‘The reaction was brutal’ – Beckham thankful social media was not around after 1998 World Cup red card – Goal.com

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The former England star became one of the most hated men in the country after kicking out at Diego Simeone in the round of 16 loss to Argentina

David Beckham has spoken about the importance of being open about your mental stateafter recalling the vilification he went through after the 1998 World Cup.

England were eliminated at the last-16 stage by Argentina, after Beckham was sent off for kicking out at Diego Simeone after being fouled by the now-Atletico Madrid manager.

Beckham turned from media darling to one of the most hated men in England. He received death threats, an image of a Beckham effigy hanging outside a pub found infamy, while the Mirrors headline of 10 Heroic Lions, One Stupid Boy was followed by a David Beckham dartboard.

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Then at Manchester United, Beckham recovered his reputation to once again become one of the worlds most popular sports stars,butlooking back, he is grateful social media hadnt yet been invented to amplify the experience.

I made a mistake in 98 and the reaction at the time was pretty brutal, Beckham said as part of the Mentally Healthy Football declaration from the Heads Up campaign.

If social media was around when I was going through that time, it would have been a whole different story, but I was lucky, I had a support system within Manchester United, the manager, and obviously family.

Did I feel it was ok at the time to go to someone and say I need help? No, because it was a different era, and I just felt that I had to keep it all in and deal with it myself. Whereas now Im the one preaching to my kids and to other kids that I talk to out there that its really important to talk.

We all know now that its ok not to be ok, and its ok to say that. Its ok to come out and say, I need help.

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti is also part of the Heads Up campaign, and he says he has seen welcome signs of change from players in recent years.

He said: In my experience, it is really rare that players come to you and say, Mentally Im not good.

Its changing in the past few years. I hope that this is going to [continue to] change because it is a really important aspect.

It is really important for the relationship you are able to build with the players. Its really important the club is able to build an environment where the players feel comfortable, safe and feel they can explain their thoughts without a problem.

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'The reaction was brutal' - Beckham thankful social media was not around after 1998 World Cup red card - Goal.com

McGrath is delighted to have three fixtures at ‘Fortress Chelmsford’ – Gazette

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HEAD coach Anthony McGrath is delighted the Bob Willis Trophy fixtures present Essex with three of their five games in the one-off, red-ball mini-series at 'Fortress Chelmsford'.

The double champions of 2019 kick-off the truncated season with back-to-back home games, starting when they entertain Kent at The Cloudfm County Ground on Saturday, followed by the visits of Surrey a week later and Middlesex in the final Southern Group match in early September.

To have three of the games at home, given that we won all seven in the Championship here last year, will suit our attack, especially when youve got Simon Harmer and the seamers, said McGrath.

We werent sure which way it would go with an odd number of matches, so were happy with our lot.

"I think youd prefer to be around your home surroundings rather then going away in the first couple of games.

Hopefully with us having been practising at Chelmsford for the last three weeks, it will give us a little bit of one up on the opposition.

But given the circumstances, were just fortunate weve got some cricket; a few months ago we didnt think wed have anything.

"Everyone is excited to get going on Saturday and we dont really mind where were playing as long as theres some cricket.

The Bob Willis Trophy named in memory of the former England captain who died in December replaces the Specsavers County Championship as the four-day format for this summer.

It is split into three regions - North, South and Central - with the two group winners with the most points advancing to a final over five days, starting on October 1.

This unprecedented season will be augmented by ten Vitality Blast T20 group games from August 27 the five home, five away fixtures will be announced in due course with both competitions set to be played behind closed doors.

I feel very sad for the fans, admitted McGrath.

"Its their club as well.

"We want fans to be able to come and enjoy it and create an atmosphere; thats what we all play for.

Its going to be surreal without fans.

"Weve chatted about it during practice days and told the players have a look around. This is what its going to be like on a match day.

"Weve been trying to get their heads around it.

"But, as I say, were just happy to be playing this season and well put up with it.

Its a shame for the cricket-lovers but we want them to be safe.

"However, if there is a way to tune in, whether thats on a radio or via our live streaming service on the website, hopefully they can get their cricket fix that way.

"Fingers crossed by next season well be back to normal and the crowds can return.

There is a certain irony that Kent should be Essexs first competitive opponents since they also provide the opposition for the two-day pre-season friendly which was due to start at Canterbury yesterday.

These type of coincidences tend to happen, dont they? said McGrath.

But it doesnt really matter; its just more practice.

"Were going to take a squad of 14 to 15 to Kent and weve agreed that, weather permitting, well bat one day, theyll bat the other.

"Well try and get as many players on the field and rotate, so bowlers can have a bowl and batters can have a bat.

"Then well see how the guys are before the final selection of the XI a few days later.

The Bob Willis Trophy campaign also includes back-to-back trips to Sussex, first to face the eponymous county at Hove, then on to Arundel to meet Hampshire at their temporary base while the Ageas Bowl provides a bio-secure environment for England matches.

The ECB also confirmed on Friday morning that a regionalised women's domestic competition will be played this summer, featuring the eight teams from the new Women's Elite Domestic Structure.

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McGrath is delighted to have three fixtures at 'Fortress Chelmsford' - Gazette

Bradford: Why it was so uncomfortable watching these Red Sox – WEEI

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Remember Friday night, when it seemed like the Red Sox had it all figured out. Well, they didn't. Far from it, in fact.

This isn't a reactionary take from watching this team lose two straight to the Orioles, with Sunday's 7-4 defeat serving as the most recent 2.7-game (prorated) slap in the face.

The discomfort stemmed from how Ron Roenicke and his team landed with this 1-2 record. In a nutshell, the Red Sox really, really didn't seem like a group that had gotten their heads around what they're dealing with. You can point to the woe-as-us riteof passage that comes with not having Chris Sale and now Eduardo Rodriguez, leaving the Sox with Nathan Eovaldi and a lot of finger-crossing. But a lot of the misery that we witnessed at Fenway Park was avoidable, even with the roster's current lot in life.

"Yes. No doubt," said Roenicke when asked if these games felt more important now than in normal season. "Its more important now than saying you had a regular season and you know you have six months and maybe you dont play that well for the first month. You know youre still in it. You just need to get hot at some point. Now up through the first month you really cant be down that much. Hopefully well have a good series against the Mets and head out on the road."

The easy first place to point is at Martin Perez and Ryan Weber, the two starters who put the Red Sox in holes they never could dig out from. Perhaps both go on and figure out what ailed them in getting whacked round Saturday and Sunday. Maybe Perez stops nervously pacingin the back of the mound on every pitch with a runner on base. And there is a chance Weber starts putting balls on the ground instead of in the air closer to the clip that won him the No. 3 job.

But the mentality that has gone into constructing this semblance of a starting rotation is at the top of the heap when it comes to the aforementioned discomfort. At some point you have to prioritize track record and stop banking on the whole "if we make an adjustment here and a tweak there we're going to make everyone forget that guy had the highest WHIP in the majors last year" mentality. Sure, you might hit on a few. This is how the likes of Marcus Walden and Ryan Brasier found their way. But the process of uncovering diamonds in the rough doesn't have to take place in the most important stretches of an every-game-counts-a lot season.

When Roenicke sent in Dylan Covey to keep the game within a three-run deficit Saturday it represented a microcosm of this dynamic.

Because of his contractual arrangement, the Red Sox needed to keep Covey on the roster to begin the season even though he hadn't thrown a pitch for his new team in Spring Training 2.0. Chaim Bloom was plucking the pitcher off the waiver wire as one of his many "you-never-knows" even after the pitcherhad done nothing to earn a spot on the team and was coming off an 18-appearance 2019 with the White Sox that resulted in a 7.98 ERA. OK. We get it. Even though Brian Johnson has had major league results when not injured or sick, and had thrown the ball fairly well in both spring trainings,the Red Sox wanted to prioritize the promise of the former first-round pick.

But bringing Covey (who had already beendetermined by the Sox to be sent down well before he stepped on the field Saturday)in when there was still a chance and you had a bullpen chock full of proven commodities? The Red Sox approached this like Spring Training 3.0. There was no other way to look at it.

And then there was the overallapproach taken during these two losses.

Here is the reality: You can't treat these games like ones played in a 162-game season.

For instance ...

- If you have an opportunity to pinch-hit or pinch-run for Kevin Plawecki with two other catchers on the bench, you take that opportunity. Saturday, Roenicke chose not to.

- When the starting pitcher is clearly not missing any bats and note exhibitinggood-enough command while watching the pitch count pile up, you take him out sooner rather than later. Instead with the Red Sox trailing by two heading into the fourth, Weber was left in to surrender a game-changing three-run homer off the bat of Anthony Santander with a boatload of relievers at the ready in the hosts' bullpen. This season, and with these 30-man rosters, you simply can't wait around.

- Rule of thumb: When a player hits a home run -- as Mitch Moreland did Saturday -- he should automatically be in the lineup the next day, regardless of who is pitching. Teams have to prioritize hot streaks over analytics. The Red Sox didn't,sending out Michael Chavis at first base for another series of uncomfortable at-bats while leaving Moreland in the on-deck circle to end the game.And, no, thisisn't apples to apples when Alex Cora expertly rested the likes of Hanley Ramirez and Mookie Betts in days after they hit homers early in the 2018 season. Completely different dynamic and calendar.

- You can't afford to worry about saving pitchers, even if an opener represents the next day's starter. It was striking to not see anyone warming up when Marcus Walden put runners on first and third in the seventh inning and the Red Sox only railing by two. Walden got out of the jam by striking out Renato Nunez to end the inning, but if Nunez had extended the inning you would have had a pitcher on mound trying to still keep things close, living life in a very uncomfortable pitch count and with no sign of a replacement because of the bullpen's inactivity.

- Going back to analytics and matchups ... don't. Prioritize the hot hand. Roenicke pinch-hit the struggling Andrew Benintendi -- who has now struck out in five of his 10 at-bats -- for Kevin Pillar. That was the same Pillar who was 1-for-3 on the day and is hitting .500. Meanwhile, Alex Verdugo was allowed to hit for the final at-bat of the game, which normally would make sense considering he was facing a right-handed reliever. But two innings before Verdugo could be seen seemingly in a lot of discomfort following a ground out, bending and stretching for quite a while. Roenicke said after the game it was diagnosed as cramps. Yet after watching that last at-bat -- when Verdugowas significantly tardy on three straight 93 mph fastballs, including a third and final offering which blew him away -- it hard to believe he was of enough sound body to put the Sox' best foot forward in that spot.

- Down two. Still in the game. Your closer hasn't worked all weekend. Bring him in for the ninth. Instead, Roenicke chose to go with another one of the unknownand unproven in Austin Brice despite the fact Brandon Workman had been warming up. The result was an additional run tagged on by the Orioles in the ninth. Again, this early on with this shortened seasonit would seem prudent to air on the side of some certainty while figuring out the rest in not-so-pivotal situations.

And then there isthe players' approach.

Mental performance coaches should be working overtime this season trying to get these guys' minds right. Rafael Devers is overswinging like never before, chasing Ball 4 three times before striking out to end a threat in the eighth. Benintendi? He has never looked worse. These guys have track records and should be OK. But you can discount the added pressure they are putting on themselves knowing the window to turn things around is so small.

This is perhaps the biggest work-in-progress Red Sox team we have seen, well, in many of ourlifetimes. That's why it'stime to work smarter, not harder. That would make these final 57 games a whole lot easier to digest.

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Bradford: Why it was so uncomfortable watching these Red Sox - WEEI

(Exclusive) Europe’s neo-Nazis: Are they taking cues from America’s Commander-in-Chief? – BuzzFeed zz – BuzzFeedzz

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I describe myself as a white nationalists.

The skinhead before and probably still in.

A homeland had doesn't allow outsiders to appropriate breed To investigate what's motivating america's white national revival.

I went to las vegas.

Away from the bright lights of the strip where anything goes there's another vegas in sprawling suburbs.

And, that's where I come to me a forty six-year-old well they're named keith we agreed not to use his last name for fear of reprisals welcome tomorrow thank you very much key who spent almost a decade in prison describes himself as a prominent member of america's white nationalist movement our main agenda is just to secure the existence of our people and have a future for our children think of what we're talking about we're talking about securing the existence of your children in their future?

How can that be a negative thing do you think america is at its heart a white nation and that is at risk now it's not a white nation anymore it's a multicultural nation but I would say that this nation was founded by white man and?

We've already lost control.

And, quite frankly the statue of liberty doesn't say send us your hateful violent criminals waving their own flags.

Showed me snapshots of his vacations mostly trips to germany what he likes visiting nazi landmarks including adolf hitler's occasional home and headquarters.

The place is so sensitive authorities don't allow visitors to take pictures so won't become a shrinewhoops that's There are many people in the united states who accuse president tribe of being a white nationalist do you think is well I will agrees definitely white and I would agree he's definitely but to put the two together is suggesting that he has some kind of.

Desire to be associated with people like myself.

And, I don't believe that he Nevertheless keith is devoted to president having a national leader who makes common sense decisions that happened to be in line with your own this great.

Certainly makes you feel empowered with trump president is a good time to be a white nationalist in america think it's always a good time to be a white national everywhere.

He told me he was heading back to germany to neo-nazi rock festival very hope to meet and learn from european white action.

Three-quarters of a century ago hitler's nazis pushed across europe.

With their own brand of white nationalism.

While many germans are ashamed of their countries past today's neo-nazis.

Are inspired by the dark history?

They call this heat wrong sometimes right.

As in the nazi third.

I come to germany to see the neo-nazi scene first-hand.

And, to meet teeth just outside the entrance to the hate rock festival at a bar called the golden lion run buying and for neo-nazisare keith and made sure he was dressed vacation there is a lot of symbolism in all of this sothat sign your sock the consumer hammer, and, I got my fourteen boots on each hole represents one of the fourteen words?

The fourteen words yes we must secure the existence of our people on a future for white children would that be like the it is.

He said he likes coming here because he gets to hang out with people who think the same way he does views that have got into trouble back home I don't have those cops all over my boots by chance then somebody from kicking people fighting.

You know, scuffle in but you don't want to get any brawls today a possible absolutely it's possible you think I will have any problem no not at all because you seem civilized community in your caucasians inviting all caucasians just what about non caucasians and I would recommend them to a and that would be probably a bad idea the white nationalist here don't hold back but there are some restrictions under german law because what would happen if you don't know did the nazis so they would come immediately over and righty right it's running yes they would you like to do that I've done it many times I believe it's an open handed salute data brothers signal each other with the show that I have no weapon in my hand and you're my comrade as we ride into battle we signal each other in such a way curious to see this concert hopefully they'll be no, issues the issues there will be Entering a neo-nazi festival is complicated the police set up multiple checkpoints concert goers must pass a breathalyzer test and walk past a handful of bashes protesters.

Cameras were definitely not welcome appreciated.

Everywhere you look they were tattoos and The most popular teachers for sale from a brand called division it's all part of a uniform designed to intimidate and this year there was a new accessory that seemed familiar for giving out hats.

A make germany got that.

The man behind the hats was patrick schroeder who makes a living selling nazi theme clothing and that's with the hand like a like a drunk better but right now this is make germany eight again was our gift to everyone who comes gets the red heads we make it look like party when he was elected to make this rally that's like a donald gas inauguration reality we have a little jokes the people who see it can see we also some kind of fun we the bed versus what the pill everyone?

But, violence is never far below the surface with neo-nazi.

German law prohibits incitement of hatred it's illegal to show tattoos of swath figures so they hide them under band dates.

And, it's why by the time keith arrive he'd removed his favorite steel-toed fourteen hold So, you change.

Yeah, the books are for fight war them here they would probably arrest me and give me some kind of multi thousand-dollar fine because there seem to be weapon they are so they're not they really one, yeah, I mean you get kicked in the face with the parents feel about books what's going to happen, you know, you could kill someone theoretically right what keep it already told me he'd been in a skinhead gang and that been to prison I got it seem like the time it come to find out what he done in the name of white national.

You do have a pretty extensive criminal record idea and it was all my fault I'll lay blame on anybody else's I made the choice to do the things I did in fact he was convicted of solicitation to murder killed some I was involved in kidnapping conspiracy to murder and no, I didn't kill anybody in that particular instance in that particular instance suggests that there was another time when you killed while there's been other times one other shootings occur in about fifteen different and charge on one four separate occasions firing my weapon people at And, the died not really sure.

Keith was eager to change the subject.

And, we settled watch the show moi.

Wasn't long before our cameras were attracting attention again.

Moi and the organizers the aryan brotherhood became anxious that things could get out of hand.

It was time to leave.

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(Exclusive) Europe's neo-Nazis: Are they taking cues from America's Commander-in-Chief? - BuzzFeed zz - BuzzFeedzz

Why MLB athletic trainers are the key to keeping the 60-game season afloat – ESPN

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The Cincinnati Reds hired Geoff Head last offseason to oversee their health-and-performance team, a group of roughly 50 men and women divided into seven departments. He got the job in December, two months later than normal for that type of role. Three months after that, the sport shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic. Three months after that, on June 29, with baseball scrambling to return amid an escalating public health crisis, Head's wife, a nurse practitioner at an at-risk clinic in Mesa, Arizona, tested positive for COVID-19 and passed the virus to the couple's 8-month-old son.

Head, 35, found a Courtyard Marriott nearby and remained there for several days until his wife's symptoms -- frequent chills, excessive vomiting -- began to subside. From there, he flew to Cincinnati, quarantined in the small apartment where he will live in isolation for the rest of the season, and then, on July 12, a little less than two weeks after baseball resumed, he finally joined the rest of his staff -- a staff that was already overworked, in over its head and stretched too thin.

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Head's son quickly got over a sore throat and a raspy voice, but his wife, Zue, still hasn't recovered her sense of smell or taste. She won't join him in Cincinnati until her contract expires at the end of September. In the meantime, Head is worried about the possibility that she might contract the virus again in a hot-spot state, only this time passing it to either her young daughter or her aunt, who's in her 60s, has underlying health conditions and is staying at the house to help with child care. But Head must carry on.

An entire sport -- more accurately, a multibillion-dollar corporation -- can't exist this summer without the overexerted efforts of people like Head and the trainers and physicians they oversee. They're working long hours, taking on roles they never imagined and navigating persistent uncertainty in the face of a pandemic that has claimed nearly 150,000 American lives. Over the past 19 weeks, the Reds' health-and-performance team went through a dizzying amount of work that included accounting for hundreds of employees, reconstructing two facilities, overseeing daily testing and upholding the intricate details of an overwhelming health-and-safety protocol.

It's only the beginning -- and they're far from alone.

"In no way, shape or form was this ever a thought on my radar that something none of us had ever been through in our lifetimes, a global pandemic of this size and scale, would impact the game of baseball in a way that none of us had ever seen before," said Head, who spent the previous dozen years in a multitude of roles with the San Francisco Giants. "There's no way to be fully prepared for that. There's no crash course or formal education that any of us would have gone through specifically in these roles that we're in to be prepared for something like this. You layer that on top of everything, and it has been an incredible challenge. Some days are incredibly stressful and trying. There's a lot of emotions, a lot of highs and lows."

The seasonal flu ravaged the Reds in September of last year, prompting Head to implement a stringent wellness policy featuring many of the protocols that are now crucial to preventing the spread of COVID-19. Players exhibiting symptoms were instructed to call before reporting to the facility. Those who felt sick enough were advised to stay home; those who decided to show up were led into a quarantine room where a doctor awaited. A network of local physicians was built, and an emergency action plan was created for practically every illness.

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Head called it "a crash course in preparing us for what was about to hit us in the face."

The strict protocol helped set the tone for a three-month period when players and staff members would be on their own, relying on self-discipline to remain safe from a virus that quickly engulfed the country. Shortly after Major League Baseball canceled spring training around the middle of March, Head and his team created spreadsheets listing every Reds employee in every capacity, covering something in the neighborhood of 600 people. They divided the list, created a self-reporting questionnaire and made calls each day to ensure they were keeping tabs with everyone, including those in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

For more than three months, from March 12 to June 23, Head believes he averaged six to eight videoconferences per day, ranging from a few minutes to several hours. He and his staff reached out to numerous physicians and epidemiologists throughout the country to begin crafting plans of action. They were in touch with public health officials to get a heads-up on local restrictions in order to begin planning road travel. And they reached out to professional sports leagues in Europe and South Korea for insight on how they navigated COVID-19. There were daily health-and-performance calls, weekly tactical meetings and countless calls with MLB's medical board of advisers -- all with looming uncertainty over whether baseball was even possible in 2020.

The Reds' health-and-performance team began to treat this period like an extended offseason, which meant advising players on ways to remain in shape without access to traditional gymnasiums. Head sent one video of himself filling empty gas cans with water to create 40-pound dumbbells. On another, he rolled duct tape onto the floor of his back patio to show players an easy way to make agility ladders.

In the meantime, the league and the union were involved in contentious disputes over player compensation for a season that would presumably be staged without fans. As talks dragged on, it became clear that the window between a final agreement and the beginning of a second spring training would be too short. Teams needed as much of an advance notice as possible, and so Head and his staff began to receive rough drafts of MLB's health-and-safety plan.

They went to work as soon as possible. Travel was shut down, so Head hopped on FaceTime with local Reds employees as they walked through Great American Ball Park and potential alternate sites to work out the details. They had to designate intake and isolation rooms, plan open-air weight-training facilities and remeasure spaces to establish new occupancy limits that would reliably provide 6 feet of social distancing. Staff members drove to the Reds' minor league affiliates in Louisville, Kentucky, and Dayton, Ohio, before settling on the corporate campus of Prasco Laboratories in Mason, Ohio, a state-of-the-art facility with two fields and major-league-quality amenities.

When the union signed off on MLB's health-and-safety plan on June 23, the Reds had about 90% of the work done.

Head received the initial 101-page operations manual late on a Tuesday night, near the end of an arduous day that began at 6 in the morning on the West Coast. He printed a hard copy and stayed up past midnight running through it with a yellow highlighter and a red pen. In four and a half hours, he had whittled it all down to five and a half pages of bullet points on a Word document. He emailed the cheat sheet to his staff and planned a call for the following morning. Luckily, the final copy didn't stray too far from the earlier versions.

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"I can't imagine if we had been just taking it as downtime and kind of waiting for what the protocols were gonna look like," Head said. "But I guess it's like a reliever getting called into a game on short notice."

The next version of spring training -- eventually branded as "summer camp" -- would begin July 1. It meant seven days of preparation. Early on, Head and his staff designated an Infection Control Prevention Coordinator (ICPC), a person who, as stated in the operations manual, "will monitor and ensure compliance with MLB-mandated health and safety protocols." The task fell on Morgan Gregory, the Reds' minor league strength-and-conditioning coordinator who also boasted an impressive network of epidemiologists, doctors and local government officials. Gregory would become the main point of contact for Head and Steve Baumann, the Reds' head athletic trainer.

"This is also not something that he could've ever prepared for," Head said, "but we have so much support around him that it's not truly just his job."

One of the team's dietitians, Ashley Meuser, worked with the team's chefs to come up with individualized ordering apps because buffets were no longer allowed. All of the players' protein shakes and smoothies were individualized. Signs were placed around practically every touch point throughout the kitchen advising employees to use available sanitizers and wipes. Portable hand-washing sinks were placed next to the dugouts and within every entry point at the two sites. Trainers learned new, less invasive ways to provide daily treatment to athletes.

A lot of healthy debate went into how many members of Head's staff would make up two of the first three tiers, which are practically the only people allowed to access facilities at the field level. MLB allows a maximum of 125 people for Tiers 1 and 2, with up to 60 of them being players and many others encompassing coaches and front-office members. Head ultimately added 20 from his staff -- one ICPC, three athletic trainers, one physical therapist, two massage therapists, one Pilates instructor, two physicians, two strength-and-conditioning coaches, two team dietitians, two mental-skills coaches and four additional strength coaches and athletic trainers for the alternate site.

The approach to testing was a far more difficult dilemma.

"We had to have a lot of discussions about how much we care about our society, not just our Reds players and staff," Head said. "Your immediate concern goes to players and staff, but there's a national shortage on test kits. We did not want to be an organization that said, 'Hey, we're above any single human being on this planet and we want to commandeer and hold hostage a bunch of tests for any what-if scenarios just to protect ourselves.' So that was challenging because there's a lot of fear. There's a lot of, rightfully so, people being very anxious about potentially having something and wanting to get tested then and there. The truth of the matter was that there's people in the society, in at-risk populations in the society, that needed it so much more. So our organizational stance was paying reverence to our society more so than to ourselves."

Comprehensive Drug Testing, a third-party company being utilized by MLB this season, is tasked with collecting and shipping samples. But there have been instances when a symptomatic person emerged on a day when CDT was not scheduled to visit, prompting Reds trainers and physicians to put on personal protective equipment and administer tests themselves, essentially thrusting themselves into the front lines.

Results of PCR tests, administered every other day to asymptomatic players, are typically available on a master spreadsheet delivered via email. The Reds, Head said, have been receiving those results within about 36 hours, illustrating the prevalent threat of asymptomatic carriers inadvertently spreading the virus throughout a ballpark. It's why diligence with social distancing and mask-wearing are so vital.

"Competitive advantage for organizations is how stringent, how creative you are in health-and-safety protocols," Head said. "But then also how much buy-in and how much communication do you have from your players in that process to want to be inspired to follow those health-and-safety protocols to the T, because I think there's some variance there around the league."

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Head woke up Tuesday morning to realize that half of the Reds' test results were missing. It was 7 a.m., and players were scheduled to begin arriving at Great American Ball Park in about five hours for their first exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers. Head and his staff scrambled to call anybody they knew at the commissioner's office in New York City, who would then connect with the lab in Salt Lake City to track down the missing samples and run them as a top priority.

Through this experience, the Reds' staff learned new ways to track samples more closely. Doing so, however, required a staff member -- already working up to 14 hours a day -- waking up in the middle of the night on the East Coast to follow up. The hope is that MLB's second testing lab out of Rutgers University eliminates that need.

"I think everybody's doing as much as they can -- MLB, the labs, the teams," Head said. "It's not on anyone's plate. It's just with the enormity of this task, to pull off a healthy and safe season, something none of us have ever gone through before, there's gonna be hurdles and challenges that we all have to be in for, specifically for medical and health and performance staffs. It puts a whole lot of added stress on us."

The Reds remain in a state of controlled chaos. Their health-and-performance staff has been setting the tone for this season since before the novel coronavirus threatened to make its way into the U.S. They have worked relentlessly for more than four months, putting in countless late nights and early mornings while consistently stretching outside of their comfort zones. Their players have bought in to the protocols. And yet -- trouble always seems near, with no letup in sight.

Said Head: "It's been an immense, immense process."

Games, however unconventional they might seem, are the only respite. The first one came last Sunday, in the form of a run-of-the-mill intrasquad scrimmage. For a couple of hours, Head allowed himself to get lost in it. Suddenly, if only briefly, everything felt normal.

It offered hope.

"We had a home squad and a road squad, the players got to pick their lineups, we played eight innings, and it felt like real baseball," Head said. "The players were screaming for each other and supporting each other, really getting into the competition of it, and that was a breath of like, 'Yeah, we can do this. This is awesome.'"

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Why MLB athletic trainers are the key to keeping the 60-game season afloat - ESPN

IPL 2020: Emirates Cricket Board waits for India government nod to ‘ink the final deal’ with BCCI | ESPNcricinfo.com – ESPNcricinfo

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The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) is waiting for the formal nod from the Indian government to "ink the final deal" with the BCCI, after receiving an official letter of intent from the Indian board for hosting the 2020 edition of the IPL.

"Should get it [the permission]," as the IPL Governing Council chairman Brijesh Patel told ESPNcricinfo recently, the two boards have "fully mobilised and have instigated discussions with the relevant authorities, including their respective internal working-committees" to host the tournament between September 19 and November 10, Mubashshir Usmani, ECB secretary-general, said in a statement on Monday.

"There are many factors which influence the operations and logistics of hosting what is the world's most exciting, popular and lucrative [cricket] tournament. This is a massive movement of people and equipment and we now need to bring in the experts to discuss all aspects of UAE hosting the IPL," Usmani said. "This includes the Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah Sports Councils, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah Tourism Bodies and the respective Government entities - such as the Police Forces and the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, all who have had strong, proven experience in such activities and we will work together to ascertain the best practices to support and deliver on a successful edition."

ALSO READ: IPL 2020: 'Will be slightly easier to monitor ACU activity in the UAE,' says Ajit Singh

It's not a completely new experience for the ECB, as the first 20 games of the 2014 edition were held in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah because of the Indian general elections. This time, of course, the presence of Covid-19 has added a different dimension to the organisation.

"Firstly, we are extremely pleased with how the UAE government responded to the virus, which was as early as February and we continue to see encouraging numbers across the country - in decreasing cases and increasing recoveries," Usmani said. "Secondly, we will fully support any requirements stipulated by the relevant Health Authorities in regards to Covid-19 safety measures and management.

"We have a sound, solid understanding of what is required, and to whom we need to consult and engage with from this early stage through to close of the tournament. UAE boasts some of the best practice facilities and stadia in the world across three-Emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah), which we are confident will be more than adequate to support the eight-team tournament."

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Andrew Strauss: Stuart Broad is still at the top of his game | ESPNcricinfo.com – ESPNcricinfo

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Stuart Broad is currently bowling as well as at any time in his career, according to former England captain, Andrew Strauss.

Broad will go into the final day of the Test series against West Indies requiring one more wicket to become just the seventh man - and fourth seamer - in history to claim 500 Test wickets.

But while Broad is now aged 34 and has been omitted from the team several times in recent months, Strauss believes his competitive spirit has pushed him to new heights over the last year or two. Determined to prove he is still worth his place in England's first-choice team, Broad has produced several incisive spells, including a burst of 3 for 1 in the second Test that revived a game that appeared to be heading towards a draw, then eight wickets so far in the third - featuring a run of six in seven overs across two innings - which has given England an opportunity to win the series.

"I honestly don't believe Stuart Broad has bowled much better than this," Strauss said from Emirates Old Trafford on Monday, where rain washed out the fourth day's play. "There were a couple of years where perhaps he lost his wrist a bit and it was hard work for him bowling to right-handers. But in this series he seems to be equally potent against left- and right-handers.

"But when we look at all of his attributes. you can talk about his height and pace; it's actually his competitiveness and we have seen this year. He is at his best when he has something to prove. He's had the bit between his teeth in these last two Test matches and that has served him particularly well over the course of his career."

ALSO READ: Openers prove old virtues can work for new England

Strauss's words are largely supported by the statistics. Not only is Broad England's leading wicket-taker in this series - he's taken his 14 wickets at a cost of just 10.50 apiece - but he was also his side's leading wicket-taker in the Ashes and the series against South Africa. Over the last 12 months, his 62 Test wickets have cost 20.58 each.

While Strauss, who is currently chair of the ECB's cricket committee, admits he didn't predict quite such success when he first saw Broad, he was confident he had the qualities to enjoy a "long-term England career."

"I remember the first time I played with him was in an England Lions game," Strauss said. "He was very young at the time. Probably 20 years of age and fast making a reputation for himself in the county game.

"And I remember a T20 finals day where he bowled brilliantly at Ronnie Irani. There was obvious talent and he was comfortable on the big stage and delivering under pressure.

"When I saw him it was clear he had most of the assets you needed as a fast bowler: quick enough at 80-85 mph, obviously a lot of height and an ability to swing ball away from right-hander. He also had real knack of getting wickets with not great balls which was a good knack to have.

"But there have been so many bowlers whose star has shone for a year or two then either they have been worked out or their confidence has deserted them and they've been cast aside.

"I don't think anyone could have predicted he would take 500 Test wickets, but I do think people thought he had the potential to have a long-term England career."

Although Strauss welcomes the emergence of other viable bowling options for England, he suggested it would be an error to move on from either Broad or James Anderson prematurely.

"We write them off at our peril," Strauss said. "So let's not be in a hurry to pension them off, because they have both got a lot more to offer England. We need to savour and appreciate and enjoy every time that those two bowl together in an England shirt.

"At the same time, it's really healthy there's competition for places and some of these young guys are putting their hands up and showing they are ready to play international cricket. From a selector's points of view, it is a great position to be in."

Meanwhile, the Ruth Strauss Foundation announced that donations during the game had surpassed 650,000. The foundation was set up by Strauss in memory of his wife who died from a rare form of cancer. Strauss thanked the "entire cricket family" for its support and said he was "blown away" by the amount of money raised in such a challenging economic environment.

Anyone wanting to donate should visit: http://www.ruthstraussfoundation.com

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Andrew Strauss: Stuart Broad is still at the top of his game | ESPNcricinfo.com - ESPNcricinfo

Will The German Car Giants Ever Catch Tesla? – Forbes

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Its becoming a bit of a clich to say that Tesla TSLA has a lead on its competitors. But when the CEO of Audi Markus Duesmann claims his company is years behind its American rival, it makes you wonder if they can ever make up the distance. Although Audis e-tron electric SUV has been a popular seller, driving it back-to-back with Teslas Model X is very informative about exactly where both companies strengths lie. Overall, the comparison doesnt look good for Audi.

Tesla's cars have clear technological advantages over their German competitors. (Photo by Yichuan ... [+] Cao/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

In the UK, the e-tron is quite a bit cheaper, starting at 60,650 ($77,500) where the Model X begins at 82,980 ($106,000). But in the US the e-tron is about the same price as it is in the UK, whereas the Model X Long Range is $84,990. If youre in the market for a luxury SUV, the price difference might not be so important, and its not that much in America anyway. What you get for your extra money is, though, and as Audis Duesmann points out, the most significant factor is range. The basic e-tron has a 71kWh battery, 30% less than the Model Xs 100kWh. But its WLTP range is just 190 miles, where the Model X Long Range has a 314-mile WLTP rating. So the Audi has around 60% the range of the Tesla from 70% as much battery. The difference is not just because the Model X has more batteries, it also gets more mileage out of them. The more expensive e-tron 55 Quattro has 95kWh of batteries, yet still only offers 271 miles of WLTP range.

One of the reasons for this is the aerodynamics of the two cars. Despite being a massive SUV, the Model X has a drag coefficient of 0.25, where the e-trons is 0.28. Both are good, when you consider that a Porsche 911 has a drag coefficient of 0.29, but the Model X has a major edge. The greater battery quantity is worth noting, too, when you sit inside a Model X and wonder where Tesla has actually put them all. Duesmann agrees that that is an area where Tesla has an engineering lead. The e-tron is resolutely a five-seater, while the Model X has six- and seven-seat options, plus a much bigger luggage space if you drop the rear seats down. It can tow 2.3 tons too, compared to the e-trons 1.8.

Audi's e-tron has won some popularity, but it lags behind the Tesla Model X in key specifications. ... [+] (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Audi)

Most car enthusiasts will agree that Tesla interiors are a bit bleak compared to their German competitors. There are precious few discrete button controls for things like the air conditioning, with virtually everything operated via the central LCD panel. The general sense of luxury is lower, too, with Audis, BMWs and particularly Mercedes having a much greater sense of attention to detail in the seating designs and fit and finish. Tesla also has a controversial reputation for quality control, and came tenth from bottom in a recent used car reliability survey in the UK.

Whichever Tesla Model X you buy, though, it will be faster than the e-tron, both to 60mph and in top speed. The e-tron tends to understeer and you can feel all of its 2.5-ton weight, whereas the Model X weighs around the same but somehow manages to handle much more nimbly. If you look at the Mercedes alternative, the EQC, the differences are similar. Its about the same price as the e-tron, but with similar deficiencies in range, interior space, towing capacity, handling and performance, albeit enjoying an interior design that many would prefer over the Model Xs.

The battery placement within the Tesla Model X chassis leaves room for loads of interior space. ... [+] (Photo by Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images)

Tesla isnt resting on its battery laurels, either. Weve already discussed how Tesla is already looking towards the next generation of Cobalt-free battery technology, but the company has also been great at making deals with battery manufacturers, such as the recently announced expansion of its joint venture with Panasonic to three years. The Cobalt-free batteries are rumored to be part of a deal with Chinese battery maker CATL.

To explain Teslas lead as coming mostly from its battery advantage would be wrong, however. Jack Dolan of A2Mac1 reckons its no individual advantage that gives Tesla the lead, but the combination of lots of factors. A2Mac1 is a global company that takes apart new vehicles from every manufacturer and builds a database of how they are put together, which major carmakers around the world subscribe to. So A2Mac1 knows a thing or two about what some cars do better than others. Everything from battery density to how the dashboard instruments are attached to a crossbar give Tesla cars incremental benefits. Nikkei Business Publicationss teardown of the Model 3 has also claimed to find electronics that was at least six years ahead of what a major Japanese automaker could achieve in self-driving.

BMW only just officially announced the iX3, its first electric SUV. (Photo credit should read ... [+] NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP via Getty Images)

All of these advantages stem from one prime mover. Tesla took electric cars seriously when the German manufacturers were still putting all their motor design eggs in the diesel basket, because they thought CO2 emissions were the biggest problem. Then it turned out NOx particulates were an issue as well, and they had been massaging their CO2 figures anyway. Only once they realized their mistakes did they decide that they needed an EV strategy as well. Audi may have five different EV platforms to choose from, but the company has only been producing pure EVs for a couple of years, and VWs much-anticipated ID.3 just became available to order a few days ago. BMWs may have been launched its i3 in 2014, but has taken its eye off the ball since then and only just recently announced its first electric SUV, the iX3.

Overall, then, Tesla is ahead because it has been building mainstream EVs for longer than other car manufacturers and taken a more bullish stance on driving the market in new directions. The German automakers are still hedging their bets with hybrids and plug-in hybrids alongside pure electric vehicles, clinging onto internal combustion engines for as long as they can. They have lots of manufacturing history and huge capacity, but as the market shifts towards electric, a lot of what they were good at will become less relevant, and they may never catch Tesla. Thats why Teslas shares tripled in value over the last year, and theyre still going up. The investment community can see which direction things are headed.

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Will The German Car Giants Ever Catch Tesla? - Forbes

Tesla On A ‘Hiring Spree’ In China As It Readies For Model Y Production: Report – Benzinga

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Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) has launched a large recruitment drive in China as it prepares to manufacture the Model Y vehicle at its Shanghai factory, Reuters reportedlate Monday.

The electric vehicle maker is hiring both designers and factory workers, according to job posts seen by the newswire.

Tesla is reported to have posted the jobs on its human resources departments WeChat account and is hiring designers in China for the first time, though the company didn't say how many it planned to hire.

The Palo Alto-based automakersaid in January it wanted to open a research and design center in the country to make Chinese-style cars.

Tesla is also looking to hire 600 workers for its assembly plant in Shanghai, a local government job posting revealed. It's hiring another 150 workers for quality checks, 200 for logistics, and 20 for security.

The Elon Musk-led EV maker is planning to construct facilities to make the Model Y SUV in China and the hiring is in relation to those plans, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

In March, Tesla advertised to hire solar project managers for the expansion of its energy business on the Chinese mainland.

Wedbush Analyst Daniel Ives estimated this monththat Teslas growth in China is worth at least $400 per share and EV penetrationwould ramp up significantly over the next 12 to 18 months.

The companysold 15,000 Model 3 vehicles in China in June and 11,000 in May.

Tesla shares closed 8.65% higher at $1,539.60 on Monday and added another0.2% in the after-hours trading.

2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Nike Taps Former Tesla Executive as Its New Diversity Chief – Bloomberg

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Nike Inc. promoted a former Tesla Inc. executive to become its new head of diversity, turning to a Black veteran of Silicon Valley to help make the sportswear giant more inclusive.

Felicia Mayo, who worked at Tesla Inc., Juniper Networks Inc. and Oracle Corp. before joining Nike last year, will take the title of chief talent, diversity and culture officer, the company said Monday in an emailed statement. Kellie Leonard -- who had served as Nikes chief diversity and inclusion officer, a slightly different title -- is stepping down.

Chief Executive Officer John Donahoe has said the company aspires to be a leader in building a diverse, inclusive team and culture. Though Nike is known for sponsoring Black athletes and appealing to Black consumers, it has fallen short of its ideals internally, he said in a memo to employees last month.

What I have learned is that many have felt a disconnect between our external brand and your internal experience, said Donahoe, who became CEO in January. You have told me that we have not consistently supported, recognized and celebrated our own Black teammates in a manner they deserve. This needs to change.

Leonard, an 18-year veteran of Nike, is leaving to pursue other interests, the company said. We thank Kellie for her many contributions to the brand and her leadership.

When she was named to the job in 2018, becoming Nikes first chief diversity officer, the company was working to change its male-dominated culture after complaints of bullying and sexist behavior by executives. In recent months, addressing racial injustice has become a growing priority.

When we say that Black Lives Matter, it applies to the world outside of Nike and, importantly, it applies to our Black teammates within Nike, Donahoe, a longtime tech executive before taking the reins at Nike, said in the June memo. Simply put, we need to hold ourselves to a high standard given the heritage of our company and our brand.

The Financial Times previously reported on Mayos appointment, saying Donahoe described the change as a structural shift focused on providing equal access to opportunity for all employees. At Tesla, Mayo served as head of diversity. She joined Nike last year as a vice president of human resources, according to her LinkedIn page.

Last month, Nike also turned Juneteenth, a date set aside to celebrate the end of slavery in the U.S., into a paid company holiday.

(Updates with details on title in second paragraph.)

Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal.

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Nike Taps Former Tesla Executive as Its New Diversity Chief - Bloomberg

Watch Out, Tesla: BMW Is Racing Ahead With Its Electric Vehicle Plans – The Motley Fool

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Accelerating its push into the electric vehicle (EV) market, BMW (OTC:BAMX.F) announced Monday that it will have 25 electric models -- half of them fully electric -- on the market by 2023. Of particular note in the announcement was the revelation that the German automaker will be manufacturing a fully electric version of its 5 Series, though it didn't indicate when consumers can expect to see them in showrooms. Looking farther into the future, BMW stated that "In ten years, the goal is to have a total of more than seven million electrified BMW Group vehicles on the roads around two thirds of them with a fully electric drive train."

The company's move to expand its EV lineup reflects its increasing focus on sustainability. Over the next decade, for example, BMW is targeting an overall carbon dioxide reduction per vehicle of at least one third. "This new strategic direction will be anchored in all divisions from administration and purchasing to development and production, all the way to sales," CEO Oliver Zipse stated. "We are taking sustainability to the next level."

Image source: BMW.

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) already has been facing the prospect of higher competitive pressures from private companies like Lucid Motors and Fisker, as well as from recent IPO Nikola (NASDAQ:NKLA), which is coming closer to starting production of its Tre and Two models. But news of BMW's plans should serve as a reminder to investors that it's not only start-ups that represent a potential threat to Tesla -- industry stalwarts also have plans to grab shares of the electric vehicle market.

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Watch Out, Tesla: BMW Is Racing Ahead With Its Electric Vehicle Plans - The Motley Fool

Tesla Van With Camping & SpaceX Packages Brings It All Together Could It Replace Your Home? – CleanTechnica

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July 26th, 2020 by Paul Fosse

After Elon Musk mentioned that Tesla was working on a couple more vehicles, a compact car and high capacity vehicle, my mind started to race about how this van-like vehicle could use all of the technologies that Elon has mentioned in various interviews. First, lets cover the basics that Im 99% sure the vehicle will have. I got some of these ideas from one of my Cybertruck articles. After that, Ill take things in a little different direction than our previous Tesla Cybervan article.

Now, just out of that box, it would be a very desirable vehicle for those with large families or for operating a large-capacity robotaxi or intercity shuttle. Just as a base vehicle, it could sell up to a million a year, as people (especially Americans) like a vehicle that can haul their belongings and tow their toys. The Off Road Edition adds the following features:

The Camping and Home Office option would have the following features:

Those options would mean it can replace a house for many people. You would need a place to park your van, but it doesnt really need any hookups for water, power, or sewage like a traditional RV. I listed a $99 a month charge for HOA for the fee to park it somewhere. This is much less than RV parks charge, but since it needs fewer hookups, RV parks would have to lower their prices for Tesla Vans. Instead of buying a car and a house, you could buy this van and use it as your home and car.

The Tesla Cybervan would also be designed to navigate in the tunnels built around the world by The Boring Company to avoid the heavy traffic in many urban environments. For longer distance travel, you could take your Cybervan on a HyperLoop tunnel at about 600 MPH or on a SpaceX Starship to go anywhere on the globe in about 30 minutes.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Option really adds some far-out capabilities. With this option, you can load it into a SpaceX Starship and it will be airtight so you can take your vehicle to the moon or Mars. It will have air locks so you can get in and out of the vehicle. This version will cost a lot more and not have the regular doors since you couldnt use them in those harsh environments.

Ive had a lot of fun speculating about how the Cybervan could combine the features of the HVAC system, The Boring Company tunnels, SpaceX Starlink internet service, HyperLoops, and SpaceX Starships for Earth, Moon and Mars targeted flights. What do you think I got right or wrong? What ideas do you have for the Tesla Cybervan?

Appreciate CleanTechnicas originality? Consider becoming aCleanTechnica member, supporter, or ambassador or a Patreon.

Tags: HVAC, Octovalve, SpaceX, Starlink, Tesla, Tesla Cybervan, Tesla Vans

Paul Fosse A Software engineer for over 30 years, first developing EDI software, then developing data warehouse systems. Along the way, I've also had the chance to help start a software consulting firm and do portfolio management. In 2010, I took an interest in electric cars because gas was getting expensive. In 2015, I started reading CleanTechnica and took an interest in solar, mainly because it was a threat to my oil and gas investments. Follow me on Twitter @atj721 Tesla investor. Tesla referral code: https://ts.la/paul92237

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Is Now The Time To Short Tesla’s Stock? – Benzinga

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Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) shares took another big hit on Friday and are now down 9.8%since the company reported second-quarter earnings on Wednesday. The sell-off has eased some pressure of a short squeeze in the stock that has endured throughout 2020, and some traders are speculating now may finally be the time to short Tesla stock.

The Numbers: Prior to Teslas earnings report, short sellers had endured a $20.9 billion year-to-date mark-to-market loss in their aggregate positions, according to S3 Partners analyst Ihor Dusaniwsky. Teslas meteoric rise has forced a steady short squeeze throughout the year, triggering more than 13.8 billion shares worth of short covering year-to-date.

TSLAs short covering has been relatively consistent throughout the year with only a 2 month stretch of time, in March and April, when short selling increased or remained flat, Dusniwsky said.

However, even after the huge losses and mass exodus of short sellers, Dusaniwsky said Thursday that Tesla still has the single largest outstanding short position of any U.S. stock at around $19.9 billion in short interest.

Kass Going Short: While other short sellers are throwing in the towel, Seabreeze Partners Management president Doug Kass said Thursdayhe initiated a short position in Tesla at $1,642 onafter waiting patiently for an opportunity to short the stock for years.

Kass said Teslas potential inclusion in the S&P 500 is more than reflected in its recent share price.

Tesla, with a market capitalization of over $300 billion, reached profitability by virtue of a heavy dose of regulatory credits, so it was a poor quality report, Kass said of this weeks earnings report.

Kass said Tesla will be facingEV market competition in the years ahead, and the stock is finally easy enough to borrow that short sellers wont bleed to death paying fees.

It is my view that Tesla will trade at $1,000/share before it trades at $2,000/share, Kass said.

Benzingas Take: At this point, Kass call has been spot on with Tesla trading at around $1,432 on Friday. Tesla bears are hoping its S&P 500 eligibility continues to be a textbook example of a buy the rumor, sell the news trade.

Related Links:

What Are EV Regulatory Credits And Why Is Tesla Selling So Many Of Them?

Tesla's Valuation Still 'Appears Overcharged' Following Q2 Earnings

View More Analyst Ratings for TSLA View the Latest Analyst Ratings

2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Is Now The Time To Short Tesla's Stock? - Benzinga

UK: Gambling Addiction Treatment Halted During the Lockdown – GamblingNews.com

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Treatment for people suffering from gambling addiction in the UK have been placed on pause during the months of lockdown, a report by the BBC outlined. Due to the virus outbreak, NHS personnel have been redeployed where they were needed most, jeopardizing the improvement in the treatment of gambling addicts across the country.

The research undertaken by the national media showed that 8 out of 30 members of staff from the two NHSs trusts, the Central & North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) and the Leeds and York Partnership Foundation Trust (LYP), who were dealing with gambling treatment, were moved to different roles without backfill. As a result, the ongoing treatment for 33 people was placed on hold, another 29 waiting for assessment were also paused, while contact was maintained remotely for 78.

This happened during times when data showed a spike in the interest for online gambling, with searches for online casino reportedly hitting an all-time high during the lockdown. Despite the overall drop due to the lack of professional sports, data showed gamblers substituted sports betting with playing online slots, poker, casino and even betting on esports.

Gambling charities have been expressing their concern that vulnerable people are likely to reach out to gambling due to isolation, boredom, personal conflicts and financial insecurities, prompting recovering addicts into relapses. The Gordon Moody Association, a leading gambling addiction charity, pointed out the significant increase in the number of gamblers seeking help, from around 30 a month to nearly 1,000 during the period of lockdown.

The LYP which covers the north of England including north Midlands had 4 of its 18 staff redeployed, a response under the Freedom of Information Act showed. The trust had 25 out 125 people referred not progressed to assessment, with the period from contact to assessment stretching from the usual 14 days to nearly a month.

CNWL, which had previously deployed to work in substance misuse services 12 members of staff, redeployed 4 of them due to more pressing needs arising from the virus outbreak. The trust pointed out it carefully risk-assessed everyone in treatment and on its waiting lists, and only those deemed as low risk were placed on hold. CNWL outlined it kept track of the people whose treatment was halted and offered them a series of pre-treatment therapy groups, while patients who were waiting for treatment were offered information about GamCare.

UK adults who have problems with gambling addiction now have another option to receive help as a new Primary Care Gambling Service opened up in London recently. Besides offering relief for people suffering from gambling-related harm, the NHS-backed service is also looking to train general practitioners to be able to recognize the gambling addiction symptoms in the early stages.

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Illinois Rolled Back In-Person Registration for Online Betting – GamblingNews.com

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Gamblers that want to play online in Illinois now hove to register in-person. This is because the Executive Order which allowed online registration was effective until yesterday, July 26.

Creating an online betting account now must be done in-person in Illinois. From today, July 27, gamblers that want to open an online account must visit one of the states land-based casinos. The measure, which was previously eased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was rolled back.

This happened following Fridays announcement by Governor J.B. Pritzkers office, where some Executive Orders were extended. Executive Order 2020-41 which temporarily suspended the requirement for in-person registry of players who want to bet online was effective through July 26. However, the Order was not extended on Friday. This means that users now must visit a land-based venue in order to register for online betting activity.

Currently, one land-based operator has launched an active online gambling app Rivers Casino Des Plaines. With that in mind, some players will have to travel significant distance if they would want to open up an online betting account. Moreover, this raises a question as to how safe the registration is going to be in-person, considering the post-COVID-19 environment. With that being said, state officials may decide to roll back the relaxed measure given the recent surges in positive COVID-19 cases.

The regulated online gambling market in Illinois was launched in March this year. This was the result of the Sports Wagering Act signed into law by Governor Pritzker back in July 2019. According to the Sports Wagering Act, for the first 18 months, any player that wants to create an online betting account must do so in-person in a land-based property.

With that in mind, amid the growing COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois shut the doors of its casinos. This was an effort by the state to reduce the spread of the respiratory disease. Keeping in mind that the gaming venues were closed, early in June, the Governor introduced the Executive Order 2020-41 which relaxed the measure for in-person registry effectively allowing users to create accounts online.

Later on, from July 1, the gaming venues were allowed to reopen their doors, although operating under reduced capacity. Looking at how the COVID-19 spread has impacted the gaming industry, we can honestly say that the online betting in the state was off to a shaky start. But this is not the only industry affected by COVID-19. Last week, the hospitality industry in the state said that hundreds of thousands of jobs are threatened due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) not going away.

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Bulgarian Legislature Approves the Bill to Abolish Gambling Commission – European Gaming Industry News

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Supplier partners with Croatian market leader

Casino software provider Playson has signed a content distribution agreement with SuperSport, Croatias foremost operator.

The online sportsbook will significantly enhance its casino offering by directly integrating a thrilling set of Playson titles, including Buffalo Power: Hold and Win, Solar Temple and Solar Queen.

The partnership also covers the developers Timeless Fruit Slots and Funky Fruits portfolios, which are likely to perform well in a jurisdiction where classic fruit-themed games resonate with a wide audience.

SuperSport will also benefit from access to Playsons retention-boosting suite of integration-free engagement tools, such as bonus spins and regular tournaments with daily prize drops.

The deal sees Playson further enhance its impressive player reach in regulated markets across the globe, as the games studio continues to go from strength to strength in Europe and beyond.

Blanka Homor, Sales Director at Playson, said: We are thrilled to team up with Croatias most prominent operator in SuperSport, in a move that cements our leading credentials as a premium supplier of quality slots.

With a packed game collection boasting widespread appeal, alongside an engagement toolkit that is proven to drive player retention, were ready to deliver for our latest operating partner.

Tugomil Cerovecki, Online Casino Manager at SuperSport said: Playsons absorbing portfolio is enjoyed by an ever-growing legion of global fans, so we are very pleased to partner with the company.

The providers premium quality games, in particular its Timeless Fruit Slots and Funky Fruits portfolios, will undoubtedly help us to continue standing out in a competitive commercial environment.

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Saxon Shadforth: Philippines have offered a safe space for online gambling – CalvinAyre.com

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Having spent plenty of time in Manila since 2007, its fair to say that Saxon Shadforth, Director of Avalon Marketing Services, is no stranger to the online gaming market in the Philippines. Shadforth took some time out to chat with our Becky Liggero Fontana on the benefits of working from a country that has become a major hub for the online gambling industry.

Shadforth highlighted the rapid growth that had occurred in infrastructure in Manilla since 2007. The first time I went there around 2007/8 was around the time many other serviced focused industries were looking to the Philippines whether it was airlines, banks, financial services or telcos, he explained. The infrastructure evolved quite rapidly and the telecoms infrastructure and the maturity of the talent continued to improve at that time. So I think online gambling has benefited greatly from all the other industries but also has contributed to the improvement of the economy there, and certainly provided opportunities not just for financial reward but for education for many people in the Philippines.

The country offers benefits that one may not find in other areas of Asia. The Philippines does have a good hub of all different types of languages and skillsets than some other cities you might think of, Shadforth said. The Philippines has been the one that has consistently been the one thats tried to put their arms around regulation and making it a safe place for people to work and whether it be foreigners or locals and providing services to an industry that is not viewed as the same in every country that you look at in the region.

However, outsourcing businesses may need to adapt to benefit from the unique office culture in the Philippines. For some of us that have worked in traditional offices that nine to five, its quite a foreign concept to that you know professionals at a senior level will be willing to work from 10 pm to 6am, he said. Many generations of families live together in the Philippines and so, you know its an opportunity for some to spend time with the family. There are many good people not just working in call centre jobs, but there are layers and layers of people with interesting roles that work the evening shift.

In the full interview, Shadforth covers some of the mistakes that European companies have made entering the Asian market and what you can be doing to avoid issues. Also, dont forget to subscribe to the CalvinAyre.com YouTube channel to see every interview we make as it goes up.

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Saxon Shadforth: Philippines have offered a safe space for online gambling - CalvinAyre.com

R3 International Offering New Program for Stem Cell Therapy for Back Pain in Mexico – Yahoo Finance

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The leading stem cell treatment center in Mexico, R3 International, is now offering a new program for stem cell therapy for back pain. The treatments include 30 million stem cells up to 200 million, and start at only $2975.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 27, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The leading stem cell treatment center in Mexico, R3 International, is now offering a new program for stem cell therapy for back pain. The treatments include 30 million stem cells up to 200 million, and start at only $2975.

With close to 9 out of 10 experiencing significant back pain at some point in life, there are millions of individuals who deal with back pain every day. It may be incapacitating, with traditional treatment options often not working exceptionally well. This may include risky narcotics or surgery.

According to R3 CEO David Greene, MD, MBA, "Chronic back pain dampens quality of life, with patients often not being able to work or play with their kids or grandkids. Stem cell treatment with R3 in Mexico is a fantastically effective option for those who want to eliminate pain without surgery or narcotics. It starts at only $2975 too!"

Stem cell therapy for back pain in Mexico at R3 International provides a safe, effective option for patients to alleviate back pain without surgery. Depending on the patient's reason for back pain, treatment may be provided IV, injection, intrathecal or with a combination. Each individual undergoes a free consultation with one of R3's licensed, experienced stem cell doctors who will review medical records and make the treatment suggestion.

Patient satisfaction at R3 Stem Cell International exceeds 87% overall, with treatments being offered for back pain, joint arthritis, Lyme disease, kidney failure, COPD, stroke, neuropathy, Alzheimers, diabetes, Crohns and more. Patients receive an escort from San Diego to the Tijuana clinic, which is only 20 minutes away along with an escort to the treatment and back.

To get set up for a free phone consultation, call (888) 988-0515 and visit https://stemcelltreatmentclinic.com for more information.

SOURCE R3 Stem Cell International

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R3 International Offering New Program for Stem Cell Therapy for Back Pain in Mexico - Yahoo Finance

Stem Cell Therapy Market Research Outlook, Recent Trends and Growth Forecast 2020-2025 – Bulletin Line

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The Stem Cell Therapy report provides independent information about the Stem Cell Therapy industry supported by extensive research on factors such as industry segments size & trends, inhibitors, dynamics, drivers, opportunities & challenges, environment & policy, cost overview, porters five force analysis, and key companies profiles including business overview and recent development.

Stem Cell Therapy MarketLatest Research Report 2020:

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In this report, our team offers a thorough investigation of Stem Cell Therapy Market, SWOT examination of the most prominent players right now. Alongside an industrial chain, market measurements regarding revenue, sales, value, capacity, regional market examination, section insightful information, and market forecast are offered in the full investigation, and so forth.

Scope of Stem Cell Therapy Market: Products in the Stem Cell Therapy classification furnish clients with assets to get ready for tests, tests, and evaluations.

Major Company Profiles Covered in This Report

Gilead,Novartis,Organogenesis,Vericel

Stem Cell Therapy Market Report Covers the Following Segments:

Product Type: Adult Stem Cells, Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESC), Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, Very Small Embryonic Like Stem Cells

Application: Regenerative Medicine, Drug Discovery and Development

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

South America

Center East and Africa

United States, Canada and Mexico

Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy

China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia

Brazil, Argentina, Colombia

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa

Market Overview:The report begins with this section where product overview and highlights of product and application segments of the global Stem Cell Therapy Market are provided. Highlights of the segmentation study include price, revenue, sales, sales growth rate, and market share by product.

Competition by Company:Here, the competition in the Worldwide Stem Cell Therapy Market is analyzed, By price, revenue, sales, and market share by company, market rate, competitive situations Landscape, and latest trends, merger, expansion, acquisition, and market shares of top companies.

Company Profiles and Sales Data:As the name suggests, this section gives the sales data of key players of the global Stem Cell Therapy Market as well as some useful information on their business. It talks about the gross margin, price, revenue, products, and their specifications, type, applications, competitors, manufacturing base, and the main business of key players operating in the global Stem Cell Therapy Market.

Market Status and Outlook by Region:In this section, the report discusses about gross margin, sales, revenue, production, market share, CAGR, and market size by region. Here, the global Stem Cell Therapy Market is deeply analyzed on the basis of regions and countries such as North America, Europe, China, India, Japan, and the MEA.

Application or End User:This section of the research study shows how different end-user/application segments contribute to the global Stem Cell Therapy Market.

Market Forecast:Here, the report offers a complete forecast of the global Stem Cell Therapy Market by product, application, and region. It also offers global sales and revenue forecast for all years of the forecast period.

Research Findings and Conclusion:This is one of the last sections of the report where the findings of the analysts and the conclusion of the research study are provided.

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CAR T-Cell Therapy Offers Potential Solution for Relapse in MCL, But With Toxicity Risk – Targeted Oncology

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Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) accounts for 5% to 10% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) and is commonly diagnosed when a patients disease is in an advanced stage with extranodal involvement, commonly including gastrointestinal mucosa and central nervous system involvement with blastoid variant. Disease relapse among patients with MCL is known to occur after prolonged remission, which leaves an unanswered question among oncologists in the field of how to approach treatment of relapsed MCL.1

In a presentation during the 2020 Debates and Didactics in Hematology and Oncology conference, Amelia A. Langston, MD, professor and executive vice chair, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology; director, Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant Program; and medical director, Winship Cancer Network, at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, explained the issues with treating patients with relapsed MCL and how the integration of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy can be a solution to the problem.

Langston noted that MCL has multiple morphologic variants, including classical disease, aggressive or blastoid disease, and indolent disease. Although it is common for oncologists to treat patients with indolent tumors right after diagnosis, Langston highlighted that a small proportion of those patients do not require immediate treatment.

One method for understanding when to start treatment and to predict how patients with MCL will respond to treatment, is utilizing the MIPIc (Mantle Cell Lymphoma International Prognostic Index) prognostic score. Another method, Langston explained, is through gene expression profiles, karyotype, and mutation analysis, which can identify p53 mutations, NOTCH-1 mutations, complex karyotype, and overall poor prognosis.

The primary treatment for MCL is aggressive induction followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), which has been shown to prolong survival in patients with MCL who are fit for aggressive treatment.

Research by Martin Dreyling, MD, PhD, et al presented in 2005 demonstrated the feasibility of early consolidation with myeloablative radiochemotherapy followed by ASCT. In the study, 62 patients underwent ASCT, and 122 patients received interferon (IFN) alpha. With ASCT, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 39 months with ASCT versus 17 months with IFN-alpha (P = .0108). The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate with ASCT was 83% versus 77% with IFN-alpha (P = .18).2

Data presented at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting in 2009 showed a median OS of 90 months with ASCT compared with 54 months with IFN (P = .034).3

Once patients with MCL relapse, the treatment landscape includes FDA-approved targeted therapies, chemotherapy/immunotherapy combinations, and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. The targeted therapies include Brutons tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors, proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulatory drugs, mTOR inhibitors, venetoclax (Venclexta), as well as combination regimens.

The BTK inhibitor ibrutinib (Imbruvica) at a 560-mg daily dose level has led to an objective response rate (ORR) of 66% with a complete response (CR) rate of 20%, according to a pooled analysis of 3 open-label clinical trials, which were the PCYC1104 (NCT01236391), SPARK (NCT01599949), and RAY (NCT01646021) studies. The analysis included 370 patients with MCL who had a median of 2 prior lines of therapy before receiving ibrutinib. This analysis also showed that more than 1 line of prior therapy, p53 mutations, and blastoid histology were all predictors of poor response to ibrutinib.4,5

Acalabrutinib (Calquence), another BTK inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg twice daily demonstrated efficacy in a single-arm multicenter, phase 2 clinical trial (ACE-LY-004, NCT02213926). The ACE-LY-004 study included 124 patients with a median 2 prior lines of therapy. The ORR achieved with acalabrutinib was 81% (95% CI, 73%-87%) per investigator assessment. The CR rate was 40% (95% CI, 31%-49%).6

In terms of survival, the 12-month PFS rate observed with acalabrutinib was 67% (range, 58%-75%) and the 12-months OS rate was 87% (range, 79%-92%).

The adverse events observed in ACE-LY-004 were considered tolerable and only led to treatment discontinuation in 6% of the study population.

Investigators led by Michael Wang, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, concluded from this study that acalabrutinib holds an important place in the treatment landscape of MCL and induces a high rate of durable responses with tolerable safety.

For combination therapies in the MCL paradigm, ibrutinib plus venetoclax was investigated in a single-arm, multicenter, phase 2 study (AIM, NCT02471391), which enrolled 24 patients with MCL, 23 of whom had relapsed or refractory disease and 1 patient with a p53 mutation who was ineligible for chemotherapy. The median number of prior lines of therapy for this study population was 2, and 46% of patients had a p53 mutation and/or deletion. Ibrutinib was administered at 560 mg per day for 4 weeks and then venetoclax was added with a gradual dose escalation up to 400 mg per day.7

The combination of ibrutinib and venetoclax achieved a CR rate of 42% at 16 weeks, which surpassed the historical result of ibrutinib monotherapy (9%; P < .001). In addition, the CR rate among patients who were negative for minimal residual disease was 38%, and for patients with a p53 mutation, the CR rate was 50%. Ibrutinib plus venetoclax also achieved a PFS rate of 78% at 15 months.

The safety analysis did reveal 2 cases of tumor lysis syndrome in patients, however, but overall, the combination was well tolerated.

CAR T-cell therapy has already been integrated into the treatment landscape of many hematologic malignancies and is now being considered as a treatment for different solid tumors. CAR T-cell therapy is also a valid option for treatment of R/R MCL, and one agent, KTE-X19 has been granted Priority Review by the FDA for this indication based on results from the phase 2 ZUMA-2 trial.1

The multicenter study enrolled 74 patients and 68 of them received the CAR T-cell product. Among the MCL subjects, the subgroups included patients who relapsed after ASCT, relapsed after their most recent previous therapy, were refractory to BTK inhibition, relapsed during or after BTK inhibition, and could not receive BTK inhibition.8

In terms of efficacy, 85% of patients achieved an objective response, which included CRs in 59% of patients. In the various subgroups of patients with MCL included in the study, high rates of objective response were also observed. There were also 2 patients with stable disease and 2 with progressive disease.

Neither the median PFS nor OS were reached at the time of data cutoff, but the PFS rate at 1 year was estimated to be 61% in the study, and the OS rate was estimated to be 83% at 1 year.

The CAR T-cell agent led to grade 3 or higher AEs, the majority of which were cytopenias (94%); additionally, 32% were infections, 31% were neurologic events, 15% of patients had cytokine release syndrome, and 32% had hypogammaglobulinemia. The treatment-related mortality rate in this study was 3%, which was due to infections.

These data led to the conclusion that although KTE-X19 can induce durable remissions in patients with MCL, it causes serious toxicities that are common for CAR T-cell therapy. Thus, Langston noted in her presentation that CAR T-cell therapy for relapsed disease should only be considered for select patients.

Overall, BTK inhibition will likely remain a standard of care for R/R MCL, Langston stated, but CAR T-cell therapy should be carefully integrated into the landscape, once the first agent is granted FDA approval and depending on the indications of that approval. Finally, healthier patients with R/R MCL can continue to be considered for ASCT, which, she noted, has curative ability for heavily pretreated patients.1

References:

1. Langston AA. Integrating CAR t cell therapy into the management of relapsed mantle cell lymphoma. Presented at: 2020 Debates and Didactics in Hematology and Oncology; July 16-18, 2020; Sea Island, GA.

2. Dreyling M, Lenz G, Hoster E, et al. Early consolidation by myeloablative radiochemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation in first remission significantly prolongs progression-free survival in mantle-cell lymphoma: results of a prospective randomized trial of the European MCL Network. Blood. 2005;105(7):2677-2684. doi:10.1182/blood-2004-10-3883

3. Hoster E, Metzner B, Forstpointner R, et al. Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation and Addition of Rituximab Independently Prolong Response Duration in Advanced Stage Mantle Cell Lymphoma. Blood. 2009;114(22):880. doi:10.1182/blood.V114.22.880.880

4. Rule S, Dreyling M, Goy A, et al. Outcomes in 370 patients with mantle cell lymphoma treated with ibrutinib: a pooled analysis from three open-label studies. Br J Haematol. 2019;179(3):430-438. doi:10.1111/bjh.14870

5. Rule S, Dreyling M, Goy A, et al. Ibrutinib for the treatment of relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma: extended 3.5-year follow up from a pooled analysis. Haematologica. 2019;104(5):e211-e214. doi:10.3324/haematol.2018.205229

6. Wang M, Rule S, Zinzani PL, et al. Acalabrutinib in relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (ACE-LY-004): a single-arm, multicentre, phase 2 trial. Lancet. 2017;391(10121):659-667. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)33108-2

7. Tam CS, Andeson MA, Pott C, et al. Ibrutinib plus venetoclax for the treatment of mantle-cell lymphoma. N Engl J Med. 2018;378(13):1211-1223. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1715519

8. Wang M, Munoz J, Goy A, et al. KTE-X19 CAR t-cell therapy in relapsed or refractory mantle-cell lymphoma. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(14):1331-1342. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1914347

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CAR T-Cell Therapy Offers Potential Solution for Relapse in MCL, But With Toxicity Risk - Targeted Oncology