactment of sports wagering because he placed a sports wager that was authorized pursuant to an unconstitutional statute and suffered economic harm thereby.

In order for a plaintiff to prove that they have standing they must show that they can satisfy three elements:

The first element a plaintiff must prove is an invasion of a legally protected interest.

This term lacks a uniformly accepted meaning, but courts have found that monetary harm, or the type of loss suffered by the plaintiff, may satisfy the element of injury in fact required to prove standing.

The Rhode Island Superior Court found that the Plaintiff has alleged the invasion of a legally protected interest: interest in the money that he spent and lost on a sports wager.

The second element for the establishment of standing is a concrete and particularized injury. This means that there must be an actual injury, as opposed to a hypothetical or abstract ailment. The injury must also affect the plaintiff in a personal and individual way.

The Rhode Island court concluded that the plaintiffs injury was both concrete and particularized. Indeed, Plaintiffs alleged economic harm of losing money on a sports wager is nonspeculative; rather, it is actual and measurable as a definite amount of money.

Relatedly, the loss of money was held to be particularized because it was the plaintiffs own money, and would thus affect him in a personal way.

The final element necessary to establish standing is that the alleged injury must be actual or imminent. The court quickly concluded that the plaintiff established an actual injury for purposes of standing. The plaintiff lost money by wagering on the Patriots, and no longer has that money as a result of what the plaintiff claims is an unconstitutional law.

Whether a court can hear a claim depends on more than just standing. The plaintiff must also establish that the case is otherwise justiciable. This includes a showing by the plaintiff that what they are seeking the court to grant them is something within the courts power.

Unfortunately for the defendants in the case, the Rhode Island court found that a state court has the ability to review the constitutionality of a state law and award corresponding damages to an injured plaintiff.

The defendants argued that because the plaintiff had placed a sports bet voluntarily, this precluded him from challenging the law. Their argument is that by placing a sports bet, the plaintiff conceded that the statute enabling such behavior was constitutional.

The court rejected this argument, noting that this behavior has a long precedent as a means for challenge statutes.

The final element that the Court looked to in determining whether the claim was justiciable was whether the action causing injury could be traced to the defendants. The court found that losing money on a sports bet at a casino offering sports betting satisfied the traceability requirement.

The immediate takeaway from the decision is that the plaintiffs lawsuit will continue. The lawsuit survived an early challenge, but this decision doesnt appear to threaten sports betting in Rhode Island.

The immediate decision allows the case to continue. Its not a decision on the merits of the plaintiff claim, only a threshold issue allowing the claim to proceed.

The Rhode Island Superior Court judge noted that the defendants only filed a motion arguing that the plaintiff lacked standing. The defendants seemed to argue, however, that the plaintiff also failed to state a claim.

Though the judge noted the scope of the motion as limited to standing, it leaves the door open that the defendants may file a motion alleging that the plaintiffs complaint fails to state a claim. Such a motion would need to satisfy a different standard.

While this lawsuit could derail the states sports gambling, there are many legal proceedings to come before approaching that point.

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Another Bump In The Rhode Island: How A Sports Betting Lawsuit Could Derail Progress - Legal Sports Report

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ST. LOUIS - One area family is getting quite a surprise under the tree this year thanks to the generosity of those giving to Pathways to Progress, one of our Spirit of St Louis charities.

Kamillya Mitchell's family in north St. Louis County will feel the spirit of the season after being adopted for Christmas through the United Way's 100 Neediest Cases program. This would be a year of struggle after losing her mom and shortly thereafter her father on her mom's birthday and trying to provide for her three children ages 22, 7, and 5, and a 1-year-old grandbaby on a low income.

"I appreciate the help because they are always there when I need it," Mitchell said.

It has been hard for her to keep a job due to being at the doctor a lot with one of her daughters, who has Down's syndrome.

"I still get out there and try with the help of Pathways," she said.

Her advisor submitted her story and when she wasn't adopted last year, they were thrilled to get the message that she was chosen to receive a slew of donated gifts for her family.

"Individuals can't do this by themselves, we all need a village to surround us, and Pathways is no different and sometimes when the road takes a different path, then they expect that member advisor is here to walk with the member through all of that and to know when it's time to ask one of those community partners to come in and walk alongside for part of the journey," said Maryn Olson, program director with Pathways.

We hope the giving spirit continues, you can make these moments happen for other families by donating at fox2now.com and kplr11.com and to find out more about Pathways log on to ccstl.org/spiritofstlouis.

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Spirit of St. Louis: Pathways to Progress - KPLR 11 St. Louis

Precision BioSciences (DTIL) is a biotech that should be on everyone's radar. While it is still an early-stage speculative biotech, it holds so much potential in the CAR-T space. It has a unique off the shelf approach to utilizing CAR-T, which will likely set itself apart from all the competitors in the space. Preliminary data was good, in the sense that PBCAR0191 was active, but the stock fell initially as some investors were not as impressed with the initial data. I believe that it is too early to write off this biotech, because there are a few key areas that must be addressed as it relates to results from the Phase 1/2a study using this particular CAR-T to treat patients with relapsed/refractory hematological malignancies.

I feel that Precision BioSciences was mistreated in terms of the reaction from the clinical data it had released at ASH. It released results from its Phase 1/2a study using PBCAR0191 to treat patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (r/r B-ALL) and relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). In the r/r NHL population, there were 4 out of 6 patients who responded, for a 66% overall response rate (ORR). I believe that investor disappointment came from the next dataset, in which it was noted 2 early responders given this CAR-T had progressed.

On the r/r B-cell precursor ALL front it was decent as well with 1 out of 3 patients responding, or 33% ORR at day 28+. The good news here with respect to this patient is that it was a complete response. There are a few changes that can be observed in eventually seeing an improvement in data, which is why I believe the sell-off was irrational. Especially, since the stock had hit a bottom of $9.50 per share on December 9, 2019. Since then, it has traded higher to where it is now around $14.60 per share.

The first item to notice is that this is a new type of technology. Precision is basing its CAR-T as an allogeneic type of treatment. This is new territory, but one worth exploring. For instance, allogeneic means that engineered T-cells are modified from a healthy human donor and not the patient themselves. This brings a more rapid process for developing treatments, because patients don't have to wait weeks to be treated. With autologous CAR-T, T-cells must first be extracted from the cancer patient in question. Then sent to a lab to be engineered/modified with CARs needed to go after cancerous cells. Then those engineered cells are shipped back to the treatment center. Such an autologous process can take a very long time.

For example, Novartis (NVS) has its CAR-T Kymriah and Gilead Sciences (GILD) has Yescarta. The point here is that the vein-to-vein time (length of time of T-cell recruitment, CAR modification, and back to treatment center) can take 3 to 4 weeks. That means the patient must wait this long of a period of time before they are even ever treated. That's why I believe it is imperative that the allogeneic approach to CAR-T is perfected. If anything 3 to 4 weeks of waiting for a treatment is not a good thing for these cancer patients where time is of the essence.

The second item to note involves a small sample size. In my opinion, it works both ways. If a small sample size doesn't guarantee clinical success, then the inference can't be that it also proves the failure of a treatment. The Phase 1/2a study only recruited 6 patients for r/r NHL and then 3 patients for r/r B-cell precursor ALL. There needs to be a larger sample size like other late-stage CAR-T studies to really see whether or not PBCAR0191 is effective for these patient populations.

The third item involves dose escalation. As is the norm, Phase 1 studies look more towards safety of a drug. In other words, the goal is to see if there are dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) which occur during the study. Since Precision BioSciences didn't see anything major in earlier doses (dose 1 and dose 2), it is able to assess the next set of clinical data expected in Q1 of 2020 using dose 3. The 3rd dose level of 3x106 cells/kg will be used for this study and next data readout. Even then, the next set of data expected at that time may not be the final dose eventually used towards a mid-stage study.

The key point here being that dose escalation will continue until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is established. Once an MTD is used for a mid-stage study, then the focus falls on efficacy of the drug at that time. At this point, it is really too early to say that PBCAR0191 is not effective in these patient populations. At least for the time being, the company was able to generate some response rates with lower doses, which is impressive early on. This bodes well for higher dosing in the coming cohorts.

The final item to highlight is the need for a more safer alternative CAR-T. Especially, as you may be aware that these types of treatments require lymphodepletion before treatment is administered to patients. Precision is taking a more moderate approach to lymphodepletion. In a study with 9 patients there were Grade 3 and Grade 4 adverse events typically associated with lymphodepletion, but no infections. That means the Flu/Cy lymphodepletion regimen being given in a moderate treatment approach, spares patients from severe adverse events such as infections which are associated with biologics. This is another key positive for those patients who are treated with allogeneic CAR-Ts. The advantage here being that with a more moderate approach of lymphodepletion, pending no SAEs, there could even be combination therapies explored for these patients. This also makes it easier to potentially increase to a higher level 4 dose.

Setting aside that the data reported from the Phase 1/2a study with the use of PBCAR0191, it's important to note the context of this CAR-T. This particular candidate targets cancer cells that express CD19. This is why the therapy is good, specifically for the treatment of NHL and ALL. However, Precision already had another CAR-T candidate lined up directly behind PBCAR0191.

This other candidate is known as PBCAR20A and is named as such that it targets cancer cells that express CD20. Therefore, some cancer indications appropriate for this target are NHL, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic leukemia (SLL). This is a good backup candidate just in case PBCAR0191 doesn't make it to the finish line for marketing approval. Even then, that CAR-T is still in the dose-expansion phase. The Phase 1/2a study using PBCAR20A will be initiated in the coming weeks/months. That's because the IND has already been cleared by the FDA so that the biotech can get this study initiated soon.

The ARCUS technology platform utilizes a synthetic ARC nuclease enzyme. The key advantage here being that the ARC nuclease enzyme is similar to the natural genome process of a homing endonuclease found in Eukaryotic species (species that have cells with an enclosed nucleus with membrane). Why is the ARCUS technology flexible? Well, above it was shown that Precision was able to establish off the shelf CAR-T cells based on this genome editing platform.

In the same way it can engineer or manipulate CARs, it can cut into DNA sequences as part of genome editing against other diseases. That's all great, but isn't this early stage technology? It is quite early in the process for genome editing, but Precision is definitely onto something with its ARCUS platform. This can be proven in that Gilead Sciences was already willing to generate a deal with Precision. This is a good deal, because Precision is eligible for a potential of $445 million in milestone payments. Not only that, but Gilead will fully fund the research and development of the Hepatitis B product being explored with this partnership.

According to the 10-Q SEC Filing, Precision BioSciences had $206.3 million in cash and cash equivalents as of September 30, 2019. With this cash on hand, it believes it can fund its operations into 2021. Based on this projection, I don't foresee a near-term cash raise. If anything, I believe a cash raise may be done during the 2nd half of 2020. The only way an earlier raise will be done is if the biotech has other expansion plans in mind. In the long term though, as long as good data is observed in the genome editing product for the treatment of Hepatitis B, then Precision will be eligible for millions in milestone payments.

The main risk deals with the first CAR-T product highlighted above PBCAR0191. That's because even though there is potential for improved efficacy at a higher dose level, there are two items to keep an eye on. The first is whether or not dose level 3 is safe. This means that there aren't highly toxic events that forces the biotech to not move forward with a higher dose. The second would be to see an improvement in clinical data. In this regard, it will be important to note if improved response rates are achieved as the dose is increased.

If the data stays the same or gets worse, that will be very troublesome. Lastly, it falls back on being patient as the trial progresses. A small group of 3 or 6 patients will not predict final clinical outcome in other studies. Eventually, it will be important to see a mid-stage study that incorporates 30 or more patients. That will be a better sample size, in order to determine whether or not PBCAR0191 is effective in treating relapsed/refractory NHL and ALL patients.

Precision BioSciences still holds potential to advance its first CAR-T product PBCAR0191 in treating patients with relapsed/refractory NHL and ALL. There is another CAR-T therapy that is already in the clinic known as PBCAR20A, which is expected to begin a Phase 1/2a study in the coming weeks/months. This will help reduce investor risk as it relates to the allogeneic CAR-T therapy pipeline. The genome editing platform is another potential area where the biotech can capitalize on. It's too early to state whether or not all products stemming from this platform will be successful.

However, it is bullish that Gilead Sciences has already made a commitment to fully funding research and clinical studies towards developing a gene therapy product for patients with Hepatitis B. The stock recovered after the initial fall based on the early allogeneic CAR-T PBCAR0191. I believe that there is potential for a recovery of the stock and if dosing continues to escalate without major toxicity issues, then an improvement in clinical outcomes can be achieved when data is reported again in Q1 2020.

This article is published by Terry Chrisomalis, who runs the Biotech Analysis Central pharmaceutical service on Seeking Alpha Marketplace. If you like what you read here and would like to subscribe to, I'm currently offering a two-week free trial period for subscribers to take advantage of. My service offers a deep-dive analysis of many pharmaceutical companies. The Biotech Analysis Central SA marketplace is $49 per month, but for those who sign up for the yearly plan will be able to take advantage of a 33.50% discount price of $399 per year.

Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Read more here:

Precision BioSciences Makes Impressive Progress On Mission To Change CAR-T Therapy Landscape - Seeking Alpha

By American Heart Association News

ThursdayDec26,2019at11:00AMDec26,2019at11:00AM

Looking to reboot your health in 2020? What you need to do is clear.We should sit less, move more, sleep more and be mindful about what we eat, said Mercedes Carnethon, an epidemiologist and vice chair of the department of preventive medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago. Setting goals that balance these priorities but are achievable is going to be very important to set the right tone.How you do that can take effort. But its far from impossible. Here are some ways to start.Eat and drink healthierBegin with small changes and measurable goals when it comes to eating better and reducing calories, said nutritionist and author Claudia Gonzalez of Miami.Pick a couple of healthy new behaviors each month. Keep dessert under control at home by having only an occasional scoop of ice cream or a small piece of chocolate.If your goal is to eat more servings of fruits and vegetables, try to include them in foods you already like, Gonzalez suggested. Add spinach or green peppers to your pizza, or dip raw broccoli or carrots in a little salad dressing.Your mind thinks, Wow, its not too bad. At the end, you become a friend of vegetables, she said.Portion size at meals is key to healthy eating. Experiment by eating half or three-fourths of what you might normally eat at a meal.Sugary drinks are not the right choice for hydration, and their calories add up fast, Gonzalez said. So, make water your beverage of choice. Need flavor? Add strawberries or cucumber slices.Get better sleepRegular, restorative sleep about seven to nine hours a night for most healthy adults is necessary for a healthy metabolism, optimal brain function and quality of life, Carnethon said.Without enough sleep, she said, long-term problems can include weight gain and chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.Commit to moving morePhysical activity burns calories, helps you lose weight and contributes to your overall health.Carnethon said its important to take things slowly. Set measurable weekly and monthly goals that are realistic. If youre a couch potato, dont say youll run a marathon in two months; focus on smaller steps, such as walking 30 minutes a day for two weeks. Then, set a bigger goal that involves more intensive walking. Then running.The mistake some people make when it comes to setting goals is to be either too ambitious or not ambitious enough, Carnethon said. She suggests setting an initial goal that is a reach but a feasible reach.Cardiovascular disease risk increases with too much sedentary time, so adults should strive for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous activity. Try to work in some muscle-strengthening activities, too. Aim to boost physical activity through an exercise class, brisk walks, vigorous yard work or even dancing.The activity doesnt have to be continuous. Exercise sessions or other types of physical activity can be broken into small segments throughout the week.Schedule a checkupTo maintain physical and mental health, its crucial to meet regularly with your healthcare provider. The visits should address all factors that can affect your health, including changing lifestyle behaviors and barriers to taking medications, Carnethon said.Those conversations also should include family history, a strong link to heart disease risk. So, if you dont know your family health history, start asking relatives. Begin with your immediate family and then branch out.

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Rebooting health goals - Progress Index

For a brief moment, Maryland wrestlings King Sandoval had the attention of college wrestling fans against No. 10 Pittsburgh on Friday.

The 133-pounder faced off against No. 5 Micky Phillippi, who entered the bout with a perfect 9-0 record. But, within 30 seconds of the first period, Sandoval the clear underdog nearly blemished Phillippis pristine start to the season.

He attacked, taking control of Phillippis right arm from the neutral position, eventually flipping him over for a fall count. Sandoval couldnt hold it, but he was awarded two points for the takedown and four near-fall points to go up 6-0 in the bout. Phillippi worked his way back, though, eventually securing an 8-6 decision.

But Fridays performance was still uncharacteristic for the Terps. Despite a 27-10 loss to the Panthers, three Maryland wrestlers were within a takedown or striking distance to win their bouts, including Sandoval a promising effort against the No. 10 team in the country that has the program trending in the right direction.

I dont believe in moral victories, coach Alex Clemsen said. Losing sucks. I frickin hate it. With that said, the only way were going to win, in this sport, is to fight tremendously hard and up and down our lineup, all 10 kids had good fights and put themselves in the match.

[Read more: No. 10 Pittsburgh pulls out dual win over Maryland wrestling, 27-10]

Among the other close bouts, 141-pounder Hunter Baxter was 30 seconds away from an upset over 141-pounder No. 19 Cole Matthews, but he was pinned with seven seconds left in the third period.

Maryland suffered its own upset defeat in the 174-pound matchup as No. 20 Philip Spadafora, seconds away from clinching the Terps third win of the night, was taken down, losing 5-4 at the buzzer to Gregg Harvey.

However, 157-pounder Jahi Jones had already done the same to Pittsburgh, knocking off No. 11 Taleb Rahmani in a low-scoring 3-2 decision after fighting off a last-second takedown attempt in the third period.

I think that just comes with grit, Jones said. Ive been in that position in practice a thousand times, so I wasnt the slightest bit worried that I was gonna give up a takedown.

[Read more: Maryland wrestlings transition with new coach Alex Clemsen is an ongoing process]

The redshirt senior has had a front-row seat to Marylands struggles since joining the Big Ten, as the Terps have gone 15-57 during his tenure, with just one conference dual win.

Despite the lack of success the team has had in recent years, Jones saw Fridays match as a step forward.

Were going in the right direction, Jones said. You cant just turn that around overnight.

There has been a noticeable shift within the program, and much of that has stemmed from this offseasons coaching shuffle. While former coach Kerry McCoy led the Terps to frequent success in the ACC, he was unable to do so in the Big Ten. Theres hope that Clemsen will be the one to reverse that trend.

With any type of change, even if its symbolic, theres a shift in mentality, 197-pounder Jaron Smith said. Theres a little bit of relief that like, I need to reevaluate my dedication to this sport and take a deep look at whats going on around you. I feel like that happened with our program.

Five seasons at the bottom of the Big Ten can make a big difference, but in his first year, Clemsen has thrown all his chips in to change the stigma around his program. Friday was the first evidence of the teams fortune flipping.

Its hard when youre taking scratches and you keep saying, Hey, were close, Smith said. You can take those lumps and at some point, its not going to be, Hey, were close. Its going to be Hey, we did it.

Read more:

Maryland wrestling showed signs of progress in loss to No. 10 Pittsburgh - The Diamondback

Reading kick off the second half of the season on Boxing Day with a match against the second team Mark Bowen took charge against: QPR. Rangers had started the season strongly, but have dropped from the top six to mid-table since we last faced them.

The Royals will of course want to go one better than that 2-2 draw at Loftus Road, but will we manage it? We spoke to QPR fan and writer Clive Whittingham from website Loft For Words.

Find them on Twitter here, their website here, and a preview piece we did for them ahead of the match here.

Were a midtable team. Apart from one win at Sheff Wed who are now third, and one defeat at Barnsley who are in the drop zone, then basically whenever we play a team in the bottom half we win and whenever we play a team in the top half we lose. Coming into the Reading game wed had a run of fixtures against the divisions poorer sides, won, and climbed into the top six. Then through November we played a lot of the better teams and dropped back down. It was really disappointing to lose at Barnsley and then draw with Charlton on the back of two successive wins because we were looking at this little run of games as a chance to climb back into contention but it doesnt look like its going to happen.

Important to remember that we changed our entire squad in the summer (20 out, 16 in), cut the wage bill again for the fourth consecutive year, and were tipped to really struggle so this is still above expectations. Were a work in progress, and were usually very good to watch second best attack in the league, third worst defence.

Yeh, he could be. Pleasure to watch at the moment, particularly when we play him with bright Osayi-Samuel which stops defenders doubling up on him. Our man of the match awards are starting to turn into who was man of the match apart from Eze?. Spurs are having a sniff so Im sure we can look forward to Daniel Levy trying to persuade us a couple of million and a clutch of players they dont really want and we dont really need is a great deal for us.

Hes 21, just had his first start for England under-21s but has Nigerian parents and theres a lot of speculation about them wanting him to play internationally for them. From Greenwich, unbelievably released by Millwall as a teenager, presumably because he wasnt kicking it high enough in the air and far enough down the pitch.

He started last season very strongly, played every minute of every game under Steve McClaren, and basically burned out in the second half of the year. He looks stronger, and is obviously more experienced now with getting on for 100 appearances under his belt now. Ideally you want him to play ten but he floats around all over in the attack, and has improved his defensive game to the point where he can now play on the wing without exposing a full back. This year hes been most successful drifting in off the left side with Bright hugging the right touchline to spread opponents and create space.

Ryan Manning, another youngster and previously a midfielder, has had a very good season at left back. Yoann Barbet, a summer signing from Brentford, was defensively erratic when he played but his injury has coincided with us struggling to play out from the back as Mark Warburton demands. Ive been impressed with how Toni Leistner has come back from being totally bombed out in the summer to win his place back in the team, and has had some great performances at centre back, but hes very rudimentary and prone to the odd horror. Were also struggling to get any of our goalkeepers into any sort of form.

Actually havent seen you since the Loftus Road game which is unusual for me because I watch this drudgery and slop religiously. I thought you caught us out a bit that night, and Swift and Ejaria were the best players on the pitch, so I was a little surprised to see Swift on the bench at the weekend when I checked.

Mark Bowen isnt popular at QPR. He was assistant to Mark Hughes in a period when we spent many hundreds of millions of pounds on scumbag players who didnt want to be at the club and destroyed all the good that Neil Warnock had done before. When that spend lumbered us with one of the worst Premier League teams in recent memory, Hughes used to send Bowen out as a frontman.

His appearance, possibly after wine had been taken, on the Open All Rs Podcast just before they got sacked when he basically said they had no idea why it was going so wrong, nor what they were going to do about it, is still talked about to this day. That whole era was horrible, followed by the similarly ruinous Harry Redknapp reign, and were still trying to recover from that.

I said sixteenth at the start, and was being optimistic. Now it would be disappointing if we end up that low, but I dont see us being far away from it. In a poor league, with Eze, Hugill and Wells up front, I worry we may look back on this season as a missed opportunity, but it was always meant to be a building year so in theory success would be midtable and a squad moving in the right direction for next season.

The key thing is whether we can get some serious, James Maddison-style, money for Eze. Weve been a bit guilty of selling players too cheaply to balance the books recently (Smithies 3m, Darnell Furlong 1.5m, Freeman 5m) and to get out of the spot weve worked ourselves into we need to be doing what Brentford have done and regularly be getting north of 8m for players weve scouted and developed. Norwich transformed their team with the Maddison money and won promotion thats what we should aspire to. We wont have a talent like him for a long time; hes English, hes under contract if we were to shovel him on for 6-7m and the money just dissipates into bills and FFP compliance that will be heartbreaking.

Couple of weeks back Id have said I fancied us for a win. The 2-0 we got at Birmingham City recently was our fifth away win of the season already which is as many as we managed in the whole of last year, and two more than we got in 2017/18. Reading are bottom half, and as said we tend to beat the bottom half and lose to the top half.

We also looked to have fixed the defensive issues with our first two clean sheets of the season against Preston and Birmingham. But a 5-3 at Barnsley was chaotic and while Charlton equalised with literally the last kick of the game at the weekend and we missed a sack load of chances we were a bit erratic there as well against a team on a bad run.

I dont know, we can be quite dangerous on the road this season. But were wild. It could be anything. 2-2 seems quite a good bet if youre gambling on QPR this season.

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View From The Town End: 'Midtable' QPR Still A Work In Progress - The Tilehurst End

Even after spending close to 5,100 crore in 2019-20, the Ministry of Health could not make satisfactory progress on the 15 newly-sanctioned All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

While the first batch of MBBS (2019-20) with 50 seats in each of the six new AIIMS Raebareli (Uttar Pradesh), Kalyani (West Bengal), Bhatinda (Punjab), Deogarh (Jharkhand), Bibinagar (Hyderabad) and Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) has started and outpatient department services have commenced in Nagpur and Bhatinda, construction work at most institutes has been slow, as land, water and power issues are to be sorted out, Health Ministry officials said. BusinessLine accessed a copy of the minutes of a meeting of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), which charted out the hurdles that need to be cleared in the process of building these AIIMS.

AIIMS Raebareli was sanctioned in the second phase, but construction is stuck because 50 acres of additional land, out of the total 150 acres committed by the Uttar Pradesh government is pending.

Also, removal of hindrances and encroachment in the form of water bodies, condemned buildings, religious places of worship, no-objection certificate of phase I is pending from Raebareli authorities. Old buildings have to be dismantled by the Public Works Department, the minutes read.

While no hospitals were taken up in the third phase, four were sanctioned in the fourth in Nagpur and Mangalagiri (Andhra Pradesh). Kalyani and Gorakhpur.

While classes have started in Gorakhpur, up to 54 per cent work has been completed for the hospital. The State has to expedite diversion and shifting of a drain running through the campus, as also action is required for disposal of storm water from the AIIMS complex to an external drain, a senior official handling PMSSY in the Ministry said.

In Nagpur, too, shifting of waterline and electrical cable passing inside the campus is an issue. In Kalyani, the site is awaiting electricity supply and there is shortage of good earth inside the campus for external development work, the minutes note.

While in Mangalagiri arrangement is yet to be made for water supply, storm water drain, main approach road to the campus, electric substation, shifting of an NDRF campus and dismantling and disposal of an old building of a tuberculosis sanatorium for the AIIMS to come up. In the fifth phase, seven hospitals were sanctioned, at Bathinda, Guwahati (Assam), Samba (Jammu), Awantipora (Kashmir), Madurai (Tamilnadu), Bilaspur (Himachal Pradesh) and Bihar.

In Kashmir, 15 acres proposed for the site is stuck in litigation and, therefore, the site has not yet been handed over. In Bilaspur, the authorities have to remove a structure of the Animal Husbandry Department and hand over an encumbrance-free area while in Bhatinda and Guwahati, construction of electric substations needs to be expedited.

Supply of raw water and disposal of storm water and sewage has to be figured out, the official said. In Bihar, the State government has not yet finalised a site to be forwarded for the Centres approval.

In the sixth phase, three hospitals were sanctioned in Rajkot (Gujarat), Deoghar and Bibinagar (Telangana), but due to local issues they are stuck.

In Rajkot, the issue is of providing encumbrance-free land and it is not clear how much land the State government is planning to provide. Local people have cultivated crops on the proposed site, which need to be cleared. Only one AIIMS is proposed in Haryana, at Manethi, in the seventh phase. Its construction has run into trouble as the Ministry of Environments Forest Advisory Committee has declined the proposal of the State government for conversion of forest land for construction of the AIIMS. Now Haryana is searching for an alternative site, said the official.

Close to 4,000 crore was spent in 2019-20 by the Centre to strengthen super-specialty hospitals including 21 AIIMS and 75 government-run medical colleges.

In addition, a 3,500-crore has been sanctioned as HEFA loan to be repaid by the government over the next ten years, from Ministry of Human Resources and Development, of which 1,100 crore has been drawn till date, officials said.

From 2009 to 2019, up to 20,756 crore has been approved for building the 15 new AIIMS, and are targeted to be completed between 2020 and 2023.

Link:

5,100 cr spent, but tardy progress on most new AIIMS - BusinessLine

Deutsche Bank has made "positive early progress" in its massive multi-year restructuring program, according to S&P Global Ratings.

In a note published Monday, the independent credit ratings agency retained a "stable" outlook for the embattled German lender, affirming its long and short-term issuer credit ratings at 'BBB+/A-2'.

S&P said the promising signs were "most evident in the refocusing of the investment bank and the runoff of exposures in the capital release unit (CRU)."

Deutsche Bank announced in July that it would pull out of its global equities sales and trading operations, scale back the investment banking division, and slash 18,000 jobs in a bid to bring profitability in line with cost of capital.

Management wants the changes to trim 20% of the 2019 adjusted cost base by as soon as 2022.

Deutsche Bank chief executive Christian Sewing struck an optimistic tone at the bank's investor conference last week, anticipating a marked rise in profitability and improved cost efficiency through to 2022. He said this was based on measures across private, corporate and investment banking.

Despite the German banking system facing substantial economic and industry risks, S&P has agreed that it saw "sufficient progress" from Deutsche Bank to affirm its credit rating.

"Looking ahead, with substantial operational execution due in 2020 across all divisions, we see this as a critical period that will determine whether, amid an adverse environment, the plan can ultimately be successful," the S&P analyst note said.

"We continue to see management's desired result as ultimately more supportive of Deutsche Bank's creditworthiness: a leading, less-leveraged and well-controlled European bank, with focused global reach, that covers its cost of capital, aided by a greater weight of stable revenues, significant contributions from all divisions, and scalable infrastructure," it added.

Shares of Deutsche Bank are lower by around three-quarters of one percent on Tuesday on a down day for wider markets. Since the appointment of Sewing in April 2018, the stock has lost almost 40% in value.

S&P analysts highlighted that the restructuring of the investment bank and establishment of the CRU appears to be "substantially complete" while Deutsche's regulatory capital is likely to finish 2019 ahead of expectations.

"Step by step, regulators appear to accept that the bank's control environment is improving, signaled for example in the European Central Bank's announcement that it will reduce the bank's 2020 capital requirements by 25 basis points to 11.6%," S&P said.

Wall Street analysts have expressed skepticism over the planned scale of the downsizing and reinvestment, and S&P acknowledged that there are "clear downside risks" at this early stage of the restructure.

"These stem principally from the already weak economic and market environment, which could deteriorate further, making Deutsche Bank's already difficult task of covering the cost of capital even harder," the note said.

"While the current management team has demonstrated its ability to cut costs, execution could yet be impeded or delayed, and an even weaker environment could further undermine revenues."

In the event of material setbacks to the possibility of Deutsche hitting its profitability target by 2022, S&P suggested that it could lower its long-term issuer credit rating for the bank.

"This could be more likely in the event of management missteps or a more costly, or longer, turnaround than anticipated, but it would most likely result from an even more adverse environment that severely weighs on group revenue," it added.

See the original post:

S&P Global Ratings sees 'positive early progress' in Deutsche Bank restructure - CNBC

Starting opposite Beal at corner was rookie DeAndre Baker, who put together his second consecutive strong performance. Baker finished tied for the second-most tackles with six (five solo) and had two pass breakups. Baker did a good job in coverage against Miamis DeVante Parker, limiting the Dolphins number one option until the end of the fourth quarter when the Giants were up by 23 points.

Julian Love has shined since taking over at safety for the injured Jabrill Peppers. The rookie fourth-round pick finished with five tackles (four solo), two tackles for loss, a pass defended and a quarterback hit.

Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence enjoyed one of the best games of his rookie season. While the stat sheet shows that he recorded just one tackle, Lawrence was a force in the pass rush. The first-round pick had two quarterback hits and finished with a pass rush grade of 90 and an overall grade of 82, according to PFF.

Lawrence wasnt the only young defensive lineman to perform well. Oshane Ximines collected 0.5 sacks and a QB hit, while RJ McIntosh picked up a sack, tackle for loss and a QB hit to go with his two solo tackles.

On top of the performance of several first and second-year players, fourth-year receiver Sterling Shepard led the team with nine receptions for 111 yards, earning the highest grade of any Giant at 87.9, according to PFF. Third-year lineman Dalvin Tomlinson tied with Lawrence for the highest PFF grade on the defensive side of the ball (82.0) after recording three tackles (one solo), one sack, 1.5 tackles for loss and one QB hit.

While this season may not have gone as the team or fans expected, the play of numerous young players has provided hope for a bright future.

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Progress Report: Youth shining down the stretch - Giants.com

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

MAMMOTH HOTSPRINGS, Wyo. The annual removal of non-native lake trout from YellowstoneLake recently concluded and the multiyear effort points to a declining population.Lake trout are removed in an effort to preserve the native cutthroat troutpopulation, the largest remaining concentration of inland cutthroat trout inexistence.

Native cutthroat trout are the parks most ecologically important fish and the most highly regarded by visiting anglers. It is an important food source for grizzly bears, birds of prey and other wildlife. The cutthroat decline resulted in several of these species being displaced from Yellowstone Lake or having to use alternate food sources during certain times of the year.

I want to personally thank the National Park Service team, our partners and the many people who have philanthropically supported this continuing conservation effort, said Superintendent Cam Sholly. There is a considerable amount of work yet to do to build on this progress. This will continue to be one of our conservation priorities.

Yellowstone National Park and contract crews removed 282,960 fish between May and October of this year compared to 297,110 in 2018, and 396,950 in 2017. It is a 29 percent decline over three years.

Yellowstones lake trout suppression program is one of the largest nonnative fish removal programs in the United States. Since lake trout were first discovered in 1994, more than 3.4 million have been removed from Yellowstone Lake through suppression gillnetting. The number of lake trout caught in nets continues to steadily decline, from 4.4 per net in 2017 and 3.1 per net in 2018, to just 2.9 per net in 2019.

In order to predict the success of the removal effort and set benchmarks for gillnetting in the future, Yellowstone National Park and Michigan State University collaborated to generate statistical models of the lake trout population. The models suggest there are 73 percent less lake trout ages six and older in Yellowstone Lake now than were present at the populations peak in 2011. This is critical because older, larger lake trout have the highest reproductive potential and consume the most cutthroat trout. The models also indicate that the invasive species has been in decline since 2012.

Concurrent with the lake trout decline, long-term monitoring indicates a substantial increase in the number of cutthroat trout in the Yellowstone Lake ecosystem. Cutthroat that inhabit the lake migrate more than 30 miles up into the Upper Yellowstone and Thorofare streams where they spawn and then return to the lake. This July, fisheries staff found large numbers and sizes of cutthroat in these backcountry streams. Ten years ago, few cutthroat were present. This long-distance migration highlights the spatial extent to which the recovery of the cutthroat impacts Yellowstone.

While models and monitoring point to positive trends, a panel of expert fishery scientists in May 2019, estimated that a minimum of five more years of effort is needed to reach the lake trout population goal of below 100,000. They also emphasized that lake trout cannot be completely eradicated with current techniques and will continue to require annual removal and monitoring into the future.

Yellowstone fishery biologists continue to explore alternatives to gillnetting that will augment lake trout suppression, increase efficacy and reduce costs. For example, over the last few years, biologists tested a method to suppress the population by killing lake trout eggs on spawning sites. One technique involved placing plant-based organic pellets on spawning sites to facilitate decomposition and loss of dissolved oxygen. This method killed eggs within two days. Since the results are promising, the park intends to expand the technique in the future. Yellowstone has invested more than $20 million over the past two decades on this recovery effort. Much of that funding has come from the generosity of donations through Yellowstone Forever.

The park will never completely eradicate lake trout but the return on investment is the ecological restoration of Yellowstone cutthroat trout, sustainable angling and a chance to glimpse a river otter, osprey or bear catching a cutthroat, said Todd Koel, leader of Yellowstones Native Fish Conservation Program.

Visit nps.gov/yell/learn/management/native-fish-conservation-program.htm to learn more.

See more here:

Yellowstone makes progress to reduce non-native lake trout - Explore Big Sky

This article supported by Los Angeles Bicycle Attorney as part of a general sponsorship package. All opinions in the article are that of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of LABA. Click on the ad for more information.

The city of L.A. is making progress on three new L.A. River bike/walk bridges that SBLA last reported on in August. There are three new pedestrian bridges currently under construction, all in the relatively natural eight-mile-long Glendale Narrows stretch of the river through Northeast Los Angeles.

The La Kretz bridge is located in North Atwater, connecting that community to the river bike path on the west bank. The bridge is designed to carry pedestrians, cyclists, and equestrians. The bridge provides a safe equestrian connection to Griffith Park via an existing tunnel under the 5 Freeway.

Construction was anticipated to be completed this year. The citys Bureau of Engineering posted pictures of people riding horses there (for load testing) in October. Though there are still fences preventing the public from accessing the new facility, construction appears complete and north-south travel on the bikeway has been fully reopened. A grand opening should take place any day now.

As part of the citys retrofit of the historic Glendale-Hyperion Bridge, a new pedestrian bridge is being added just downstream atop the old Red Car pier walls.

Construction there just got underway in April, and the cross-river span is already in place, with construction still in progress on each end. The existing south bank river bike path remains passable during construction.

The third bridge is located in Elysian Valley, near the end of Altman Street. That bridge will connect Elysian Valley to Cypress Park, and the planned large-scale river revitalization at Taylor Yard. Construction there broke ground in June and is expected to be complete in 2021.

Construction is not that far along, though it has closed off a portion of the walk/bike path though Elysian Valley. Detour signage is posted directing cyclists to neighborhood streets, though many pedestrians and cyclists chose to walk on the sloped channel wall below the closed area.

The city of Glendale is planning a fourth bridge nearby, designed to connect Glendale to the L.A. River path and to Griffith Park. That bridge will be accessible via Glendales existing walk/bike path located on the north bank north of the 134 Freeway. As part of a rail grade separation project, Metro is finalizing designs for two connective bridges that will facilitate walk/bike access from Glendale.

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Eyes on the Street: Progress on Three New Walk/Bike/Horse Bridges over L.A. River - Streetsblog Los Angeles

In the last decade, we have seen 28 countries worldwide pass same-sex marriage laws from Portugal, Iceland and Argentina in 2010, to Austria, Costa Rica and Taiwan in 2019. There has been a raft of other pieces of right-based legislation passed into law, from adoption rights to outlawing hate speech and hate crimes.

In the last decade we have witnessed legislative progress on disability rights too. The most significant is the 2011 newAmericans with Disabilities Act mandating increased accessibility requirements for recreational facilities as well as standards of service provision.

In the US, about 15 million Americans identify as LGBTQ+ whereas there are 40 million people living with a disability. In terms of volume, the bigger minority has made less progress. In the minds of many businesses and governments LGBTQ+ is not a cost line item, whereas they view disability as a significant budget commitment.

However, legislation is only the start. Its been the shift in cultural attitudes that has seen greater inclusion of LGBTQ+ people than ever before. And the lack of shift that has left many disabled people out in the cold.

LGBTQ+ change has been cultural, disability legislative

How do we witness cultural change? When Casey Stoney, the Captain of the England Womens football team, came out as lesbian, it was a major milestone for straight people supporting a gay role model. When Ireland voted by a huge majority tolegalise same-sex marriage, it was the first country in the world to do so by a referendum. When Prince William appeared on the front cover of gay magazine,Attitude, stating that no one should be bullied because of their sexuality, it was another landmark moment. In Pete Buttigieg we now have an openly gay man running to be American President.

We havent yet seen such a cultural shift in attitudes towards disability.

A lot of change surrounding disability has been resisted, rather than embraced, such as captioning requirements for broadcast video and, since 2014, internet-based businesses also. Its been the law, rather than culture that has led the way, for example the 2010 Rosa's Law, which changed references in many US federal statutes that referred to "mental retardation" to make them refer, instead, to "intellectual disability". Barack Obama renamed White Cane Safety Dayas Blind Americans Equality Day. It was left to the UN and World Health Organisation to release a joint international statement eliminating forced, coercive and otherwise involuntary sterilization.

Horns and halo effect

This divergence between culturally led LGBTQ+ advancement and legislatively driven disability stalling has partly become a self-fulfilling prophecy. We can understand it in terms of the horns and halo effect. When we come to regard something as positive, we can see subsequent tropes in its image as positive a halo effect. Conversely, when we remain fearful or ignorant of something, we can be subject to the horns effect.

For example, the more LGBTQ+ inclusion becomes normalised the more straight people want to include. The longer disability appears segregated, the harder it remains for non-disabled people to include. It was only in 2006 that countries started to adopt the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Whilst the CRPD has now been ratified by 163 countries, the cultural change is in many cases yet to start.

Much of the disability legislation still focuses on fundamental basic rights. For example, the launch of the UN Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies aims to allow everyone to simply communicate with each other.Many of the LGBT rights passed such as permitting the celebration of civil partnerships in religious buildings in the UK are great but these buildings often remain physically inaccessible for disabled people, essentially leaving the door shut to some while opening it for others. One of the more recent high-profile disability issues to hit the US media has been emotional support pets on flights. For many, this just fuels the horns effect.

Future cultural change

LGBTQ+ progress has not come without backlash. In 2016, 49 people were killed and 53 people injured after agunman opened firein the LGBT nightclub Pulse, in Orlando. In Chad homosexuality was criminalized in 2017 and in many countries laws are being brought in to respond to a perceived (or invented) homosexual agenda. Disability has suffered backlash before its progress has really come to fruition. Part of this is to do to the horns and halo effect, part due to perceived cost.

The next frontier is how, to use the British PMs new phrase, we can level up. How we can ensure the diversity of all of us can be advanced. This is going to require more legislation. But moreover, its going to rely on contact between different people, easier and harder in a digital age, and above all its going to require leadership.

Next year is the Tokyo Paralympic Games. If it can build on the tangible progress from Beijing in 2008, London in 2012 and Rio in 2016 we will see significant improvements in accessibility, visibility and inclusion. UK broadcasters are going to make 2020 a year of disability to increase positive representation on screen. Hollywood is getting with the program and supporting, Lights, Camera, Access! an initiative to increase disabled representation in mainstream culture. If we can secure more cultural buy in, the legislation may finally be built upon to improve the quality of life for all of us.

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Divergent Diversity: Why Has LGBTQ+ Achieved Such Progress And Disability Hasnt? - Forbes